New owner to two babbies - am I doing things wrong?

[Minnou]

I just got a couple of female guinea-pigs (8-10 weeks old) on Sunday and I'm not sure if I'm doing wrong or right with them.

As soon as I got them home, I got their big indoor cage all nice for them with soft bedding, lots of hay, some calcium enriched dry food pellets and fresh water. I put the cage in a quiet room in the house. There's a den/sleeping space in the cage which I'd filled with hay and they both fled in there and I just left them to settle in. I kept creeping to the room and standing in the doorway just to peek and see if they'd gotten brave enough to explore. They didn't emerge from their hiding spot for a good 6-7 hours but they found their food and water straight away and I've seen and heard them both at it so I know they're eating and drinking. But they flee whenever I enter the room.

I'd read that you probably should pick them up for at least a couple of days so I haven't tried to. But I also read that it's a good idea to do spot cleaning every day and since they have been in the same spot 99% of the time since I brought them home and I've seen how much they poop and pee, I thought their den/sleeping space might need cleaning up a bit, so I did that today. I didn't attempt to pick the piggies up or stroke them or put my hands near them; I just spoke to them gently whilst slowly tidying that spot up and they were both doing panic? laps around the cage the entire time. One just ran quietly, the other was making a noise non-stop, I searched on youtube and the closest vocalization to what I think she was doing was called 'chutting'? Any way, once the den was back in place, they fled back in there and haven't been out again since. Have I traumatized them? Should I not do cleaning at all for a few days? How should I bond with them if I induce fear in them? :c

 

[fluffysal]

Have you read the settling in thread? To me it sounds like zoomies rather than distress, although without seeing it I can't be sure. Any minor upset by you cleaning will definitely be balanced by the love of a clean cage ( to mess up!). My boys do a quality check after cage cleaning then popcorn if satisfied with my work. If you look up zoomies on the search bar, there are some great videos you can compare to what your pig was doing. Also, congratulations on becoming a piggy slave and welcome to the forum

 

[Piggies&buns]

Their reaction is very normal. It can take weeks to months for them to settle in. You are doing right in leaving them alone to settle but you are also right that you do need to make sure their cage is kept clean.
Make sure there are plenty of hiding places in their cage so they start to move about the cage and it then gives you the opportunity to clean a different place.
Cover their cage with a blanket as they can also help them feel secure.

Make sure you feed plenty of hay, one cup of veg and one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day.
Pellets should be vitamin c enriched, not calcium enriched.

You should give them a week to settle but then start to sit by their cage and talk to them, get them used to you being around them. Always make sounds as you approach them (never approach silently).
You will need to start to do the weekly weight checks. Most piggies don’t like being handled and never will but it is important that they get used to the weekly essential weight and health checks.

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
We look forward to getting to know you and your piggies.
There is a wealth of helpful information here and always someone to answer questions.
Have fun here too

 

[Zanzan]

I would definitely say carry on your normal life around them, don't sneak around. They will get used to you and your noises then and learn that nothing terrible happens when you appear. Obviously I don't mean walk up to them banging a big drum but just be normal

 

[Minnou]

Have you read the settling in thread? To me it sounds like zoomies rather than distress, although without seeing it I can't be sure. Any minor upset by you cleaning will definitely be balanced by the love of a clean cage ( to mess up!). My boys do a quality check after cage cleaning then popcorn if satisfied with my work. If you look up zoomies on the search bar, there are some great videos you can compare to what your pig was doing. Also, congratulations on becoming a piggy slave and welcome to the forum

I've read the settling in thread now. I didn't weigh them when I first brought them home, should I do that now or because they're very skittish around me, should I let them be for a week or so? They're both eagerly eating their hay, pellets and the greens I've tried them on.

It really seemed to me that they were trying to evade 'the claw' and panicking rather than doing zoomies. Zoomies are what I think one or both of them were doing at about 4:50am this morning, the racket they were making.

Their reaction is very normal. It can take weeks to months for them to settle in. You are doing right in leaving them alone to settle but you are also right that you do need to make sure their cage is kept clean.
Make sure there are plenty of hiding places in their cage so they start to move about the cage and it then gives you the opportunity to clean a different place.
Cover their cage with a blanket as they can also help them feel secure.

Make sure you feed plenty of hay, one cup of veg and one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day.
Pellets should be vitamin c enriched, not calcium enriched.

You should give them a week to settle but then start to sit by their cage and talk to them, get them used to you being around them. Always make sounds as you approach them (never approach silently).
You will need to start to do the weekly weight checks. Most piggies don’t like being handled and never will but it is important that they get used to the weekly essential weight and health checks.

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

I did provide a large pile of fluffed up hay on the other side of the cage which I thought they might bolt into and just wait things out until I'd put their den back. One did, the other sat in a completely exposed corner. Then the one who had hid herself kept darting back over to the spot I was trying to clean then fleeing again after seeing 'the claw' and they just ended up doing laps of the cage. I think the pair of them may not be very bright.

At some point I'll need to do a full clean, I'm assuming that because they're so skittish, it wouldn't be a good idea to give them any floor time and I'll have to pop them in a box or something?

I meant vitamin C enriched; I think my brain was projecting its own wants/needs.

So mostly I need to leave them be but I do NEED to try and catch them and weigh them. Is there a healthy weight chart so I know how much they should be at this age/size?

If I don't approach silently, I never get to see them.

I make a lot of noise when I'm going about doing things and chatter away to them when I'm in the room with them or just outside it but I like to sneak a peek at them to see who is out, doing what. The one I first thought was the most nervous of the two is hanging around outside more and staring at me whilst I chat to her and only bolts when I get too close. The other legs it before I even enter the room.

Welcome to the forum.
We look forward to getting to know you and your piggies.
There is a wealth of helpful information here and always someone to answer questions.
Have fun here too

Thank-you; there is certainly a lot to look through.

I would definitely say carry on your normal life around them, don't sneak around. They will get used to you and your noises then and learn that nothing terrible happens when you appear. Obviously I don't mean walk up to them banging a big drum but just be normal

They're in the back room and can see/hear everything that goes on in the kitchen and that's probably quite noisy, especially to them. And I sing away to myself or chat to them as I'm going about my business. I only sneak now and again to get a glimpse of them because they spend so much of their time hidden away and they're both so adorable; I'm dying to cuddle them. ;__;

 

[Piggies&buns]

There is no age to weight chart and if you do find online they are inaccurate. This is because piggies come in different shapes and sizes.

Our own guide below explains what you are looking for by checking their heft
Weight - Monitoring and Management

 

[fluffysal]

Be assured, we all know your pain! Not all piggies like cuddles or lap time but a vast majority will get to the point of climbing on you, usually food is involved! It all sounds pretty normal so far. Zoomies at stupid o clock in the morning is a good sign. I remember how delightful I thought it was when I heard my first bout of wheeking. Now Boris has discovered that if he's in the long tube it acts like a megaphone, sigh... Here is the first picture I got of my beastie boys that they actually didn't run away from! Btw, I discovered very early on that it's easier to get pictures if you turn off the shutter noise on the phone.

 

[Minnou]

There is no age to weight chart and if you do find online they are inaccurate. This is because piggies come in different shapes and sizes.

Our own guide below explains what you are looking for by checking their heft
Weight - Monitoring and Management

So I just need to make a note of it, check weekly and if there is a large difference between the two measurements, assume they are unwell. I haven't given them any veggies yet and was about to do some spot cleaning so now may be a good time to try weigh them and get all of their trauma out the way now.

Be assured, we all know your pain! Not all piggies like cuddles or lap time but a vast majority will get to the point of climbing on you, usually food is involved! It all sounds pretty normal so far. Zoomies at stupid o clock in the morning is a good sign. I remember how delightful I thought it was when I heard my first bout of wheeking. Now Boris has discovered that if he's in the long tube it acts like a megaphone, sigh... Here is the first picture I got of my beastie boys that they actually didn't run away from! Btw, I discovered very early on that it's easier to get pictures if you turn off the shutter noise on the phone.View attachment 235648

They're all so cute.

I hope to get pictures of mine before they reach pension age.

 

[Minnou]

Managed to capture them both; in my hands and on camera~! Although one madam wouldn't sit still and you can guess which xD (hint: motion blur).




They weighed in at 351g and 368g. Minerva felt bony to me when I handled her for the first time on Sunday but she already feels like she's getting some meat on her so I'm happy.

I looked online and then checked to make sure I'd actually been given two girls as told and I have; very clear little Y shaped slit.

I popped them back into their cage with some dandelion leaves and a bit of carrot each as a reward but honestly didn't expect them to leave their hiding spot for hours after what I'd done to them but Minerva came straight on out. Gaia waited for me to leave. She is quite upset with me.

One thing I noticed is that when I initially went in to clean and then to pick them up for weighing is that, while they were both fleeing, Gaia would stick close to Minerva but kept giving her quite rough headbutts. Is that because I upset them or is it normal dominance behaviour or something else?

 

[fluffysal]

They are beautiful girls❤, well done for getting them weighed and photoraphed. Unless there is fighting/bites resulting in blood being drawn I wouldn't worry about their behaviour towards each other. They do some weird (to us) things. Just be glad you don't have teenaged boars! rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble.......although I have heard that some sows can be just as bad

 

[Piggies&buns]

So I just need to make a note of it, check weekly and if there is a large difference between the two measurements, assume they are unwell. I haven't given them any veggies yet and was about to do some spot cleaning so now may be a good time to try weigh them and get all of their trauma out the way now.

Yes. Weighing tells you they they are eating enough hay.
Weighing ie the number on the scales does not tell you that they are a healthy size for themselves. You need to check their heft for that. The guide I linked in explains how to do it

 

[Bill & Ted]

Welcome to the forum, your little ladies are gorgeous! Enjoy them and the forum

 

[Minnou]

They are beautiful girls❤, well done for getting them weighed and photoraphed. Unless there is fighting/bites resulting in blood being drawn I wouldn't worry about their behaviour towards each other. They do some weird (to us) things. Just be glad you don't have teenaged boars! rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble.......although I have heard that some sows can be just as bad

Thanks - all of the others were all gorgeous too and I wanted to bring them all home with me. It's amzing how many different colours and markings and coat types they can have.

It's funny Gaia is such a quiet little bully as well; never hear a peep from her whereas Minerva mutters away nonstop.

Yes. Weighing tells you they they are eating enough hay.
Weighing ie the number on the scales does not tell you that they are a healthy size for themselves. You need to check their heft for that. The guide I linked in explains how to do it

Watch they don't turn into bread loaves and when they're ok with being handled, have a feel for their ribs.

Welcome to the forum, your little ladies are gorgeous! Enjoy them and the forum

Thanks <3

 

[fluffysal]

Have you found the Feet out Friday thread yet? Have a look, it's my favourite I think I speak for everyone on here when I say we all love drooling over piggie pictures ❤

 

[Minnou]

Have you found the Feet out Friday thread yet? Have a look, it's my favourite I think I speak for everyone on here when I say we all love drooling over piggie pictures ❤

The pics are of feet only? I'll be lucky to capture those on mine the way they are at the moment.

 

[fluffysal]

the feet ARE attached to guinea pigs!! When they get older and more relaxed a lot of them will sleep in the open with legs stretched out, this makes for some utterly adorable pigtures to look at

 

[Minnou]

the feet ARE attached to guinea pigs! When they get older and more relaxed a lot of them will sleep in the open with legs stretched out, this makes for some utterly adorable pigtures to look at

I think I could provide pictures of butts that are furiously scurrying away... is there a thread like that?

 

[artcasper]

we have all been there! I used to talk all the time to mine when they were babies.. as i entered the room so they knew my voice and i didn't just suddenly appear and make them jumpy. it takes time but patience is key - good luck

 

[fluffysal]

I think I could provide pictures of butts that are furiously scurrying away... is there a thread like that?

there should be! We all have those pictures.....

 

[Merab]

There was a thread about a year ago called Butts - in Guinea Pig chat.
It wouldn’t hurt to resurrect it.

 

[Merab]

Just resurrected it

 

[fluffysal]

There was a thread about a year ago called Butts - in Guinea Pig chat.
It wouldn’t hurt to resurrect it.

Shame I didn't know about that earlier. Both beastie boys were having a spectacular pancake death nap!

 

[Minnou]

we have all been there! I used to talk all the time to mine when they were babies.. as i entered the room so they knew my voice and i didn't just suddenly appear and make them jumpy. it takes time but patience is key - good luck

Everything makes mine jump; I bend over to sweep up the hay and bits on the floor and stand back up and it's panic o'clock time.

Just resurrected it

I am proud of the impact I am having on this forum; free butts for all!

Shame I didn't know about that earlier. Both beastie boys were having a spectacular pancake death nap!

Is 'pancake death' the officially recognised technical term for that type of nap? lol

Update on mine and I'd like to ask for advice again.

I'm doing daily spot cleaning and yesterday I also weighed them both for the first time which meant handling them and when I popped them both back into their cage they ran and hid straight away and I expected them to stay hidden for hours but yesterday I observed that Minerva came straight back out and seemed a bit less jumpy.

Today, after I spot cleaned again, I didn't immediately put their den/hiding spots back so they were forced to face their fears (I'm cruel, I know, lol). I just stood back and spoke gently to them whilst they scampered about, wittering. They kept munching on stuff as they were doing so and I don't know if that's a good sign or not? Would a frightened guinea-pig continue to grab snacks as they hightailed it? So I was there for 10 mins or so and then decided to slowly reach in and gave Minerva a gentle ear rub because she's the less nervous of the two and she tolerated that. Gaia legged it. I decided to push a bit further and picked them both up one a time and just held them for a minute each, giving them little ear rubs and then put them back in their cage and returned their den/hiding spots.

And today, Gaia behaved the same way Minerva did yesterday and came right back on out even though I was there when normally she hides! And she's been out in the open more today than I've ever seen her and stayed put even though it was obvious I was there, didn't bolt when I spoke to her, even though she normally does so before I can even get her name out and was eating whilst I was there.

Now I'm conflicted because the advice I'm reading online is saying leave them alone and don't handle them for the first week at least but, in my opinion, handling them, however briefly, seems to be building up their confidence? Yesterday, Zanzan said, be normal and make noise so that they'll learn noise (and I), don't mean terrible things are going to happen. Maybe they need to be held so that they know terrible things won't happen to them if they allow someone to pick them up?

Should I stick with leaving them be mostly and avoid handling them or should I start handling them more regularly?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Now I'm conflicted because the advice I'm reading online is saying leave them alone and don't handle them for the first week at least but, in my opinion, handling them, however briefly, seems to be building up their confidence? Yesterday, Zanzan said, be normal and make noise so that they'll learn noise (and I), don't mean terrible things are going to happen. Maybe they need to be held so that they know terrible things won't happen to them if they allow someone to pick them up?

Should I stick with leaving them be mostly and avoid handling them or should I start handling them more regularly?

Follow their lead.

The youngest two of my four, didn’t mind being handled and were taking food from my hand from day 1 (totally opposite to my older two for whom it took six weeks for one of them and the other took a year and a half before taking food from me for the first time). However, as they got older they changed and made it quite clear that they do not want to be handled (other than for essential purposes).

 

[Minnou]

Follow their lead.

The youngest two of my four, didn’t mind being handled and were taking food from my hand from day 1 (totally opposite to my older two for whom it took six weeks for one of them and the other took a year and a half before taking food from me for the first time). However, as they got older they changed and made it quite clear that they do not want to be handled (other than for essential purposes).

It's hard to follow their lead because they seem a bit conflicted themselves.

Most of the time their reaction is akin to:

*human approaches* 'ARGGGGH!! WE'RE GONNA DIE!' D8

*human picks them up, pets them, returns them to their bed* 'Oh... is that all you wanted? I thought we were going in the oven... Are those dandelion leaves in your hand for us?...' '3'

 

[Piggies&buns]

It's hard to follow their lead because they seem a bit conflicted themselves.

Most of the time their reaction is akin to:

*human approaches* 'ARGGGGH! WE'RE GONNA DIE!' D8

*human picks them up, pets them, returns them to their bed* 'Oh... is that all you wanted? I thought we were going in the oven... Are those dandelion leaves in your hand for us?...' '3'

If you hold them and they stay perfectly still then often it Is a sign they are terrified and too scared to move.
If you hold them and they stay still but stretch out, look around etc then they tend to be more relaxed. It doesn’t mean they actually want to be held but are accepting of a little handling. Don’t push your luck at this stage!
If they immediately run off, then they are being perfectly normal because most piggies will not want to be handled.

 

[Minnou]

If you hold them and they stay perfectly still then often it Is a sign they are terrified and too scared to move.
If you hold them and they stay still but stretch out, look around etc then they tend to be more relaxed. It doesn’t mean they actually want to be held but are accepting of a little handling. Don’t push your luck at this stage!
If they immediately run off, then they are being perfectly normal because most piggies will not want to be handled.

They lift their hands up and have a look around, sometimes repositioning themselves for a better look but otherwise stay still. I'll keep it to the bare minimum for now.

Minerva is currently doing zoomies around the cage while Gaia is practically sat inside the food bowl, stuffing her face, so I can't have upset them too much.

 

[PiggyintheMiddle]

They are beautiful girls❤, well done for getting them weighed and photoraphed. Unless there is fighting/bites resulting in blood being drawn I wouldn't worry about their behaviour towards each other. They do some weird (to us) things. Just be glad you don't have teenaged boars! rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble.......although I have heard that some sows can be just as bad

Heehee yes

 

[Minnou]

Can't decide where to post this so here will do:

First full cage clean and I have been rewarded with popcorning and zoomies.

It is already 20% a mess again.