My New Guinea pig won’t move

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Tonyant

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I just got 2 New Guinea pigs. One of them is moving and eating (but still scared). But my concern is about the other male who is not moving at all or at least from what I’ve seen and is staying in his hideout. I’ve tried feeding him and even when I touch him with the food he won’t move and seems scared. I got him about 2 hours ago.
 
Welcome to the foejm

This is very normal. He is terrified.
Please don’t try to touch them at this point
Please cover the cage with a blanket and leave them to settle. Piggies feel scared in open spaces so covering the cage can help them feel more secure.
Put hay inside their hides so they don’t have to come out to eat if they don’t want to

We advise that you don’t try to touch them for at least the first week.
Just throw hay and veg in, give water and spot clean the cage but otherwise leave them alone.
In the second week, start to sit by the cage and talk to them so they can used to you being there.
You need fo start the weekly weight checks from the second or third week onwards so there is going to have to be a bit of handling taking place. Do note though that most piggies do not enjoy being handled.
It is going to take weeks to months for them to settle in properly and feel comfortable work your presence. Patience is always needed with guinea pigs.

As you seem to have two boys, ensure their cage is big enough - 180x60cm is needed for two boys. Boars are more territorial and really need a lot of room.
Ensure that you have two if everything in the cage - two bottles, two hay piles. have multiple hides in the cage and that all hides have two exits. Single exit hides pose a risk of one of trapping the other inside and aren’t advised to be used.

I’ve added some guides below to help you further

Wiebke

Thread 'New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection'

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Human Pet Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pig Facts: An Overview
3 Living Environment
- Housing (with sourcing tips)
- Bedding (with...
  • Like
Wiebke

Thread 'New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In'

Intro
1 What to do on arrival at home
- A welcome in piggy language
- Health check, sexing and weighing
- Quarantine or not if you have other guinea pigs?
2 Helping your guinea pigs to settle in
- Some practical tips for settling in new guinea pigs
- Avoiding predatory behaviours
- Skittish or ill?
- Group establishment and dominance
3 Handling and human...
Wiebke

Thread 'Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips'

1 Understanding Prey Animal Behaviour
- Unresponsive prey reflex
- Flight reflex
- Fight reflex (defence bites)
2 How to Avoid Predatory Behaviours
- Scent
- Flow of chatter
- Sudden movement and noises
- Looming and staring
- 'I am not seeing you'
3 Piggy Whispering
- 'I want to be friends with you'
- 'I invite you into my herd'
- 'I love/care...
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Wiebke

Thread 'A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars'

1 Common myths and misconceptions
2 The different ages (including teenage)
- Important biological facts
- The formative 'School Weeks' (3 weeks - ca. 4 months)
- The Teenage Months (ca. 4-14 months)
- The Adult Years (ca. 15 months - ca. 4-5 years)
- The Golden Age (ca. 4-5 years until end of life)
3 What do boars need? (List of boar dos and don'ts)
- Space, space and more space!
- Respecting the hierarchy
- The 'one for each...
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Tonyant said:
Thank you so much. I have a boy and a girl that are both around 2 months old I will use your tips
Click to expand...

Are they both in the cage together?

If so then please immediately separate them - they cannot remain together - and sadly you will have to put the female on pregnancy watch for the next 10 weeks.
I assume the male isn’t neutered given his young age?
 
Tonyant said:
Would you recommend getting him neutered?
Click to expand...

He will have to be neutered if you intend them to ever live together.
You must separate them right now though, and keep them side by side for the next few months.

He can’t be neutered until his testicles descend at 4 months of age and then he still needs to be kept away from her for six weeks after the surgery.

Plus if she is pregnant you will also have pups, living dynamics (ie you can only keep two boars together long term, and you can only keep one neutered boar with sows) and cage space to consider.
 
These guides will help you through a potential pregnancy.

Please do immediately separate them though - if by luck she isn’t already pregnant then you don’t want to leave the together any longer as otherwise she will be.
We don’t support intentional breeding.

Please do start a new thread in the pregnancy section to receive ongoing support and advice if needed

 
Also, for the six week period could i have a smaller cage for the male or female? I could add cage panels in between them?
 
Tonyant said:
Also, for the six week period could i have a smaller cage for the male or female? I could add cage panels in between them?
Click to expand...

It’s not six weeks that your piggies will be apart, it’s going to be at least three months.
After neutering he still can’t go back in with her for six weeks but they still need to be apart from today until he is neutered so each of their cages need to be minimum welfare size or bigger

Each cage needs to be 120x60cm or a 2x3 c&c each minimum.
The piggies need to be apart from today and won’t be able to go back together for at least the next three months so they need enough space at all times.

You need to make sure that he can’t climb or push through any divider. Boars will be very determined to get back in with a sow so you need to make sure the cages are very secure

If your current cage doesn’t provide enough space when split then you need to make it bigger and then split it or buy a second cage.
How big is your current cage?
 
Welcome to the forum.
I hope that your girl isn’t pregnant but it is important to watch her.
If they are going to live side by side you will need to ensure that your boy can’t get into her cage.
Boars can be very determined.
While my Micah was waiting to be neutered and then his 6 week wait he tried very hard to climb the grids or break them down.
 
My word you've been thrown in at the deep end there. Do keep in touch with us what a shame for you all, fingers crossed for no pups 🤞
 
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