Keeping them warm

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ChrisR9898

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Hi I have just recently bought 2 guinea pigs from pets at home a local pet store in my town now i have bought a big cage for the both of them to be in and have layed out their cage with the correct stuff now I was wondering what is the best thing to help them keep warm overnight etc as they are In my bedroom and it’s not the warmest and when is the best time to get them out for the first handling I was thinking of just Continuing to feed them for a few more days then get them out could anyone help me on keeping them warm and when to handle please.
 
:wel:

You need to leave then to settle in for a few days before you start to handle them. Guinea pigs are prey animals and don’t like being picked up, or touched, so you need to take things very slowly. The best way to start is by offering food from your hand. They probably won’t take it at first, but over time they will start to trust you. It’s not something you can force though.

You say you have bought a big cage - do check the measurements are good enough. Some commercial pet store cages are not big enough. Two piggies require a minimum of 120cm x 60cm (this is the RSPCA welfare standard) but the more space you can give them the better. It is recommended that if your piggies are boys, that the cage is bigger than that minimum standard as lack of space can cause fall outs.

Keeping them warm, lots of hidey houses (ones made of fleece are good for helping to keep them warm), lots of hay to snuggle into (they need to eat a lot of hay anyway, so you will need to keep lot in stock) and maybe some snugglesafe microwave heat pads as they provide an area of extra warmth if it is needed. Guinea pigs ideally need to be kept between 18/20 degrees to be most comfortable.

I have added in a link below which will take you to a selection of guides. They are the most useful guides for new owners and cover topics such as how to settle then in, feeding, handling, the importance of weighing them weekly etc.

As they are pet store piggies, it is also a good idea for you to double check the sex of them yourself to ensure you do have two of the same sex. Hopefully they are, but pet store missexing does happen.

We’d love to hear more about your piggies and see some pictures!

New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information
 
Thankyou very much I shall check the measurements of my cage, they are both boys as the lady at the pet shop showed me their bits before we left and they are definitely boys, I have named one jimmy and one John I can see they jimmy is really shy and is always hiding away in the corner of the plastic hut thing in the cage and has been there all night I think he is really scared but I could hear one of them coming out overnight for a drink and some treats I left lying around so I am hoping jimmy has been out where as John overnight has sinced moved into the other wooden hut in the cage which I have padded with a soft material and he is in there now and I have lots of hay down in the cage and I am currently Changing the water bottles as we speak, I just wasn’t sure how long before I should get them out for a stroke do you think it would be best to do the food in my hand trick first before I was to take them out?
 
I have measure my cage and it is 110 x 50 will that be okay I have 2 huts in there padded out with warm bedding material so they can have a hut each but both are big enough for them both to be in together should they wish
 
You cannot rush it with them. How long have you had them?
It is unlikely they will let you stroke them yet if you have only just got them. They need to settle in. I’ve had my boys for coming up on two years and they still don’t like being touched! Definitely follow the piggy whispering tips in the guides I linked in above. You will need to leave them to settle first though.

I am afraid that cage is a little too small, particularly for boys. It is below welfare standards and it is definitely too small for two boys. Two boys will run into problems in their relationship if they are kept in too small of a cage. Lack of space can cause boys when they become teenagers (which is 4 to 14 months of age) to fall out.

Cage Size Guide

Giving treats is nice, but be careful about the kinds of treats you are giving. You don’t want anything that is too high in sugar or commercial treats containing seeds. Some lovely fresh herbs make nice treats for piggies!
 
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how much muesli should they be fed could anyone tell me please or non at all?
 
ChrisR9898 said:
how much muesli should they be fed could anyone tell me please or non at all?
Click to expand...
Go for pellets, its a lot better for them! With museli pigs seems to pick out the bits they like and leave the ones they don't. (I find its usually those hard yellow bits)
With a pellet, you take away that option of selective feeding so they get all the goodness!
 
Muesli style feeds should be avoided. They should be fed a plain guinea pig pellet/nugget. They only need one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day. It really is only a tiny amount.

The majority (80%) of their daily food intake needs to be hay. They need to eat a lot of hay, the more you can give them the better. It should be fed freely and be constantly available to them throughout the day and night.

Because you can’t gauge that they are eating enough hay by eye, it is important that you weigh your guinea pigs every week to ensure they are consistently gaining weight.

Weight Monitoring and Management

You can introduce veggies but it needs to be done very slowly so as to not upset their tummies. Just a small amount at a time. You can slowly build it up over time always assessing their poops - if they become soft at all then you need to cut back on veg. Once their tummies are used to vegetables, then you aim to feed one cup/50g of veg per day

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Do give these links (the lines in green) a read, as well as the one on my first reply to you. They provide a lot of essential information about guinea pig care
 
Thanks what is best to feed them to help with their teeth? I have some guinea fruit nuggets which is supposed to help their dental care I wasn’t sure what would be best to feed them alongside hay to help with teeth
 
ChrisR9898 said:
Thanks what is best to feed them to help with their teeth? I have some guinea fruit nuggets which is supposed to help their dental care I wasn’t sure what would be best to feed them alongside hay to help with teeth
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I wouldn’t feed them such fruit nuggets - they are likely very high in sugar and not good for them.
The best thing for guinea pigs to eat to help them wear down their teeth is hay and grass
 
All they need to eat is:

Hay
Grass, a variety of herbs and veggies
A tiny amount of plain guinea pig pellets

As I explained above, grass and veggies need to be introduced very slowly so as to not cause tummy upsets at first.

A lot of the commercially available ‘treats’ should be avoided such as the sticks which hang on the side of the cage etc are not good for piggies (those sticks in particular as they contain items which are not healthy and are potentially dangerous ie seeds which should not be part of a guinea pig diet in the first place, but are also a choking hazard).
 
Re keeping them warm I use a tiny oil filled heater near their cage during the night in winter months as my house can get cold. It supposedly uses little electricity. I got it from Dunelm but I'm sure Argos and other places has them.
20200205_212748.webp
 
:wel:
If you’re unable to upgrade their cage now, is there enough space in your room to set up a run around their cage that they have constant access to? They really do need more space, and as soon as possible.

We recommend you double check the sex of the piggies. They (pet shops) can get it wrong. But if you’re sure and have seen the sexing thread then it’s ok.
 
Welcome and hope you and your piggies are getting to know each other. I have two piggies and 1 even after year or so doesn't like to be picked up. . . so take yer time and let them get used to noise you etc
Well done for asking on this forum advise etc
 
Thanks everyone they have came out of one of the huts today which they were both hiding in to get food and water which I suspected they were doing during the night when I wasn’t around but today they have came out whilst I have been around and got food and water and didn’t seem to be phased when doing so I am thinking of getting them out the cage in a few days time to put them into a play pen which I have got for them as a bit of different space and time out of the cage do you think this would be a good idea? And when I am feeding them veg daily should I always do it at a certain time and only do small amounts? Sorry for all the questions i am new to this guinea pig thing and I really want it to go well I already care for them
So much
 
They are still wary when any sudden movements happen and they shoot back into the hut but almost immediately come back out and don’t seem phased if anyone is around
 
That sounds like good progress. Make sure when you put them in the play that they have lots of hides. I didn’t put the boys in a play pen for at least the first month but everyone is different. Whether it’s enjoyable for them will depend on them. Actually, as they’re in such a small cage (when can you get them the minimum size they need?) I’d say they should have floor time every day. How old are they?

As for feeding - some feed twice daily while others feed once. Whatever works for you is what you should do. Just be warned as soon as they get used to the timing, you’ll get earache if you’re even a minute late! 😬 pellets should be limited to one tablespoon per pig, per day.

BTW another thing you could do for warmth is to cover their cage with a blanket, leaving a small gap for ventilation. But you really do need to get them a bigger cage soon as. 150x60cm is the recommended minimum for boars. Additional levels don’t count - they’re a bonus rather than an expansion of (ground) space.

We’d love to see some pics.

PS I’d recommend you take the piggies to a vet for a general health check as soon as possible. Unfortunately quite a few piggies from P@H come ill. I think there’s a time scale where you can claim back costs of any vet fees and treatment. Make sure the vet is cavy savvy. Below is a link for recommended vets.
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets
 
I feed my boys pellets in the morning and they only get their veg at night. That is only because that is what works for me though, everybody is different, their hay gets topped up throughout the day about four or five top ups a day.

Do read the links I’ve added in, they are very helpful
 
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