Normal new guniea pig behaviour?

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Gadzy

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Hi all,

I bought two sows which were only a few weeks old and only had them at my house for about 3 weeks. I’m finding something very strange and not sure how it adds up. I never see them roaming round their cage or eating their hay or greens. Whenever I go into the room and I think their out they seem to just run off into their houses. However, they let you stroke them and don’t run away or seem skittish and seem very happy when you take their houses away and stroke them and let them roam without their houses. It’s like they trust me, but when the houses are there they don’t want to come out but they know it’s me. It doesn’t make sense

Thoughts?
 
I think what you are seeing is them taking advantage of their hidey houses when they are there, but when they are not, they know they have nowhere to hide so they will let you touch them. Keep them in though, it's eases alot of stress for them being able to hide
 
But it comes across that they like to be stroked and almost enjoy it when they are there without any houses
 
Hopefully they are getting used to you and enjoy the interactions but just be aware that a very scared piggy will sometimes be much more tolerant of stroking than a confident piggy- they should always have the option of disappearing into a shelter like they would in the wild!
 
IzzyGad said:
Hi all,

I bought two sows which were only a few weeks old and only had them at my house for about 3 weeks. I’m finding something very strange and not sure how it adds up. I never see them roaming round their cage or eating their hay or greens. Whenever I go into the room and I think their out they seem to just run off into their houses. However, they let you stroke them and don’t run away or seem skittish and seem very happy when you take their houses away and stroke them and let them roam without their houses. It’s like they trust me, but when the houses are there they don’t want to come out but they know it’s me. It doesn’t make sense

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please give your babies more time to settle and ideally peg a sheet or blanket over the cage. They have just arrived! It takes weeks or even months to really build up a relationship with prey animals that have never had any friendly contact with humans and are not used to a home environment. Trust is a tender plant that needs to make deep roots before it can grow. Sadly all the cute videos on social medica give you a distorted impression of reality because they are driven by human interest - and which human is interested in watching frightened piggies very slowly gaining trust?
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Whenever you remove the hideys, the prey animal instincts are kicking in and they try to become unresponsive and not interesting play objects for a predator in the hope of an escape. Unfortunately we humans mistake that for cuddliness. :(
The guides below also have tips (with pictures and videos) on how you can work around triggering the prey animals and how you can speak to them in ways that make instant sense to them.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Please give your babies more time to settle and ideally peg a sheet or blanket over the cage. They have just arrived! It takes weeks or even months to really build up a relationship with prey animals that have never had any friendly contact with humans and are not used to a home environment. Trust is a tender plant that needs to make deep roots before it can grow. Sadly all the cute videos on social medica give you a distorted impression of reality because they are driven by human interest - and which human is interested in watching frightened piggies very slowly gaining trust?
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Whenever you remove the hideys, the prey animal instincts are kicking in and they try to become unresponsive and not interesting play objects for a predator in the hope of an escape. Unfortunately we humans mistake that for cuddliness. :(
The guides below also have tips (with pictures and videos) on how you can work around triggering the prey animals and how you can speak to them in ways that make instant sense to them.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely
Click to expand...


Hello Wiebke,

Many thanks for your great post. Another bit of advice I'm seeking is that I only seem to notice them eating hay I put in their houses, but I had a hay rack and I also put a couple of handfuls on the floor by the rack, but I never really see them out eating the hay from the rack or the floor and I would like them too. I don't like them stuck in their houses weeing and pooing on their bedding hay and eating that! With my old guniea pigs I used to have a big bowl I filled up with hay, but not sure whether to do the same with these new one's. What are your thoughts
 
IzzyGad said:
Hello Wiebke,

Many thanks for your great post. Another bit of advice I'm seeking is that I only seem to notice them eating hay I put in their houses, but I had a hay rack and I also put a couple of handfuls on the floor by the rack, but I never really see them out eating the hay from the rack or the floor and I would like them too. I don't like them stuck in their houses weeing and pooing on their bedding hay and eating that! With my old guniea pigs I used to have a big bowl I filled up with hay, but not sure whether to do the same with these new one's. What are your thoughts
Click to expand...

Fill the bowl and peg a towel over it or turn it into an improvised tent - anything that makes them feel protected and secure.
In my experience piggies piggies like an area of soft hay they can romp and sleep in. If necessary rub the bowl with some soiled bedding so it smells 'right'; the same goes for the whole cage. We underestimate how important scent and scentmarking territory is to guinea pigs because it is one of our weaker senses.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Just try to think about it from the perspective of a frightened little piggy - how would you feel in their position and what can you do avoid frightening them further.

Give them time and make them feel as safe as you can to encourage exploration.
 
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