Help! Guinea Pig Got Out And Hiding Under Couch

[koella]

She jumped out as I was cleaning the cage. Can someone please give me some tips to lure her out? she's still new and timid.

 

[Julesie]

Have you got a cosy or anything soft that she can crawl in?

What I'd suggest if you don't have anything like that is possibly tie up an old shirt and place some vegetables in it or any type of food she really likes. Then try and quickly pick it up while shes inside of it. If you then try to reach under the couch she should run out of it and then to another place of safety which hopefully will be this.

 

[koella]

ok *whew!* I just spent the last 2 hours trying to get her out and I finally tricked her into going into a box to transfer her to her cage. The poor thing though is probably so scared out of her wits. This probably is going to set our possible bonding back by a lot. What should I do the next time I try to clean her cage? It's so hard to get her to go into the little transfer sack that I use to get her out of the cage and into a temporary area. She doesn't really fall for the vegetable trick. The only time she'll move is if she thinks I'm not there. But the moment she spots me she panics and runs quickly. I also don't know how to give her floor time when it's so hard to get her back into the sack to go back in the cage. Would cornering her until she somehow runs into the sack just make her more distrustful and scared of me?

 

[Stewybus]

This is something that gets easier with time. Is it possible to clean the cage with her in it. I do that with mine but mine is a big c&c unit over 2 metres long. I clean one end then then my piggies go onto the fresh bedding then I clean the other end. You cold also pick her up for a cuddle & some hand feeding which soon gets them to realise that hands are good. Anyway glad you caught her last night, hope she settles down soon.

 

[Dindypig]

Piggies get to know a routine. Mine are now at the stage where they come and inspect the progress of the cleanout, they even sit around staring at me if I take too long.

 

[gus+walter]

Piggies get to know a routine. Mine are now at the stage where they come and inspect the progress of the cleanout, they even sit around staring at me if I take too long.

Haha! Mine did this for a while. They started to nibble on my clothes if I took too long. I put them in the kitchen now so I can do it without being rushed. When I'm done I open the door so they can find their way back and have an explore on the way.

I had a problem with piggy couch hiding when I first did floor time. They wouldn't take bribery veg either. I ended up coaxing them out with a broom handle and stared to do floor time in the hall way so they had nowhere to hide....apart from boxes I put out.

 

[koella]

I can sort of clean her cage with her still in it. She usually stays in her hut while I clean the other side. The only problem I really experience with this is when I need to clean under her hut (where she goes the most) so I move her hut to the other side of the cage. Instead of running into her hut though she panics and runs in circles around the edges of the cage.

I think I'll try to do floor time in my kitchen area this time instead of the living room. Less places to hide under apart from the shelters I'll put up for her. I don't think i'll be able to pick her up for lap time yet since she always runs away.

 

[Azi]

Piggies get to know a routine. Mine are now at the stage where they come and inspect the progress of the cleanout, they even sit around staring at me if I take too long.

Mine just jump all over the bedding and try to eat the brush i use! I usually give them floor time when I clean out the cage, but while my boar was feeling unwell I had to do it every day and kept them in it.

 

[koella]

After yesterday's event, I'm a little nervous that the c&c 14 inch high cages aren't high enough for her. The temporary box I put her in was about 10-12 inches and she managed to jump out of that one. Has anyone ever seen their guinea pigs jump out of the c&c cages?

 

[theoretikos]

After yesterday's event, I'm a little nervous that the c&c 14 inch high cages aren't high enough for her. The temporary box I put her in was about 10-12 inches and she managed to jump out of that one. Has anyone ever seen their guinea pigs jump out of the c&c cages?

I have heard of them managing to get over the sides but mine never have. Do you have extra grids? You could maybe make sections that are open and easy for her to get out higher.

 

[Briony_S]

After yesterday's event, I'm a little nervous that the c&c 14 inch high cages aren't high enough for her. The temporary box I put her in was about 10-12 inches and she managed to jump out of that one. Has anyone ever seen their guinea pigs jump out of the c&c cages?

My boy can get out but Ive used c&c for years and only one out of 17 ive had in c&c over that time has ever got out!

 

[abby]

I'd had my piggies 3 days and they managed to squeeze past a blockade I had made, and were hiding behind the sofa... Managed to herd one out quite easily but I couldn't find Diesel..... She had got through a hole in my sofa and was hiding inside!... thinking best to let her come out in her own time, but panicking the whole time incase she was stuck.... Eventually she bimbled out to get some food and I blocked off access more efficiently!

 

[Carley]

What me and my dad do when we are cleaning them out is, we put Bubble and Squeak in the box that we bought them in with a treat and some hay. Whilst my dad is cleaning them I take them out onto my trampoline and play with them.

 

[koella]

abby, that's the tactic I used as well. Except for the food part since she didn't really fall for that. But i used a broom to nudge her in the right direction until I could blockade off a part of the room. Glad you caught her! I understand that panicking feeling.

theoretikos, luckily I do have some cage parts left. I'll use those to cover part of the top of her cage. Thanks!