New Piggies - Worried :-(

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Jenfromthenorth

Jenfromthenorth

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Hi all, looking for some advice from anyone with guinea pig knowledge.

I brought home two baby guinea pigs today - told that they are both 12 week old girls though piggie 2 is much smaller than the other.

Have set them up in a ferplast 160 with lots of hay, water, food and greens. However the smaller piggie doesn't seem to have moved all afternoon from inside her igloo. Am trying not to go in too much but have put a big fleece over the top of the cage and turned the heating on to warm the room up a little.

Is there anything more I can do?
 
Relax. When I first brought mine home they didn't move for 5 hours! Put some watery veg like cucumber near to their hidey in case they get thirsty. Mine didn't use the water bottle for 2 weeks!
You may find they nibble the veg overnight when it's nice and quiet. It will probably take a few days before you see them out and about.
 
Thanks, just looking for some reassurance I think as I'd originally planned to get some older guinea pigs and these two are tiny!
The bigger of the two is out and about eating when I'm not there so hopefully it's just because she needs a little more time :-)
 
I would leave them for the rest of the night as I'm sure she'll come out when it's quiet. My boar Mo stayed frozen in the same spot for 45 minutes when we first got him then stayed in his hidey hole for a whole week where I didn't see him at all. I was really worried but then one day I walked in and he was sat on his shelf. He bolted when he saw me of course TOO SLOW lol. By the next week he was wheeking for food and waiting for me. I would also refrain from handling for about 5 days. :) will need pics!
 
Jenfromthenorth said:
Hi all, looking for some advice from anyone with guinea pig knowledge.

I brought home two baby guinea pigs today - told that they are both 12 week old girls though piggie 2 is much smaller than the other.

Have set them up in a ferplast 160 with lots of hay, water, food and greens. However the smaller piggie doesn't seem to have moved all afternoon from inside her igloo. Am trying not to go in too much but have put a big fleece over the top of the cage and turned the heating on to warm the room up a little.

Is there anything more I can do?
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Hi! Place any hay, a little veg, pellets and water next to the igloo and just leave them be. They will come out when it is all quiet and safe. Don't worry about them not eating much at first; they will do once they'll feel safe. it can take a few days until they start getting their bearings and start being confident in their new home. Right now, their pry animal instincts run on max.
I would not overheat the room.

Here are more tips: How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
 
My piggie Alice hid for afew days when I first her.(She and Annie had lived in a small carrier:evil: before being rescued and so she was very shy and couldn't cope with the space of a big cage.)Her sister was more confident.
I'm sure the smaller piggie will make an appearance soon.They can be very shy to begin with but soon gain more confidence.
 
You are doing a great job.
I was convinced that Ruby was never going to survive that first night as she was so small and scared.
One year later and she is th most confident, outgoing, personality filled Piggie I have ever met!
 
She is probably just very frightened... try moving some food near to the hidey she is in so that she is more apt to get it when you're not looking. It's very normal, though, especially with a shyer guinea pig. We didn't see Sundae eat anything for days after we got her, but she snuck out at night when we weren't looking.
 
When Mistletoe and Jingle first came to live with me they were very shy and hid most of the time.

I left them alone for a few days to settle and now nearly four months later they happily take food from my hands and wheek when they hear me go past their room!

Also Mistletoe was waaay smaller than Jingle. She is still the smallest but not by as much.

I hid half their cage with a towel too. Hope your girls settle soon. We need pictures!
 
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