Pre-rehoming advice

[Bucks]

Hello - we've been looking into getting a pet for quite some time, and have decided that a pair of guinea pigs will be a good fit for our family. We've got a good idea of the setup we'll have and have also identified a local rehoming centre.

I want to prepare my daughter (5) for what it could be like bringing them home. We've had lots of talk about what a serious responsibility having a pet is and that they are not toys. Whilst getting a pet is being largely driven by her, it will be a family responsibility with the adults taking the lead on care. I know that they can often be very shy when being brought home and a lot of care and patience is needed. Has anyone got any tips? I don't want her to be disheartened if she's not immediately getting cuddles!

We're probably looking to get sows and I know these could be ex-breeders. What age are ex-breeders normally?

Thanks to anyone who can offer advice or their own experiences.

 

[Siikibam]

Do you mean the sows are ex breeders that were ‘rescued’ from a breeder? Or that you’re getting them from a breeder who no longer wants to use them to breed? I don’t know what age they usually are and you may not be able to find that out here - it’s a non breeding forum so may not be information that’s widely known here.

I’m afraid you will just have to teach your daughter patience. Not all piggies like to be cuddled at all so also bear that in mind. I’ll link some threads below for you to have a read through. There should be a thread on guinea pig whispering in there somewhere. Also be aware it could take a year or more before they’re really comfortable with you.
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[Swissgreys]

You may find this thread about children and guinea pigs helpful:
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents

And I think it always helps to try and consider how your new additions might be feeling:
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

I know you mentioned yours aren't coming from a pet shop (which is great news) but I think the perspective still helps.

It is good you are being realistic with your daughter - the chances of cuddles in the early days are pretty much nil, so it is better that she understands this from the start. My girls were older when we got our guinea pigs (8 and 10) and it was very, very hard for them to have to wait so long before they could handle their new pets.
But if you are getting them from a rescue they may be more settled and used to handling, plus the rescue can advise you how best to mange lap time with a young child.

 

[Bucks]

Thanks that’s very helpful. We’d be getting them from a local rescue/rehoming centre but they get a lot of sows who were used for breeding and then discarded alongside people getting bored / other reasons. I’ve had lots of conversations with my daughter about it taking a long time (even a year) and that like us, not everyone likes to be cuddled ever. Fully aware a theoretical conversation and the reality are quite different. She said she’s most looking forward to just talking to them

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks that’s very helpful. We’d be getting them from a local rescue/rehoming centre but they get a lot of sows who were used for breeding and then discarded alongside people getting bored / other reasons. I’ve had lots of conversations with my daughter about it taking a long time (even a year) and that like us, not everyone likes to be cuddled ever. Fully aware a theoretical conversation and the reality are quite different. She said she’s most looking forward to just talking to them

Hi!

You may find the new owners link that @sport_billy has linked into his thread very helpful for bookmarking and using as a great resource to read and re-read at need. It contains all the links in your thread plus many more helpful ones.

We have got a whole section of guides dedicated to various aspects of settling in skittish guinea pigs, understanding prey animal instincts (which are usually even more pronounced in ex-breeder piggies than pet shop piggies) and how you can use guinea pig social interactive behaviours to make friends with them in their own language which they will understand a lot quicker than you waiting for them to figure out humans!
We also have a family section, understanding behaviour, care, diet and housing, enrichment and extreme weather tips, learning what is normal and what not and when and how soon to see a vet plus a guide which covers emergencies an bundles all practical information you could need in a situation like that.

Here is the link again: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can access our full information on an even wider range of topics via the guides shortcut on the top bar. The guides format allows us to keep our information updated and to add to them at need; it has been written specifically for owners that are inexperienced in any of the areas and is as practical and precise in the details as we can make it.

You are of course always welcome to ask any questions in our Care sections as you go along. We love people who are doing their research beforehand and have the right attitude!

 

[Bucks]

Hi!

You may find the new owners link that @sport_billy has linked into his thread very helpful for bookmarking and using as a great resource to read and re-read at need. It contains all the links in your thread plus many more helpful ones.

We have got a whole section of guides dedicated to various aspects of settling in skittish guinea pigs, understanding prey animal instincts (which are usually even more pronounced in ex-breeder piggies than pet shop piggies) and how you can use guinea pig social interactive behaviours to make friends with them in their own language which they will understand a lot quicker than you waiting for them to figure out humans!
We also have a family section, understanding behaviour, care, diet and housing, enrichment and extreme weather tips, learning what is normal and what not and when and how soon to see a vet plus a guide which covers emergencies an bundles all practical information you could need in a situation like that.

Here is the link again: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can access our full information on an even wider range of topics via the guides shortcut on the top bar. The guides format allows us to keep our information updated and to add to them at need; it has been written specifically for owners that are inexperienced in any of the areas and is as practical and precise in the details as we can make it.

You are of course always welcome to ask any questions in our Care sections as you go along. We love people who are doing their research beforehand and have the right attitude!

Thank you - id posted having been looking at the site for some time as part of learning more about them. We’ve both had pets before but not guinea pigs so want to make sure we’re fully prepared.

 

[Zanzan]

Rather than holding them she could get involved in offering them treats - mine have always gone crazy for romaine lettuce. If she just puts it near them at first then watches if they eat it you should be able to build up to them taking it from her.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you - id posted having been looking at the site for some time as part of learning more about them. We’ve both had pets before but not guinea pigs so want to make sure we’re fully prepared.

Look at our enrichment guide for interaction with guinea pigs that your daughter can contribute to and get involved in once your sows have settled in.

 

[LMPigs]

Our daughters also found the initial not touching stage very very difficult. Also, repressing the urge to yell with excitement once the piggies do emerge from their hideout may be a challenge.

Obviously she can get involved, in a supervised manner, with things like refilling water bottle and pellets. You might also try things like reading a story to your daughter next to the guinea pig cage/hutch so everyone can get used to each other. We allowed our girls to feed bits of veggies through the bars once the piggies were ready to come out for that and it worked well since they got some interaction but with a safe barrier between. Once the guineas are out and exploring their run maybe your daughter would also like to make some cardboard houses or tunnels for them, or some of the other enrichment toys or ideas in Wiebke's link (hay in a toilet roll is easy for small hands and popular with greedy piggies).

These days our girls can hold and cuddle our piggies successfully (although they will not sit for as long won't the six year old as they will with the 10 year old and withadults) so patience pays off in the end .

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum and I think you’re doing a great job preparing your daughter for pet care.
I skipped the parent bit of life but I wonder if encouraging your daughter to tell the piggies about her day, or tell them a story will give her something specific to talk to them about and they will get used to her voice.
If she’s the giver of treats like a small piece of cucumber they will learn that she’s a positive presence in their lives.
Looking forward to pictures when you get your piggies

 

[artcasper]

Its lovely to hear you are planning so well.... if your daughter can read, she can sit near them and read them a story... I used to sit and talk to mine for ages so they got to know my voice... all the best, looking forward to seeing pictures, once they are settled..

 

[Bucks]

Welcome to the forum and I think you’re doing a great job preparing your daughter for pet care.
I skipped the parent bit of life but I wonder if encouraging your daughter to tell the piggies about her day, or tell them a story will give her something specific to talk to them about and they will get used to her voice.
If she’s the giver of treats like a small piece of cucumber they will learn that she’s a positive presence in their lives.
Looking forward to pictures when you get your piggies

Thank you, great idea! I might even suggest she reads to them so we can sneak some reading practice in at the same time...

 

[Bucks]

Its lovely to hear you are planning so well.... if your daughter can read, she can sit near them and read them a story... I used to sit and talk to mine for ages so they got to know my voice... all the best, looking forward to seeing pictures, once they are settled..

Thank you - just seen your comment having replied to someone else with the same thought. She‘s in reception and reads to a good level (when she wants to!) so hopefully this will work well. I think she’s got the concept of them being prey animals and her being viewed as a potential predator but I’m sure it’ll be a continued conversation. We’ve also suggested she can tell them about her school day as she might tell them something beyond the ‘nothing’ response she gives us!

 

[Bucks]

Our daughters also found the initial not touching stage very very difficult. Also, repressing the urge to yell with excitement once the piggies do emerge from their hideout may be a challenge.

Obviously she can get involved, in a supervised manner, with things like refilling water bottle and pellets. You might also try things like reading a story to your daughter next to the guinea pig cage/hutch so everyone can get used to each other. We allowed our girls to feed bits of veggies through the bars once the piggies were ready to come out for that and it worked well since they got some interaction but with a safe barrier between. Once the guineas are out and exploring their run maybe your daughter would also like to make some cardboard houses or tunnels for them, or some of the other enrichment toys or ideas in Wiebke's link (hay in a toilet roll is easy for small hands and popular with greedy piggies).

These days our girls can hold and cuddle our piggies successfully (although they will not sit for as long won't the six year old as they will with the 10 year old and withadults) so patience pays off in the end .

Thanks this is really helpful advice - she was asking about making them toys but some of her ideas were a little ‘creative’ so those links will help channel the enthusiasm

 

[Bucks]

Rather than holding them she could get involved in offering them treats - mine have always gone crazy for romaine lettuce. If she just puts it near them at first then watches if they eat it you should be able to build up to them taking it from her.

Thank you - we’ll try that. We’ve got a veg patch in the garden and a family allotment (though my mum does most of the work) and she’s been identifying bits we’ve grown they’ll be able to eat.