New baby guinea pigs. Should I be worried?

[LizzyJ]

Hi, I’m a first time guinea pig owner and my first time on this forum! Yesterday we brought home two lovely Abyssinian boars, they are 8 weeks old. They are currently still hiding in their wooden house full of hay. One of them is bigger than the other and scurries away when you open the roof of their house to check on them, whereas the smaller of the pair doesn’t run away he sits there and lets you stroke him. Should I be worried that he’s so quiet and placid. I’ve got it into my head that he is ill which is why he is not skittish like the bigger brother? I’ve been trying to disturb them as little as possible to let them get used to their new surroundings etc as I understand they’ll be very scared. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help X

 

[CW2211]

Welcome to the forum, I just brought my first two piggies home yesterday too, they’re Abyssinian mixes so look similar to your boys (except they’re girls). I’m obviously new to this so am not an expert but it sounds like the smaller one may just be comfortable around people naturally/knows he is safe with you so doesn’t feel the need to run. Mine are rescues so have been handled since they were babies but one of them is still more shy than the other and follows only once her sister has explored something! Your boys are adorable and I bet they’ll both be settled in no time and be very happy with you, keep us updated on their progress

 

[CW2211]

Also, I have read that since they are prey animals, they sometimes will stop/stay still in the hopes that a predator (or giant hands that they are unsure of) will lose interest and leave them be. Maybe that is what the smaller boy is doing but if he is letting you stroke him then in time I’m sure he’ll learn that you are not a threat and he will come to you willinglyHope this has helped though I’m a newbie too but I’m sure someone more experienced will come along soon to help you more than me!

 

[Betsy]

Hi and welcome to our friendly forum! It's lovely to have you here.

Your new piggy is staying still cos he is hoping you'll lose interest and leave him alone. It is his prey instinct which has kicked in. Here is a thread about bringing home piggies from a pet shop. Did you adopt or buy? the same applies anyway cos they are in a new place.

Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Here is a thread about how to settle in piggies.

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Hope you find them interesting reading. They have been written by a very experienced member who has around 30 piggies in a wonderful piggy room. She is taking a well earned break at the mo.

 

[Caris]

Welcome to the forum!

There's nothing to be worried about! Piggies are prey animals and often play dead/stay still in the hope that you will lose interest and leave them alone. I have had my piggies for almost a month (so am not an expert), but found that covering their cage with a blanket for the first few days and leaving them alone other than to feed and give them water really helped. It's tempting to check on them, but that often unsettles them. During those days, I used to sit by the cage and listen and could hear them destroying exploring their cage, so knew they were all right. I then over the following days drew the blanket back bit by bit. And I always talked whenever near them! (still do!) Predators don't reveal their presence so talking also helps to settle them, as well as getting them used to your voice. I sound like a mad thing when I'm like "It's okay! It's okay! Don't worry! I'm just getting a drink! There! There! No need to move!" whenever I stand up, but my two boars no longer run and hide the moment I do so.

The articles are also are very insightful read, and I found they really helped. I've definitely seen massive changes in my boars since getting them (now I have the problem of getting them to leave me alone and not climb onto the dustpan when I'm tidying their cage).

 

[LizzyJ]

Welcome to the forum, I just brought my first two piggies home yesterday too, they’re Abyssinian mixes so look similar to your boys (except they’re girls). I’m obviously new to this so am not an expert but it sounds like the smaller one may just be comfortable around people naturally/knows he is safe with you so doesn’t feel the need to run. Mine are rescues so have been handled since they were babies but one of them is still more shy than the other and follows only once her sister has explored something! Your boys are adorable and I bet they’ll both be settled in no time and be very happy with you, keep us updated on their progress

Hi, thank you. The lady we got them from said they were handled so I’m hoping that’s the case.

Also, I have read that since they are prey animals, they sometimes will stop/stay still in the hopes that a predator (or giant hands that they are unsure of) will lose interest and leave them be. Maybe that is what the smaller boy is doing but if he is letting you stroke him then in time I’m sure he’ll learn that you are not a threat and he will come to you willinglyHope this has helped though I’m a newbie too but I’m sure someone more experienced will come along soon to help you more than me!

Hi, thanks so much for your help. I was hoping it was his prey instinct that made him freeze. I am a bit of a worrier so I was thinking all sorts with him being the smaller of the two that he was unwell and didn’t have the energy to run. Thanks so much, that’s really reassuring X

 

[LizzyJ]

Hi and welcome to our friendly forum! It's lovely to have you here.

Your new piggy is staying still cos he is hoping you'll lose interest and leave him alone. It is his prey instinct which has kicked in. Here is a thread about bringing home piggies from a pet shop. Did you adopt or buy? the same applies anyway cos they are in a new place.

Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Here is a thread about how to settle in piggies.

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Hope you find them interesting reading. They have been written by a very experienced member who has around 30 piggies in a wonderful piggy room. She is taking a well earned break at the mo.

Hi, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I will have a read through those today. I just wanted to make sure his behaviour was normal as due to his size I was worried he’s not well. I am one of those annoying people who worries more than I should. I just want to make sure I am not missing anything that would need vet attention etc. Thanks so much for your help X

 

[CW2211]

So glad I could help and I hope the bigger boy will settle for you soon and you can have lots of strokes. Don’t forget to post some lovely pigtures whenever you can too we all look forward to them!X

 

[LizzyJ]

So glad I could help and I hope the bigger boy will settle for you soon and you can have lots of strokes. Don’t forget to post some lovely pigtures whenever you can too we all look forward to them!X

Thank you I sure will. I am hoping by the time I get home from work today they will have dared to venture out of their hidey house and have eaten and drank. I can’t help but feel bad for them, they must be so scared. Especially only being babies. I’ve left the radio on quietly for them whilst at work to help get them used to sounds in a home as they were kept outside at the rescue X

 

[CW2211]

Thank you I sure will. I am hoping by the time I get home from work today they will have dared to venture out of their hidey house and have eaten and drank. I can’t help but feel bad for them, they must be so scared. Especially only being babies. I’ve left the radio on quietly for them whilst at work to help get them used to sounds in a home as they were kept outside at the rescue X

They most likely will explore once they realise you aren’t there, and they’ll be taking food from you and waiting for you to come home and interact with them in no time! Even if they are scared and nervous at least they have each other to keep company and they aren’t on their ownI did that with mine when I brought them home too I had the mini fridge by their cage turned on and put the T.V on straight away so they could get used to the usual noises in my room

 

[Caris]

A blanket over the cage definitely helps them feel more confident.

The smaller of my two (he's also an Aby, I think, since he has a very pointed nose, whereas the other is a stockier short-hair) was also very much the freeze type, but this is him now, three weeks later:

Merlin: "This doesn't look like food!"

"Feed me!"

"Give me food now, slave!"

It just takes time. (Also, your piggies are absolutely gorgeous).

 

[LizzyJ]

Oh hi Merlin you little cutie. He’s gorgeous!
Great thanks for the advice, I will pop a blanket over their cage. I can’t wait until they are confident and bossing me around for food X

 

[LizzyJ]

So whilst I’ve been at work they have come out of hiding and have eaten their nuggetts, some cucumber and carrot. One happy piggy momma here I was so worried about them not eating. They have pooped all over the place and eaten quite a bit of their hay. I am still concerned how thin Pickle is compared to his brother Parsnip. For my own peace of mind in a few days I am going to weigh them both when they have settled more Xx

 

[CW2211]

That’s great to hear that they’ve been out exploring getting used to their new home. My Rosie is quite a bit heavier than Snicky, I’m sure the weight will be fine if you find out what it’s supposed to be at his age and what he actually is

 

[HeatherW]

Pickle has always been a scurrier, whereas Jasmine's always tends to stay still first then runs later. It's probably just a personality thing, and nothing to worry about.

 

[Caris]

It's great that they've been out and about! It shows that they're settling in. (Although it's shocking just how much they poop!)

Piggies are also a bit like humans and they come in all shapes and sizes. I wouldn't compare them to each other too much as they're not the same, even if they are brothers! Siblings can vary quite a bit. My two aren't siblings, but Merlin looks thin and small in comparison to Arthur, but it's just down to the fact that he's actually got a more slender build. His body is also longer than Arthur's when he stretches out (which he uses to his advantage because he can reach more of the carrot cottage roof), and he's also the more active of the two. What matters most, I think, is whether they seem healthy for them. Are they the weight spectrum for their age (it doesn't matter if there's a big difference between the two), do their coats look good (Merlin has the shiniest fur... I'm jealous), and do they feel overly thin or overweight? You should just about be able to feel their ribs.

 

[Freela]

When frightened pigs tend to either run or freeze... the quieter of yours is likely choosing the 'freeze and hope she forgets about me' technique. Keep an eye on them for signs that they are eating well, that their eyes look clear with no discharge, no frequent sneezing or nasal discharge, etc. Those would all be red flags. I suspect that this is just a behavioral strategy of a nervous pig in a new place and not a health issue, though.