My New Guinea Pigs Aren't Coming Out

H

Hannab Parish

New Born Pup
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
9
Reaction score
7
Points
55
Location
Lowestoft, UK
Hi,
Earlier this morning we got new guinea pigs. When a bit then home there was some noise which may have scared them but we tried to be quiet! Its now been about 6 hours and I haven't seen them once since we got them from the shop. We put their carry box into the cage with them to give them some comfort, but the fresh pepper a put in hasn't been touched. I'm worried that we've done something wrong, and we are first time guinea pin carers. If they still won't come out in the morning then is ir worth wiggling their box just to check theyre okay? Or just leave them. Getting a little worried, thank you!
 
Hannab Parish said:
Hi,
Earlier this morning we got new guinea pigs. When a bit then home there was some noise which may have scared them but we tried to be quiet! Its now been about 6 hours and I haven't seen them once since we got them from the shop. We put their carry box into the cage with them to give them some comfort, but the fresh pepper a put in hasn't been touched. I'm worried that we've done something wrong, and we are first time guinea pin carers. If they still won't come out in the morning then is ir worth wiggling their box just to check theyre okay? Or just leave them. Getting a little worried, thank you!
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!

Guinea pigs are prey animals and not living cuddly toys. They need time to settle into new surroundings and slowly learn how to be pets as shop and for sale breeder piggies have not had much in the way of human handling. Please give them as much time as takes - whether that is days or weeks.
Respect that this is a completely new environment and a potentially hostile territory for them, and that for your guinea pigs you are a predator until they learn otherwise. You can use our guinea pig whispering tips to make friends in guinea language once they have settled enough to come out with humans around - start with luring them when you feed veg, but don't be disappointed if that doesn't work instantly.

Please place a blanket over the cage; place hay (which makes 80% of the daily food intake, veg and water close to where they are hiding) and leave them be. They will come out when the room is quiet and they feel safe to do so.

Please take your time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

We have got lots more information and practical tips for all the usual problems that new owners face via this link here:
New Owners' Problem Solver And Information Collection
 
Hello! Welcoem to the forum :)

This is normal behaviour, piggies are prey animals so it takes the ma while to settle at first, they are very scared.

Do they have hidey houses in their cage? These are important as they give the piggies somewhere to sit and feel safe. Ideally your piggies need a hidey each

What size cage is it?
 
Guinea pigs are prey animals, as has already been said, it takes a while for them to trust you. They have had a lot of change from going away from an environment they knew into a carrier then into a cage. It is all very new and scary at the moment. Give them time and they will start to explore their new home. First of all it'll be when you are not around. You will know whether they have been out cos there will be poops (piggies are poop machines!) out and about in the cage. You have to earn their trust and it may take a few days, weeks or even months. With one of my piggies it took nearly a year before she trusted me properly. You need to take things at the pace your guinea pigs are happy with and not the other way around. It is worth it in the end though. What you don't want to do is frighten them.
 
sport_billy said:
Hello! Welcoem to the forum :)

This is normal behaviour, piggies are prey animals so it takes the ma while to settle at first, they are very scared.

Do they have hidey houses in their cage? These are important as they give the piggies somewhere to sit and feel safe. Ideally your piggies need a hidey each

What size cage is it?
Click to expand...
Hi, they have a 2 floor cage and it is a suitable size for them! We put the box that they came in inside the cage and opened it up so they could get out. There is also a hidey bit upstairs but they havent gone up there yet. We have put a blanket over top, and for the night we've put a blanket over the whole cage to avoid a potential draft, although our garage is fully insulated like the rest of the house, just not heated. Is the blanket over the whole hutch a bad idea? I read something previously about them needing light and openness, we will take the blanket off the front during the day!
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome!

Guinea pigs are prey animals and not living cuddly toys. They need time to settle into new surroundings and slowly learn how to be pets as shop and for sale breeder piggies have not had much in the way of human handling. Please give them as much time as takes - whether that is days or weeks.
Respect that this is a completely new environment and a potentially hostile territory for them, and that for your guinea pigs you are a predator until they learn otherwise. You can use our guinea pig whispering tips to make friends in guinea language once they have settled enough to come out with humans around - start with luring them when you feed veg, but don't be disappointed if that doesn't work instantly.

Please place a blanket over the cage; place hay (which makes 80% of the daily food intake, veg and water close to where they are hiding) and leave them be. They will come out when the room is quiet and they feel safe to do so.

Please take your time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

We have got lots more information and practical tips for all the usual problems that new owners face via this link here:
New Owners' Problem Solver And Information Collection
Click to expand...
Thank you, most of that has been done! We've left them for the day, and checked on them and spoken to them a couple of times. We havent touched or tried to make physical contact with them. They have food bowls and water but a little bit away, i might put a smaller bowl of water near their home. They have the blanket on the cage, and completely over it during the night to avoid the draft. We have left them 2 bits of pepper, is that okay? Thank you, got quite worried that they werent happy!
 
Mine are outside piggies and I put a blanket over the front of the hutch (on top of the hutch hugger Hutch Hugger™) at night to keep out the frost and draughts. During the day I lift up the blanket but usually keep the front on the cover unless it is a fairly warm day (over 15 degrees). A blanket on the over the whole hutch helps to keep them warm as at the mo it is a wee bit chilly at night. In the summer, obviously, the blanket is not on the hutch it is put away in the garage.
 
Hannab Parish said:
Thank you, most of that has been done! We've left them for the day, and checked on them and spoken to them a couple of times. We havent touched or tried to make physical contact with them. They have food bowls and water but a little bit away, i might put a smaller bowl of water near their home. They have the blanket on the cage, and completely over it during the night to avoid the draft. We have left them 2 bits of pepper, is that okay? Thank you, got quite worried that they werent happy!
Click to expand...

That is fine. Put in a chunk of cucumber and celery for the night, too, inbcase they have not learned to drink from the bottle.
 
Betsy said:
Guinea pigs are prey animals, as has already been said, it takes a while for them to trust you. They have had a lot of change from going away from an environment they knew into a carrier then into a cage. It is all very new and scary at the moment. Give them time and they will start to explore their new home. First of all it'll be when you are not around. You will know whether they have been out cos there will be poops (piggies are poop machines!) out and about in the cage. You have to earn their trust and it may take a few days, weeks or even months. With one of my piggies it took nearly a year before she trusted me properly. You need to take things at the pace your guinea pigs are happy with and not the other way around. It is worth it in the end though. What you don't want to do is frighten them.
Click to expand...
Okay thank you, when we go in to see them its whispering and tip toe-ing :)
 
Betsy said:
Mine are outside piggies and I put a blanket over the front of the hutch (on top of the hutch hugger Hutch Hugger™) at night to keep out the frost and draughts. During the day I lift up the blanket but usually keep the front on the cover unless it is a fairly warm day (over 15 degrees). A blanket on the over the whole hutch helps to keep them warm as at the mo it is a wee bit chilly at night. In the summer, obviously, the blanket is not on the hutch it is put away in the garage.
Click to expand...
Yes, in the summer they will be outside with a run, but for the moment in the garage! Plus If its wet and cold outside we wont want to go out to see them, where as having them in the garage we can see them whenever we like :)
 
Hannab Parish said:
Yes, in the summer they will be outside with a run, but for the moment in the garage! Plus If its wet and cold outside we wont want to go out to see them, where as having them in the garage we can see them whenever we like :)
Click to expand...

Can you order a microwaveable snuggle safe pad or two for cold nights, as I guess that the garage is not heated? Guinea pigs are not good with weather extremes and large temperature swings, and yours are still babies. A cardboard box with openings cut in and loosely filled with soft hay is also great for cold nights, as the hay acts as insulation.

Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
 
Wiebke said:
Can you order a microwaveable snuggle safe pad or two for cold nights, as I guess that the garage is not heated? Guinea pigs are not good with weather extremes and large temperature swings, and yours are still babies. A cardboard box with openings cut in and loosely filled with soft hay is also great for cold nights, as the hay acts as insulation.

Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
Click to expand...
We've got the cardboard box with hay, and i was looking into the snugglepads earlier today!
 
Congratulations! I know that I only joined today, but my babies are now 3. They res exactly like you described, and were like that for about a week, but by then end of two weeks were very well aware of who gave them the treats! Try to say the same thing, por do the same noise when offering treats or putting treats in the cage. For mine, I smacked my lips, like a kiss sound. They will soon associate the noise with treats, and will come to the side of the cage for treats. This is a great way to keep them calm when you first take them out of the cage. Try carrots, for your convenience, or celery, grapes, and other wet treats. They seem to take to those very fast!
 
Emily Kerns said:
Congratulations! I know that I only joined today, but my babies are now 3. They res exactly like you described, and were like that for about a week, but by then end of two weeks were very well aware of who gave them the treats! Try to say the same thing, por do the same noise when offering treats or putting treats in the cage. For mine, I smacked my lips, like a kiss sound. They will soon associate the noise with treats, and will come to the side of the cage for treats. This is a great way to keep them calm when you first take them out of the cage. Try carrots, for your convenience, or celery, grapes, and other wet treats. They seem to take to those very fast!
Click to expand...
Thank you! I'm new today as well. My little sister is 8 and quite eager to see them as they have been snuggled away most of the day. Hoping they go around and explore soon! Will try that, been making those sort of noises already!
 
Welcome to the forum. I’m sure your piggies will settle and you will have a lot of pleasure from them. Lots of good advice already given about settling them in so just be patient and gentle.
 
Guinea pigs are very cautious animals and new arrivals will often hide for long periods of time (we barely saw Sundae the first week we had her- she scooted out at night to eat and drink and ran right back into her hidey if she sensed someone might be around.) You haven't done anything wrong and it's really normal behavior, just give them some time to settle. They will likely come out to eat and drink overnight when it's dark and quiet and they feel safer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top