Missing their mum?

[VioletPigs11]

I got too 6 week old girls the other day, and they had been handled every day of their lives and were very confident little things. I even had cuddles with them for 15 minutes before I got them.
But when we got home and since we've been home, they've just been sulking and not wanting to even come out of their house. Are they missing their mum? Are still just scared of a new place? I'm desperately trying to get them to come out of their shells a bit. But one of them (Piglet) isn't even eating very much and seems to be not wanting her sister near her.

 

[Wiebke]

I got too 6 week old girls the other day, and they had been handled every day of their lives and were very confident little things. I even had cuddles with them for 15 minutes before I got them.
But when we got home and since we've been home, they've just been sulking and not wanting to even come out of their house. Are they missing their mum? Are still just scared of a new place? I'm desperately trying to get them to come out of their shells a bit. But one of them (Piglet) isn't even eating very much and seems to be not wanting her sister near her.

Hi!

Give your little ones time to settle into their new home. This is not a matter of a few days but a matter of weeks or even months. Guinea pigs are prey animals and not living toys; when you have bought your piggies on the back of watching cute videos on social media, you are likely to be disappointed because what you see is content that appeals to humans but it is not giving you a realistic perspective of piggy ownership - because many crucial aspects of it don't make interesting video content.

It is a very frightening experience to be suddenly in strange territory without the guidance of an older piggy at the time of life when weaned piggies are programmed to go through their 'apprenticeship' by shadowing an adult and learning from them to master their environment and the finer points of the complex social interaction.
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Your girls are currently in the process of establishing a new group in their new home. This process takes about 2 weeks on average. It is the same process that is called the 'dominance' phase in any bonding process.
You can find information on the dominance phase and dominance behaviours in sows in the two links below:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[VickiA]

Aww, they are very tiny babies in a whole new environment. They just need time to settle in and get used to their new home, new surroundings and new family. Have a read of the links Wiebke has given you above, and also have a look at the settling in guide How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
I’m sure they will settle in in a few days or so.

 

[Merab]

Time and patience are needed.
I always give new piggies a week without doing anything more than talking to them.
Give them to learn that they are safe and watch their characters blossom.
Enjoy them for the individuals that they are

 

[PigglePuggle]

Completely agree with all the excellent advice above, I remember bringing Piggle and Puggle home almost 2 years ago and not even seeing Puggle for the first 2 or 3 weeks, Piggle used to take her veggies into the hidey house for her and she'd only come out when we weren't there... now they are such confident madams, wheeking away and biting at the cage bars demanding snacks and coming to "help" when we are poop scooping the cage interfering with everything and sleeping all flopped down out in the open!
Its a gradual process but well worth the effort of being patient and taking things at your piggies pace

 

[Betsy]

You need to put yourself in the place of your new piggies:-

You have been taken away from the only home you have ever known. You are a prey animal and anything may eat you. Your Mum is not there anymore you have nobody to teach you stuff like what is safe to eat and how to be a guinea pig. You are with your sister and you are both very frightened. There are strange smells and noises that you don't understand. The only person around doesn't speak guinea pig and is a huge smelly giant who may eat you.

I know I would be terrified in that situation. This is how they see it from their point of view.

Have you covered part of the cage to make them feel safer? They don't know that you are not going to eat them - you know that - you have to teach them that by slowly showing them only kindness and love. Have a look at Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips and try some of the tips. You will feel very silly doing some of them but as you are speaking guinea pig its not silly to your piggies. The most useful one I found was to talk as you are approaching them as a predator is silent. I still talk to them as I approach my piggies now four years later.