Lots Of Questions!

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Tomsmum

Tomsmum

Junior Guinea Pig
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So our New Guinea pigs are making themselves at home in their hutch :) so far it's just hay on newspaper and a couple of tunnels stuffed with shredded paper and hay.

Questions:
So many bedding choices! Can I use old (very old and matted) terry nappies as a layer of bedding?

I think they will need a house/snuggle area to be warm in. Currently they are 2-3 months old and will grow! How do I know what size house to get?

How do we know when they are happy? They have been held alot today and seem quite content how would we know if they weren't?

They love red pepper what other veg to try and how much would be enough?

How often do they need a bath? And how? They have short hair

Think that's it for now!
 
Can't answer all these questions at once !

Q1 - Terry - is great as an absorbent layer - but I wouldn't advise it as a top layer as guinea pig nails can get stuck in the loops. I would use your terry nappies for lap time ( as you will be around ) OR cover the terry with fleece,
 
Hi!

You may find our information guide starter kit helpful in settling in and understanding your piggies. The guides should also answer most of your questions. " Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

Is your hutch outside or under cover? Please be aware that this is the time of year, we recommend to bring it under a roof, away from cold drafts and dampness. This is even more important if you have youngsters who do note yet have a fully developed immune system and the body mass to cope with the big temperature swings that are typical for this season. What bedding you will eventually choose depends on that.

Bathing is no longer much recommended unless your piggies are really dirty (and in those cases, a quick bum bath with hand warm water is usually all that is needed) or unless a bath or dip is part of medical treatment. This is especially important with outdoors piggies that should not go from a cool place to a warm one and that need to be completely dry before they can go outside again.
 
I think once you get to know your piggies better it'll be easier to tell if they're happy. Popcorning and sometimes squeaking are very good signs.

Were they totally still when you held them? If so then they weren't exactly "happy", they were just following their freeze instinct. Prey animals tend to freeze so predators or other animals can lose interest. Eventually, once they warm up to you, instead of freezing they'll try to run away or start fidgeting a lot (unless they are tame and love lap time!) if this happens don't think they suddenly "hate" you, if anything they're more comfortable and trusting around you. Take it as a compliment lol
 
On the house/snuggle area, if you want to buy one, choose one big enough for rabbits and then you will be fine. If you want to save costs and change frequently, then use cardboard boxes and cut entry/exit holes (always more than 1 is a very good idea) - you can just get a new box each time it gets too dirty/chewed up so won't need to worry about what to do as they grow!
 
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