My guineas pigs dont like to run

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CarlaAnn

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So I have 2 4 month old girls
Whenever I put them in their run they never run around!
They just explore for 3 minutes then lay down and wait for
me to put them back in their cage
When they had a smaller cage I think they liked it more
since they played for like like a 20 minutes then
laid down and waited for me to come along and fetch them
but now they just run around in their cage but not in their run
any ideas as to why?
 
No, unfortunately I’m not sure, what I do know is that a big cage is definitely better than a small one 🙂
 
When mine are in the run they have a variety of:
bendy wooden arches to run through and hide under, various fleecy items, a bowl of pellets, a wicker bridge, a hay cube, wooden box with doors cut out, a length of 4" pipe, a paper bag stuffed with hay ..... Oh and I always put the hay tray in when they are not on the grass.
 
It might take them a while to get used to the run. They'll probably run around more when they are more comfortable. Good idea to put some toys in there too.
 
If you line up hidey things they can right run through around the edge of the playpen (cardboard hidey tube, wooden arch, grassy tunnel, cardboard box with a door in each end) they might run from one to another- and then end up running little circuits if they realise they can do a full lap without being out in the open too much! We usually do that with our playpen, then put a big pile of hay and scattered salad leaves or cucumber in the middle. If you hide little bits of veg in the hideys tunnels and boxes thats good too, they'll love searching for the food!
 
CarlaAnn said:
So I have 2 4 month old girls
Whenever I put them in their run they never run around!
They just explore for 3 minutes then lay down and wait for
me to put them back in their cage
When they had a smaller cage I think they liked it more
since they played for like like a 20 minutes then
laid down and waited for me to come along and fetch them
but now they just run around in their cage but not in their run
any ideas as to why?
Click to expand...
The run is a new and scary place, especially for prey animals like guinea pigs. They are probably used to their cage and feel safer knowing nothing bad has ever happened in there. Just give them time and plenty of places to run and hide in the run. They will grow in confidence soon. My young boar was the same until he realised its fun and not a threat. 👍
 
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What time of day do you do run time? Our piggies generally go in theirs in the afternoon and there is a marked difference in activity as the day wears on - early on they just want to sit hidden in the hay and snack/snooze but once it gets towards dusk they get more and more excitable. By 6.30 this evening there were crazy zoomies, wheeking, jumping like ponies in a show ring over low tunnels and having a whale of a time! I believe piggies are generally known to be more active at dawn and dusk than in the middle part of the day.
 
Just had another thought, you could try covering a section of the run with an old blanket or towel to make them feel a bit safer.
 
Welcome to the forum @CarlaAnn
I can’t add to the advice you’ve been given, I fact I might try some of these suggestions for my lot
Please can we see pictures of your piggies
 
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