Danielle Smith
Teenage Guinea Pig
When I first got my pigs some 6 months ago, they were nervous and wouldn't come out from their hideys. Over time, they've become more confident and will wheek when I'm in the room and come up to me and ask me for treats. I loved watching them chut-chut around the cage, rumblestrut, and eat hay.
Over the past couple months (when my boys' hormones have been at their worst; see my posts on the should-I/shouldn't-I of keeping them together), they've been becoming more withdrawn, with less zoomies (essentially none now), much less chutting when they are walking around, and pretty much never coming out of their separate hideys (unless they are turfing one another out of a space). I know "calming down" as they get older is to be expected, but I hardly ever see them apart from feeding times (and lap time). I hear them all the time, but it's usually just Tubs whining loudly at Flubs for even existing
(even when they are at opposite ends of the cage, poor dears), rumblestrutting (I love those little inner Harley Davidsons), or chattering at each other. Trial separations have made it clear they want to be together despite them generally being grump-butts.
Their bellies are getting urine-soaked (even with potty-pads), and the outside of their sacs is getting a bit gross with encrusted poo (like they are dragging their sac over the poops in their hidies). They refuse to eat hay unless they are completely enclosed and in the dark. They are otherwise healthy, still eating well and maintaining weight, but I feel their quality of life has dropped a lot. Instead of a crazy zoomies and exploring at floortime, they refuse to come out of their cage and when they do come out, just sit in a hidey the entire time. Enrichment they previously enjoyed (hanging veggies from a string, balls stuffed with hay, tubes with treats in, floortime of any description) no longer does very much for them.
Sorry for the wall-of-text rant. Basically, I understand pigs should wind down as they age, but should they be this quiet at 11 months old? Does anyone have suggestions for how to make them move about a bit more and generally enjoy themselves? Hideys, cage furniture, enrichment activities -- I'm keen to hear any ideas you might have.
Current cage setup:
and licks at the fleece after (the latter I know of, the former... not so much). His white face is permanently brown, even after multiple passes with a warm flannel. Good job, stink-butt.
Over the past couple months (when my boys' hormones have been at their worst; see my posts on the should-I/shouldn't-I of keeping them together), they've been becoming more withdrawn, with less zoomies (essentially none now), much less chutting when they are walking around, and pretty much never coming out of their separate hideys (unless they are turfing one another out of a space). I know "calming down" as they get older is to be expected, but I hardly ever see them apart from feeding times (and lap time). I hear them all the time, but it's usually just Tubs whining loudly at Flubs for even existing
(even when they are at opposite ends of the cage, poor dears), rumblestrutting (I love those little inner Harley Davidsons), or chattering at each other. Trial separations have made it clear they want to be together despite them generally being grump-butts.Their bellies are getting urine-soaked (even with potty-pads), and the outside of their sacs is getting a bit gross with encrusted poo (like they are dragging their sac over the poops in their hidies). They refuse to eat hay unless they are completely enclosed and in the dark. They are otherwise healthy, still eating well and maintaining weight, but I feel their quality of life has dropped a lot. Instead of a crazy zoomies and exploring at floortime, they refuse to come out of their cage and when they do come out, just sit in a hidey the entire time. Enrichment they previously enjoyed (hanging veggies from a string, balls stuffed with hay, tubes with treats in, floortime of any description) no longer does very much for them.
Sorry for the wall-of-text rant. Basically, I understand pigs should wind down as they age, but should they be this quiet at 11 months old? Does anyone have suggestions for how to make them move about a bit more and generally enjoy themselves? Hideys, cage furniture, enrichment activities -- I'm keen to hear any ideas you might have.
Current cage setup:
- 1-2 fiddlestick bridges bent into arches
- Corner hidey or fleece forest
- Fleecey tube
- Snuggle sack or cuddle cup
- Hay in various configurations (rack, bag, litter tray), with that half of the cage covered with a blanket (otherwise they won't eat any!)
and licks at the fleece after (the latter I know of, the former... not so much). His white face is permanently brown, even after multiple passes with a warm flannel. Good job, stink-butt.