Rehoming Advice

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Rustybike

Hello All,

Please excus eme if this is the incorrect place for this question. I've also tried searching for my subject and cannot find anything, so please again excuse me if this has been mentioned before.

Anywho, I've recently (today in fact) got 2 x 6.5 week old ladies from a lovely rehoming rescue centre and they've been in their hutch for a few hours now - they were in their lower section but I've now moved them to their "bedroom" as it's getting dark. (I think that that was the right thing to do).

But I was just wondering how long it takes for them to completely settle?

See, I'm new to this, as you can probably tell, and I think I'm worrying too much but I just need to know whether their complete "don't move and they won't see me" act and their shyness is normal or whether they're unhappy/scared and will hate me forever.

Thanks,

Rusty
 
Welcome to the forum, Rusty,

This is very, very normal behaviour. You will probably find this both daunting and comforting at the same time, but it can take up to 6 months for guinea pigs to fully settle and relax into their new environment. They will, of course, settle hugely in the coming days, weeks and months. You will see a big difference in just a few days. Handling is the biggest thing they have to get used to, and that is what takes the most time. Some pigs will always run from you, no matter how content and settled they are. Others are naturally very laid back and will turn into little treasures to handle.

They should get used to your presence, their new home, foods and routine over the next few weeks, and they will start getting a bit braver each day. Give them a couple of days without handling, just do the basics for them (feeding and watering) and then step back and let them venture out as they see fit to. Sit close by them and talk to them so they get used to you being around and to your voice.

Piggies don't do hate (with the exception of one or two pigs who apparently hate all other piggies!), but they are instinctively very shy and withdrawn until they get used to their surroundings.

Good luck, I am sure you will have great fun getting to know them, and they you!
 
Hi CCC4,

Thanks for that, I am alot calmer than I was a few hours ago as I was worrying that Cagney and Lacey wouldn't come out and eat/drink/play. But I'm sure no animal would starve themselves!

I'm glad that this behaviour is normal, I was thinking that there was something wrong.

I'm actually tempted to keep the lock the door that leads to the slope that leads down to the grassy play area locked so that they only have to settle into one area for now (it has food/water and a tube in this area). Is that better or should I unlock it every morning?

With all this in mind, I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that they're here. I can't wait for them to gain confidence with me.

Thanks again!
 
Hi CCC4,

Thanks for that, I am alot calmer than I was a few hours ago as I was worrying that Cagney and Lacey wouldn't come out and eat/drink/play. But I'm sure no animal would starve themselves!

I'm glad that this behaviour is normal, I was thinking that there was something wrong.

I'm actually tempted to keep the lock the door that leads to the slope that leads down to the grassy play area locked so that they only have to settle into one area for now (it has food/water and a tube in this area). Is that better or should I unlock it every morning?

With all this in mind, I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that they're here. I can't wait for them to gain confidence with me.

Thanks again!
 
Initial settling: about 2-4 weeks to get famliar with their new home, food and daily routine.

To build up trust and a deep bond: a few months.
 
Hiya, and welcome. Agree with what has been said. I look back now at some of the timid little piggies I have had, and they are really bold now, but it did take some time for them to get used to their new environment and all the different sounds. You will have great fun watching Cagney and Lacey become more and more confident as time goes by. Looking forward to the piccies. x
 
Best cut some grass with scissors and feed them upstairs until they are popping all over the upstairs bit.

They WILL come out for it, surely! I have yet to meet the guinea pig that doesn't! You can leave you hand hovering close by when you feed them in the same degree as they get more confident, and eventually touch them that way.

Whenever you are doing something in the hutch or even just passing it, talk to them.
 
Welcome to the forum and thank you for taking on some rescue piggies.

As they are only babies they will be extremely nervous to begin with, you'll have to be as patient as you can be and they will, as they get much older, begin to settle but I would think in terms of months rather then days or weeks.

For now I wouldn't even bother to use the downstairs area - my advice would be to close it up completely until they are more confident. A ramp is not the easiest thing for them to get used to and at their age they certainly don't needs loads of room. You could use below as a store for a few weeks until they get their bearings.

Good luck, you'll get lots of help and advice on the forum. :)
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. I am new to Guinea pigs too (May). Mine weren't rescues unfortunately but they still hid and ran off whenever I was around. I have since gotten more guineas (I have 6) and even the shyest one would sneak out when I was in bed or out and eat and drink. You can tell by the droppings.

However many weeks in and it's a different story. They are still taming however they don't always run off when I come in the room and even when they do it's only the movement that startled them, they come straight back out and carry on as normal. In fact they are starting to greet us when we come home with wheeks and popcorning and when I serve their breakfast they run over to where the cage is being opened - no fear.

I love the names Cagney and Lacey! Hee hee that's so fun.

Enjoy your guinea pigs they are such an amazing pet / member of the family.
 
Thanks for all the help.

Cagney and Lacey are still in hiding this morning :(
I've been chatting to them whilst eating breakfast (I must look crazy to my neighbours!)

I just hope that they're eating; mainly because as they're still babies I don't want them to lose much weight. I haven't found any droppings and the water level doesn't look like it's changed which makes me think they're not eating/drinking.

I'm sure they wouldn't starve for the sake of hiding?
 
Cagney and Lacey won't starve; they'll probably wait until everybody has gone before coming out to feed. It takes at least a couple of days, or even longer, before they get their bearings; and any bit of weight they lose initially, they will catch up on as soon as they settle!

It may well be that they won't use the water bottle at first. Many youngstesr still have to learn how to use it. Make sure that you give penty of grass and fresh veg twice daily, and they won't suffer from lack of fluids. Change the water bottle regularly!
 
Have you got any fresh parsley or coriander? Both of those are things that have been very tempting to mine. The parsley is a favourite of 5 of them and the coriander all six of them. You could put some of that in their cage / hutch a few inches from wherever they are hiding and watch if it goes down?
 
That's a cracking idea.

I have fresh everything growing, in particular herbs.

I will try that! I'll also try giving them some fresh carrot.
 
Lucky you! I rely on the supermarket for my coriander and parsley. is it easy to grow?

As soon as I get mine out the fridge and open it - they get a whiff and start to wheek for it.

Let us know how it goes down!
 
Another little tip, when first picking up piggies they're like worms :{ so i put down a hand towel and pop piggie onto the towel and wrap up and then pop into a box or something to carry to where i'm going............i then set them down and let them have a hidey place but i also have some treats with me. Let them hide if they want to but quietly chat to them and try to encourage them out with some treaties........watch them learn that you're voice and those oh so tempting smells are all related x)
 
Cut some grass and put it just outside where they're hiding - and then wait. It won't be too long before you se some heads popping out; I have yet to meet a guinea pig that doesn't like grass!
 
Lisajazz said:
Lucky you! I rely on the supermarket for my coriander and parsley. is it easy to grow?

As soon as I get mine out the fridge and open it - they get a whiff and start to wheek for it.

Let us know how it goes down!
Click to expand...

I only have a small garden with my flat so I don't have much - only things you can grow in a small greenhouse. Mainly herbs, garlic, chillies, peppers. Anything bigger (like spuds) I grow at my mums.
Herbs are very easy to grow, mine came from seeds and grow so fast in a warm environment like a greenhouse or a kitchen! Or you can buy it at a garden centre and it grows like a weed - fast and large. Smells wonderful too!
 
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