New cage causing problems?!

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Puzzlepigs

Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi there
So at the weekend, I finally managed to get round to building the piggies their C&C cage. I made it a 4x2 with a 1x2 top level, so they got even more space then I planned. They had been living in a decent sized shop bought cage, but I felt that I really wanted to give them the best and biggest size cage I could. A 4x2 with a 1x2 loft was the biggest I could, as the cage has to sit on top of two benches in the piggy room.

Anyway, Puzzle, my youngest piggy has been acting really timid and shy since we put them in the new cage. I built in on Sunday, cleaned it and made sure that I put some of their old toys in so it felt like home to them. They were really happy and popcorning everywhere but on Monday, Puzzle seemed to run away from me when I tried to pick her up. Bingo was fine, she always is and I suppose I would expect her to be tamer than Puzzle as I've had Bingo longer.

I'm not sure if it is just because the cage is new, bigger and she is still getting used to it, but I'm a little worried. She seems really happy and she is squeaking for her veggies so that is good. They haven't yet worked out how they actually get to the top level, so any ideas on how to help them work it out without rushing ahead and scaring them?
I did manage to pick Puzzle up and when I put her back in, I put her on the top level and gave her some veggies as a reward and she seemed to say: 'How did I get here, where am I?!'

I've already tried putting veggies, treats and toys up there and veg on the ladder, but the don't want to go up. It really surprised me because with the old cage, Puzzle always used to jump on the log house and clamber over things. She even jumped from house to house once. They do climb the ladder to get the food, but they don't actually go right up onto the top.

Thanks :)
 
Some guinea pigs don't react as well as others to home changes, especially when there's more space and new things that they aren't used to. I moved my girls into a shed in August and I had one girl that really worried me as she'd gone from being confident and happy in hutches to terrified and not really sure what to do with herself in all the extra space. It took her a good week or so to get used to the shed and now she's loving it!

With the ramp again it does depend on the piggies. I had a small herd when I tried ramps, so one outgoing piggy taught the others to go up it and come down (had a couple that froze on the way down and slid down rather than walked!). One thing you could try is putting treats on the ramp where they actually have to get on it to reach the treat and see if that tempts them up? Otherwise you could try placing the braver pig on the ramp and see what they do. Sometimes they take time to get used to a ramp and won't go up it immediately. A ramp tunnel might help if it's the height they're scared of - though I can't remember where you get them from! Someone else might know :)
 
Give your piggies time to get used to the new cage - to them it is new (and potentially hostile) territory; especially ramps can be a problem. it can take very little to scare a piggy in a new environment. I've had new piggies figuring my big ramp out anywhere from 10 seconds to four days!

Just continue with your daily routine and act as normal as possible. That will reassure your piggies that nothing is amiss.
 
I've tried putting the treats on the ramp and the get them but they don't ever venture any further! I think I will leave it a few days and see, I don't want to scare them. When I was researching C&C cages I saw somebody with a tunnel ramp, so I might see if I can find out where you can get them from. I think if they don't get used to it in a month or so, I might be as well to try a tunnel. Thanks :)
 
My new avatar picture shows Puzzle attempting to climb up when I put a treat there, so maybe it's just a matter of time. :)
 
Hi, thanks! How wide are the tunnels? I shall see how they settle, then decide whether I get a new one. You do some really funky designs! If they start using the top level I might get a cosy or something for them up there. There isn't a house up there yet though because I'm worried about them jumping on that and then climbing out even though my sides are really high! Trouble is, Bingo is log haired and when she wees, her bum hair gets wet and she ends up soaking the fleece, hence why I don't use it as a main bedding :( but luckily fleece toys are fine because she doesn't have as much space to soak! I don't like cutting her hair short but I do trim her back end a little to stop it matting and every month or so she gets a trim to stop it tangling.

Thanks for letting me know of your shop, I shall get back to you if my pigs don't work it out! :)
 
Hi, thanks! How wide are the tunnels? I shall see how they settle, then decide whether I get a new one. You do some really funky designs! If they start using the top level I might get a cosy or something for them up there. There isn't a house up there yet though because I'm worried about them jumping on that and then climbing out even though my sides are really high! Trouble is, Bingo is log haired and when she wees, her bum hair gets wet and she ends up soaking the fleece, hence why I don't use it as a main bedding :( but luckily fleece toys are fine because she doesn't have as much space to soak! I don't like cutting her hair short but I do trim her back end a little to stop it matting and every month or so she gets a trim to stop it tangling.

Thanks for letting me know of your shop, I shall get back to you if my pigs don't work it out! :)
Sorry for bad English, I'm on the iPod!
 
its probably just relocation stress, it happens to a lot of animals. my bearded dragon wouldnt eat for weeks when i first got him into his enclosure. animals dont adapt as easily to changing environments as we do. its the same with fish too, and even cats and dogs. animals dont like change at first.
 
Oh it's not my shop ") ! I sadly have lots of piggy shops saved in my favourites! :)) My Finley is a sheltie and it's definitely worth keeping their bottoms short to stop them from getting in a mess!
 
I am sure they will settle once they've had time to get used to their new surroundings.

I have a piece of fleece attached as a roof to my hayloft (clipped on with clothes pegs) and it's a favourite piggy hideout. Your piggies may just be feeling a bit exposed.

You could do the same with the bottom level and peg a towel or fleece across a few grids at the opposite end. This will make the space seem more enclosed, then gradually make the open space bigger by moving the fleece back a little every day or so.

My pigs mooch around all of the space they have but will almost always choose a hidden spot to relax in. The covered hayloft and the space underneath it are the most popular spots.

:)
 
I am sure they will settle once they've had time to get used to their new surroundings.

I have a piece of fleece attached as a roof to my hayloft (clipped on with clothes pegs) and it's a favourite piggy hideout. Your piggies may just be feeling a bit exposed.

You could do the same with the bottom level and peg a towel or fleece across a few grids at the opposite end. This will make the space seem more enclosed, then gradually make the open space bigger by moving the fleece back a little every day or so.

My pigs mooch around all of the space they have but will almost always choose a hidden spot to relax in. The covered hayloft and the space underneath it are the most popular spots.

:)

Good idea, I will try it tomorrow! Also my pigs love the shelter underneath the loft!
 
Have you tried changing the ramp, we have a cage with a metal ramp so we used resting logs on top which worked great, might be the surface and not the fact of a 2nd level. Try covering the ramp with something the piggie is familiar with.
 
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