New piggies - Hiding?

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fayemilly

Today i bought two 10 week old, female guinea pigs. And ever since i put them in their new cage they've both been hiding for about 7 hours.. Is this normal?
Also, the the smaller one will not going into it's hiding place (House). It's buried its head into the hay, and refuses to move.
What should i do.., leave them? : ...
 
They just need to settle in for a few days, I have had my two for 6 weeks now and they still go through phases of hiding!

I didn't pick them up for a couple of days, just left them to get used to their new surroundings.

Try gently talking to them so they get used to your voice.

They are very addictive once they start wheeking at you x)x)
 
it is normal to hide when they have new surroundings. You do need to coax them out a bit though as when I first got george he wouldn't even come out for food. I put trails of dry food leading out of his house to the food dish. It took a week or so before he got to the dish but he was eating. He used to wait til we left the room to eat any hay or water but it was going down so I new he was.

Just give them some time. You should probably get a second house for the other one as it probably doesn't want to be in same house as the other one and that is why it is burried in hay. The piggie in the house could have also decided that it is her house and doesn't want to let the other in too!
 
Well the breeder i got them both from, both slept and shared the same house so i'm slightly confused why them don't want to share anymore :{
 
fayemilly said:
Well the breeder i got them both from, both slept and shared the same house so i'm slightly confused why them don't want to share anymore :{
Click to expand...

Disney and Paris are sisters and were sharing, but from what I've learnt one will be more dominant that the other and although they get on fine, they tend to hide in different areas of the hutch, if Disney goes to see Paris sometimes she gets told off as Paris is boss and doesn't want her in there.

So it is worth putting something else in there for the other to hide in even if its a shoe box, they love to chew them too!
 
Don't worry about it too much. I have had my babies for 4 weeks & they hide for much of the time. Even now they will still either drag their food into their house to eat or run as fast as they can to hide when I talk / stand up / move! They need time to get to know you.

My big pigs will still run away when they know I want to catch them or if I move (just in case I want to catch them!). I don't take it personally. they are using their 'inbuilt safety mechanism' - run when anything else moves in case it catches you! So don't worry about it.

I did start cuddling mine when I first got them, but it was & still is only for a few minutes a couple of times a day. Hopefully they will get used to me, but it needs to be in their time & not ours - no matter how impatient & eager we are!

Good luck & enjoy your new piggies!

Michele
x
 
Make sure that you give each piggy its own hiding place; once they have sorted out the hierarchy and their new suroundings they'll get together again. But they appreciate it if they do have the opportunity to get away from each other every now and then!
 
Give them time and they will become more confident. They will take a while to settle in and become used to the noises etc of their new surroundings.

Guinea pigs, however, are naturally timid and it can take alot of time and patience for them to overcome their shyness.

It will be worth it in the end ... they will love you to bits! :)
 
Yup, thats all they need, just to get used to their surroundings. They need to get adjusted on their own time. There is no need to rush things. :) Sometimes it takes a while, but with time and patience they can and will come out to enjoy time with you. Hope things work out. :)
 
*Breathes a sigh of relief* Nutmeg and Tilly (My piggies) are starting to settle in, they are both eating and drinking well, and they are sharing the house, finnally.
Still, they run away everytime i come near them. But its early days, and i guess theres nothing to worry about for the moment :<>
 
i have had my girls 2 or 3 weeks now, they still run and hide when i go to feed them but once they realise that i have filled up their veg bowl they will come out and help themselves even if i am still filling their dry food bowl or the hay rack, this is a definate improvement though
 
As they are prey animals they will usually run away from any sudden noise. I have a mix here that still do that and they have been here for just over a year!

I think it depends on personality some pigs are more trusting, they will come around give them time. :) x
 
I've got another problem, Tilli is now pushing Nutmeg around. When Nutmeg tries to go out of the house Tilli squeals very loudly and pushes her back in. I guess Tilli think that Nutmeg is gonna steal her food and water. I don't know what to do now, because i don't think Nutmeg is eating or drinking anything.. D;
 
Try putting your hand in the cage and letting them come to you, your scent may settle them in future when it comes to coming out and saying hello.

I'm sorry i don't know how to deal with your last question...
 
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