New Guinea Pig Owner looking for help!

[snz]

Hello everyone!

I just bought 6 weeks ago two guinea pigs called now Bibi & Tina, like in the animated TV show and I don't know much about their behavior.
My girlfriend really looked into everything before we took them in our place and kept looking over the time about everything.
We both know nothing. But we learned before and constantly do.

Until two weeks ago our pets have stayed into one of the quiet room. We live in a flat, in rental, so it's pretty hard to find them a spot.
After, I've moved them to the corner of the same room, with the same sheets, the same 'cage', the same floor and no so close to the radiator.
*Important aspect, the radiator has not been turned on before I've moved them.

Both of pigs were really really scared when we took it. Okay, we read about it, we know, we were really silent around them and carefully giving them all they needed.
After they get used with us, starting making noise, coming closer to us when it's food time (btw, they won't stop eating!) and always make happy noises when we come back home.

Today I had something to work and made a lot of noise: power drill, hammering, moving stuffs and moved them in bathroom in a safe place. It's a thing we usually do for them to don't scare when hearing loud noises. After I finished I moved them back and they were fighting so loudly! I mean, only one of them (the one with walk of dominance behavior - I wrote down).

Sometimes, when they stay and don't run or are scared, we took them on couch and playing with them. Today one of them (Bibi) peed on my girlfriend. Bibi is the most vocal and today really made A LOT OF NOISE (comparing to before). The other one, Tina, is always very silent, rarely hearing something from her (only when we came home).

Another important thing, three weeks ago, Bibi, the vocal one was teeth chattering, rumbling and chasing Tina. I read about it and it's called Walk of Dominance. So I suppose this Bibi want to show more power. They both are around 1 year ago but it's a difference between them.
Now, I have a really big question (actually, more, but only one big question):

1. Why Bibi is so vocal? Considering that also peed on my girlfriend and pee a lot, very very very much today. They never did it before.
2. Why Tina isn't vocal? Sometimes I see her teeth chattering - but not in an afraid mood: I saw her in scared mood and it's not like this.
3. The sheets under they cage is from 'Petkult Pets' from charcoal & microfiber. They are eating it! And trust me, they eat a lot and very diversity. My girlfriend read about it and gave them the best dishes sometimes they love cabbage and cucumber. Is it safe to eat those pads? Should we change them with another thing?
4. They started to open the cage since 2-3 days ago. They are leaving the cage but stay close to it. No warmer or colder place, still on pads, still above 'their place'. Every single 15 minutes they open the cage, attacking the 'fence'. We are considering to buy another one. Them have a lot of place: like 2,4 meters X 1,2 meters.

Thanks a lot. Looking forward to your replies.
Best regards!

 

[Pantalaimon]

You have done the right thing by giving them space for the first few weeks and then keeping them away from loud noises, many new owners make the mistake of diving straight into handling from the moment they get them but it sounds as if you have done a great job of introducing it slowly.

Many behaviours in guinea pigs have multiple meanings depending upon the situation. Becoming more vocal around you means they have become comfortable enough to express how they feel and not just hide, the vocalisations themselves could mean many different things though.

Do you know if your pigs are boys or girls?
And how old they are?

Young boars can be quite hormonal and can easily fall out. Being outside the cage for a while and then being placed back may have caused them to reestablish their hierarchy.

Though most dominance behaviour/arguing is normal, if there is lots of it happening then it should be monitored, and if they start lunging at each other with their mouths open, create cuts on each other or are physically attacking each other then they will need to be separated.

Most guinea pigs don’t really care where they poo or pee and just go when the need arises, one of my guinea pigs managed to wee down the back of my neck once (I was laying down with her) but has never so much as left a drip on me since! (I’ve had her for nearly seven years)

Different guinea pigs will behave differently, some may take a very long time to become trusting of humans. Others will do so very quickly. Some are also just not very vocal.

You guinea pigs shouldn’t really be eating a material that is not designed as food. It implies the material smells like food, they are bored, they have not got enough stuff to chew or they are hungry. What have you been feeding them so far?

 

[snz]

You have done the right thing by giving them space for the first few weeks and then keeping them away from loud noises, many new owners make the mistake of diving straight into handling from the moment they get them but it sounds as if you have done a great job of introducing it slowly.

Many behaviours in guinea pigs have multiple meanings depending upon the situation. Becoming more vocal around you means they have become comfortable enough to express how they feel and not just hide, the vocalisations themselves could mean many different things though.

Do you know if your pigs are boys or girls?
And how old they are?

Young boars can be quite hormonal and can easily fall out. Being outside the cage for a while and then being placed back may have caused them to reestablish their hierarchy.

Though most dominance behaviour/arguing is normal, if there is lots of it happening then it should be monitored, and if they start lunging at each other with their mouths open, create cuts on each other or are physically attacking each other then they will need to be separated.

Most guinea pigs don’t really care where they poo or pee and just go when the need arises, one of my guinea pigs managed to wee down the back of my neck once (I was laying down with her) but has never so much as left a drip on me since! (I’ve had her for nearly seven years)

Different guinea pigs will behave differently, some may take a very long time to become trusting of humans. Others will do so very quickly. Some are also just not very vocal.

You guinea pigs shouldn’t really be eating a material that is not designed as food. It implies the material smells like food, they are bored, they have not got enough stuff to chew or they are hungry. What have you been feeding them so far?

Hello, Pantalaimon. Thank you for your answer!

So, both of them are girls. One is 1 year old, another one is 7/8 months old.
The one who is looking for dominance is the oldest one.
Right now, when I'm typing, they look away to open the cage.

They throw away food from their designated 'plate', so yes, the material probably smells like food.
I do not know if they're bored, but they are looking to eat EVERY SINGLE TIME. AND EVERY SINGLE THING.
For sure they aren't hungry because they receive food, in quite big quantities and snacks every time.

I have been feeding them with: food mix (Grandmix), pellets, hay and also vegetables (everyday is different, for example, in the last three days, they received lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, pepper, parsley, dill... sometimes they receive also tomatoes (rarely) and apples. They love lettuce for sure!

I have to go to close the cage.
Thanks.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, Pantalaimon. Thank you for your answer!

So, both of them are girls. One is 1 year old, another one is 7/8 months old.
The one who is looking for dominance is the oldest one.
Right now, when I'm typing, they look away to open the cage.

They throw away food from their designated 'plate', so yes, the material probably smells like food.
I do not know if they're bored, but they are looking to eat EVERY SINGLE TIME. AND EVERY SINGLE THING.
For sure they aren't hungry because they receive food, in quite big quantities and snacks every time.

I have been feeding them with: food mix (Grandmix), pellets, hay and also vegetables (everyday is different, for example, in the last three days, they received lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, pepper, parsley, dill... sometimes they receive also tomatoes (rarely) and apples. They love lettuce for sure!

I have to go to close the cage.
Thanks.

Hi and welcome

You are obviously a very caring owner.

I do worry a bit about your diet.
Please offer hay, hay and more hay. It should make over three quarters of what a guinea pig eats in a day. A correctly hay based diet can make a difference of 1-2 years of added life in an average healthy life span.
A tablespoon of pellets per piggy per day (please do not feed mixes), a carefully balanced mix of preferably mostly green veg (please don't overfeed) and an treats only replace the supplementary role of wild forage in the diet grass/hay fibre based diet guinea pigs have evolved on. The growth rate of their crucial grinding back teeth and the digestive system are totally laid out for breaking down the tough but highly nutritious grass fibre in two runs through the gut.
For enrichment, you sprinkle-feed hay and veg around the cage in order to encourage natural foraging behaviours. In between the 1-2 feeds a day (pellets and veg should not be on offer all the time) piggies should eat as much as hay as possible. Your diet sounds like it could easily lead to overweight and potentially bladder stones and dental issues in the long run.
Our food guide looks at diet as a whole but also at every food group and their role in practical detail: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

For boredom breakers you can find lots of ideas in this link here: Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

As to behaviours: Your girls are obviously settling into their home and are establishing their hierarchical group. Your dominant sow may also have been in season. I would recommend that have only houses with two exits. This helps to keep any confrontations down a bit more.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours

Personalities can vary a lot. You can get very loud and vocal piggies and the silent types. Your under-sow may still need a bit longer to come out of herself. Just be patient.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips

All the links and many more are in our New Owners guide collection but you are of course always welcome to ask any questions you have along the way. We will answer them all in a friendly and helpful way. You may want to bookmark the access link so you can find it easily again whenever you need more information: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners

 

[Piggies&buns]

And

I have four piggies - one is very loud and is constantly talking (bordering on shouting!). The other three range from being totally silent (except scissoring his teeth at me at meal times), one is a few little wheeks when excited and one who prefers to communicate with everybody and everything via rumbling!

I do agree with Wiebke about their diet. It does sound like you need to tweak things to get it more in balance.
I had a quick look for the pellets you mention you use and if ive found the right ones, they are not the sort of thing which your piggies should be eating. It looks to be a muesli mix which will be full of unsuitable ingredients.
Hay is the biggest part of their diet and they should constantly be eating it. It’s not boredom, it’s what they should be doing. Hay fibre needs to be constantly going through their system and it is hay which they need to be filling up on. Id your piggies are filing up on veg and pellets and consequently not eating enough hay, then they can run into health problems.
Veg is just one cup per pig per day. Whether you feed that in one or two sittings a day is up to you but it’s never the main part of their food intake.

(Mine get their hay topped up between two and four times a day - it’s always available in huge amounts and it is that which they fill up on). They then get their veg (which usually consists of the four safe daily veg lettuce, cucumber, pepper, and coriander (cilantro)) each evening. That is gone within half an hour or so and then there is no more veg until the next evening)