New Owner.....feel Like A Nervous Mum Lol

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Widdy555

Widdy555

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all

I'm new owner to two beautiful girls, they are litter mates and about ten weeks old.

I have a hutch in my porch (I'd love to have them inside my living space but space just doesn't permit unfortunately)

Currently I'm using shavings as bedding, with an abundance of hay especially in their bed part of their hutch ....but I'm considering on moving over to paper bedding instead of shavings....what are everyone's opinions on paper versus shavings bedding.

I've had my girls three days, they are very skittish and bolt when they see me....I've been trying to talk around them a lot, move slow, bring them tasty treats etc..... But the are very wary of big scary me (they are from pet shop so I'm unsure of how much handling they have had) ...they won't approach me in their hutch.....should I hold of handling them or will handling them little and often help them realise I'm not a threat? They won't take treats from me yet, but are eating in their hutch so I keep making regular trips with nice fresh food and hay for them. I've also put one of my t shirts in their hutch ...... Do it sound like I'm doing everything right?

Last question, but I'd love to increase my brood in the future (obviously not until my girls are settled) .... Is it hard to introduce other females to a bonded pair? I'd love to get an older girl from rescue when the time is right

Thanks in advance i can't wait to enjoy the forum
 
Hello and :wel:to the forum! It sounds like you are doing everything right. You don't say how long you have had your two girls. I am guessing not very long? They will take a few days to really settle down. Some piggies never completely stop being nervous. I would hold off handling them until they have settled down. Until then, just keep doing what you have been doing.
Re: paper bedding. In my opinion, the best paper bedding available is "Cosi N Dri". It does what it says on the tin! Plus, it is still soft even when packed down hard.
 
Hi and welcome!

You may find these threads here helpful in settling your girls. We have got lots more information at the top of our various Care sections, but you are always welcome to ask any questions you may have along the way in there.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/guinea-pig-body-quirks.58854/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/early-signs-of-illness.36332/

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...-preparing-your-piggies-for-lawn-time.111794/

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/bedding-for-guinea-pigs-overview.114219/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/cage-size-guide.120795/

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/

I hope that you can post some pictures of your girls once they have settled in!
 
Hello and welcome :) Sounds like you're doing everything right :) As for bedding, Fitch is a recycled paper based bedding which I'd recommend, I used it before I moved onto fleece bedding :)
I think I left it a week or so before I handled my boys, just get them out for a few minutes at a time to start with and pop them back when they get fidgety! (that usually means they need a wee haha!)
Looking forward to photos :D
 
Thanks very much everyone , I'll have a good look through the threads you've suggested and check out the paper bedding :)....had the girls out for a little snuggle In their blanket, now tucked up with yummy tea.... Going to leave them for rest of night to settle and relax xx,
 
Hi and welcome, I can recommend 3 different beddings, megazorb for the main bulk of the cage (about £10.50 for an 85 litre bag) which lasts for ages and we also use cosindry or carefresh in the litter trays. A small bag of carefresh is about £4.50 and a small cosindry I think is £8 hence why I only use it in litter trays so a bit pricy but it is lovely and soft.
Can't wait to see some pigtures :)
 
Thank you for the recommendation, I'll defo look into the megazorb etc :)
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of guinea pigs! Have a jolly good browse round all the info threads and don't hesitate to ask questions even if you think they might sound daft or basic. As I've said before, we all start out with L-plates! Wishing you a long and happy time with your new arrivals, patience is the key to start with.
 
Hi and welcome from me and popcorn I'm getting Fitch paper and puppy pads to line the bottom of the hutch with as they,are super absorbent Fitch paper is £21.99 for a massive 20kg bale on Amazon
 
Ooh I was looking at fitch bedding on amazon the other day....is it good? Xx
 
Widdy555 said:
Thank you for the recommendation, I'll defo look into the megazorb etc :)
Click to expand...

some of our members swear by fitch bedding and many of us have fleece for their indoors cages. Have a look through our bedding overview. There is no "ideal" bedding; you have to work out what works best for you and your piggies.
 
hi, I'm new here too :) I'm using a paper bedding its from pets at home but its not pah branded, its multi coloured and very soft, we use this with soft hay and newspaper underneath. our piggie is currently a singleton until we can bond him with a friend from rescue so id love to chat more about that if you want?
 
Hi leffmama....I'm definitely moving over to paper bedding :) glad its working well for you ! Good luck with boar dating :)
 
I really like paper bedding (I'm allergic to wood shavings, so it saves me a lot of swollen eyes and nasal congestion. Plus, more absorbent.) I'm in Canada so the brands I'm used to may be different. I used Carefresh for years and then switched to Living World paper bedding, which I must prefer, as it dries better/lasts longer than the Carefresh did and I don't go through anywhere near as much.
 
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