Got two guinea pigs today - Advice on settling them in.

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tinamoo

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Hello All,

I have been wanting some guinea pigs for a number of years now. I was close to purchasing some last year but fell in love with a rabbit. Although I love the rabbit dearly he does not like being handled and so is not a very interesting pet for my daughter. I decided that I would get a pair of guinea pigs at a later date but try to get older ones so I had a better idea of their personality.

Today I finally got a pair of guinea pigs. They are both 6 month old females, one a Agouti and the other a tricolored Abyssinian. I was told that they are used to being handled and are very friendly. I was told that the Agouti was the more dominant of the two.

I have already made the mistake of letting them loose in the garden whilst my husband put the hutch together. I know that they do not really like open spaces but myself and my daughter had them on our knees not realising that they would make a run for it. I had felt a bit sorry for them as we had an hours drive to get them home and thought that they would appreciate being out of the pet carrier sooner rather than later. It was a lot of hassle getting them back when the hutch was ready. I just hope it did not traumatise them too much.:(

Anyhow, I could do with some advice on what I should do from now on so I have nice friendly guinea pigs that was can handle, play with and enjoy. Do I put them in their run tomorrow? Do I try handling them or do I leave them alone to settle a bit longer? The previous owners said that they needed to be handled a bit more than they had been.
 
Hi Tina and welcome.
I can only go on my experience, I took got mine when they were approx 6 months old and whilst had been handled they actually weren't that tame considering what they are like now.

Firstly, I'd say they need time to settle down, whether indoor or outdoor, I'd recommend you give them a day or so with regular feed times and always talking to them when you approach them. They will hide as they are hunted animals in the wild. They need to get use to the new smells and sounds, I did lots of talking, neighbours think I'm nuts as I always talk to mine before I get to them.

It's also important they are picked up correctly especially when first handled as you will smell differently etc. Not sure how old your daughter is but again a bit of "this is how you do it" wouldn't go a miss as young children can accidently hurt GP with so many small delicate bones.

Just give it time, let them smell you and then start daily cuddles and stroking and you will be rewarded with piggy kisses. I'm no expert, I just know what worked for me and my girls.

Theres loads of good advice on here to help you bond and take care of your new wheekers...so enjoy!
 
:)p Hello and welcome.

Congratulations on your new arrivals. It's a very exciting time. Lil has given you some great advice. Just give them plenty of time. When you do put them in the run, make sure they have a hidey or two, and don't be surprised if they won't come out much the first few times. If they've not been out on grass before, then it's best to introduce run time slowly so the rich grass doesn't upset their tummies. Perhaps start with half and hour and build up? (I'm not absolutely sure as my pigs live indoors). There's a recent thread on here about hot weather, I'll have a look and see if I can find it.

When I got my pigs I often sat on the floor next to their cage reading or doing something not related to them (and still do). I think it helps them get used to my presence and know that my arrival does not automatically mean something scary is about to happen (like being picked up). :)
 
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