Rescue piggie not ready for big spaces?

Featheryfriend

Featheryfriend

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hey there again y'all. :luv:

I introduced myself on the forum a couple days ago, right after bringing home an unplanned, underweight, very neglected rescue piggie. I have ordered her a 30" x 60" C&C cage (ouch, my wallet - er, my boyfriend's wallet) and I found an exotic vet nearby where she can get a checkup. Actually I have a choice of two great exotic vets nearby, so that's lucky! I also found a local guinea pig/small pet rescue where I can adopt another piggie friend as soon as she's ready.

She has been doing really well, really packing in the lettuce and hay and enjoying lots of rubs and scritches, but we've had a little bump in our journey this last evening. We haven't gotten the C&C cage delivered yet, but I one-day Amazon shipped a fold-up pet run. Now that she is fed and hydrated she's been zooming in tiny circles in that 30-gallon aquarium, and I thought she would love to go for a run in a much bigger circle. Nope! She found the whole concept quite horrifying. I don't think it was the lift or the handling, I think she and I both did a good job with that part. It was when I set her on a blanket and she saw about 20 square feet of space in front of her! She froze into a terrified little brick, poor baby. She couldn't wait to get back into the aquarium.

The details of where I got her are kinda depressing, but long story short, I realized that dinky temporary 30 gallon aquarium (about 18" x 20") might be the biggest space she has been in for ages.:doh: Do y'all have any tips for gradually adjusting her to not being packed like a sardine in a can? I'm worried she's going to hate her C&C cage at first!
 
Try adding some hideys and tunnels therefore she may feel more comfortable to explore the new space. My boar has a similar problem but in the hutch he refuses to use the ramp and has only used the bottom level. I have just come to conclusion he has only been kept in a small indoor pet shop cage. Also, maybe once she has a friend she may feel more confident to explore and run around the extra space. Hope this helps
 
Featheryfriend said:
Hey there again y'all. :luv:

I introduced myself on the forum a couple days ago, right after bringing home an unplanned, underweight, very neglected rescue piggie. I have ordered her a 30" x 60" C&C cage (ouch, my wallet - er, my boyfriend's wallet) and I found an exotic vet nearby where she can get a checkup. Actually I have a choice of two great exotic vets nearby, so that's lucky! I also found a local guinea pig/small pet rescue where I can adopt another piggie friend as soon as she's ready.

She has been doing really well, really packing in the lettuce and hay and enjoying lots of rubs and scritches, but we've had a little bump in our journey this last evening. We haven't gotten the C&C cage delivered yet, but I one-day Amazon shipped a fold-up pet run. Now that she is fed and hydrated she's been zooming in tiny circles in that 30-gallon aquarium, and I thought she would love to go for a run in a much bigger circle. Nope! She found the whole concept quite horrifying. I don't think it was the lift or the handling, I think she and I both did a good job with that part. It was when I set her on a blanket and she saw about 20 square feet of space in front of her! She froze into a terrified little brick, poor baby. She couldn't wait to get back into the aquarium.

The details of where I got her are kinda depressing, but long story short, I realized that dinky temporary 30 gallon aquarium (about 18" x 20") might be the biggest space she has been in for ages.:doh: Do y'all have any tips for gradually adjusting her to not being packed like a sardine in a can? I'm worried she's going to hate her C&C cage at first!
Click to expand...
Since c&c cages can be altered easily you could start small and slowly add more grids so she gets used to it? Sorry I can't help much, my pigs never seem to have enough space to satisfy them
 
My recent foster was similar when he arrived (We think hed been living in a cardboard box). He went into an 8ft hutch at mine and found it terrifying. I gave him lots and lots of hideys, though he mostly stayed in one and only came out to eat if I wasn't around. I had some new 6ft hutches installed so I could take more fosters so after a while I moved him into one of those, it was also the top one so raised enough he could see me at height instead of me being over him. He was immediately more comfortable. Once he was more confident, I started putting him in the outside run, again with lots of hideys. Eventually he started moving around. I must stress this was gradual over the 2 months he was with me. I'm pleased to say he went to his forever home on Monday, has bonded with 3 lovely female piggies and has a huge avairy/shed setup which he is enjoying, especially now he has the company of more confident piggies. Alot of it is down to patience and trying not to overwhelm them, don't be tempted to do too much too soon.
 
Will do. In my mind I was going to set her down in the run and then add some shelter and activities, but we didn't get that far. I'll do it the other way around next time. And we'll see if we can include something smelly and familiar. I'll give her a chance to recover from this misadventure first, though.

I was wondering if a furry friend might help boost her confidence to explore, I'm sure two giant bipedal apes sitting by the run making weird noises of encouragement just isn't the same. :beer:

That's actually a great idea with the grids! We can start small and move it out a bit at a time until she's using the whole space. I wouldn't have thought of that.

There's no rush I suppose, I want her to be comfortable. We'll stick to something less scary for now. Maybe an intro to a real hidey or two, right now she's tucking into paper bags. It's a relief to know she's not the only agoraphobic guinea pig ever in the world, and that with care she will probably improve within a few months. :) I've slowly rehabbed my share of traumatized animals, but she was being such a busy bee that it took me by surprise.
 
Featheryfriend said:
Hey there again y'all. :luv:

I introduced myself on the forum a couple days ago, right after bringing home an unplanned, underweight, very neglected rescue piggie. I have ordered her a 30" x 60" C&C cage (ouch, my wallet - er, my boyfriend's wallet) and I found an exotic vet nearby where she can get a checkup. Actually I have a choice of two great exotic vets nearby, so that's lucky! I also found a local guinea pig/small pet rescue where I can adopt another piggie friend as soon as she's ready.

She has been doing really well, really packing in the lettuce and hay and enjoying lots of rubs and scritches, but we've had a little bump in our journey this last evening. We haven't gotten the C&C cage delivered yet, but I one-day Amazon shipped a fold-up pet run. Now that she is fed and hydrated she's been zooming in tiny circles in that 30-gallon aquarium, and I thought she would love to go for a run in a much bigger circle. Nope! She found the whole concept quite horrifying. I don't think it was the lift or the handling, I think she and I both did a good job with that part. It was when I set her on a blanket and she saw about 20 square feet of space in front of her! She froze into a terrified little brick, poor baby. She couldn't wait to get back into the aquarium.

The details of where I got her are kinda depressing, but long story short, I realized that dinky temporary 30 gallon aquarium (about 18" x 20") might be the biggest space she has been in for ages.:doh: Do y'all have any tips for gradually adjusting her to not being packed like a sardine in a can? I'm worried she's going to hate her C&C cage at first!
Click to expand...

Hi!

It can take time for a piggy living in a very confined space to get used to moving around.

My Carwyn who spent three years in a foot square breeder box before being rescued had to basically learn how to move and to run. Any excitement of his was expressed by mounting his companion as the only way he was able to through lack of space. He had to learn to run and roam from his two young wives, especially baby girl Heini with who he shared a life-long love on first sight affair until his death aged 6 1/2 years.

These tips here can help to make any new space less frightening and more welcoming:
- place a blanket/sheet over the area with the sides hanging down to give her a feeling of safety.
- scent mark the new area as safe territory of her by wiping soiled cosies or bedding all over it and by sprinkling used stuff of her around. Guinea pigs are territorial; they don't go where there is no piggy scent. It is their strongest sense (unlike for us humans).
- dot hideys, cardboard boxes with doors, stools or tunnels around, about 1 foot apart from each other to provide lots of shelters to explore from further. Introduce them first in her aquarium so she is familiar with them and they are scent marked.
- Use the same tips for her new C&C cage - including using bedding from her old cage to make it smell 'right' at first.

- a piggy neighbour/companion the best de-stresser in the medium term but you have to accept that acceptance is not necessarily guaranteed if you do the choosing.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

More tips for settling in skittish piggies:
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs (incl. reaction to new territory)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
 
It might be a ridiculous idea, but can you put the aquarium on it’s side in the pen? Means home is never far away and she might feel more secure with familiar territory close by.

And covering the pen with a towel made a huge difference to how secure mine seemed to feel. I think it’s less about the space in front and more about the space above for a predator to swoop in...
 
Tigermoth said:
It might be a ridiculous idea, but can you put the aquarium on it’s side in the pen? Means home is never far away and she might feel more secure with familiar territory close by.

And covering the pen with a towel made a huge difference to how secure mine seemed to feel. I think it’s less about the space in front and more about the space above for a predator to swoop in...
Click to expand...

Hey, another good idea. That could be done, it's not hard to flip. I had part of the run under the table thinking that would help provide cover, but apparently we need even more cover. :hmm:
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

It can take time for a piggy living in a very confined space to get used to moving around.

My Carwyn who spent three years in a foot square breeder box before being rescued had to basically learn how to move and to run. Any excitement of his was expressed by mounting his companion as the only way he was able to through lack of space. He had to learn to run and roam from his two young wives, especially baby girl Heini with who he shared a life-long love on first sight affair until his death aged 6 1/2 years.

These tips here can help to make any new space more :
- place a blanket/sheet over the area with the sides hanging down to give her a feeling of safety.
- scent mark the new area as safe territory of her by wiping soiled cosies or bedding all over it and by sprinkling used stuff of her around. Guinea pigs are territorial; they don't go where there is no piggy scent. it their strongest sense (unlike for us humans).
- dot hideys, cardboard boxes with doors, stools or tunnels around, about 1 foot apart from each other to provide a basis for exploration. Introduce them first in her aquarium so she is familiar with them and they are scent marked.
- Use the same tips for her new C&C cage.

- a piggy neighbour/companion the best de-stresser in the medium term but you have to accept that acceptance is not necessarily guaranteed if you do the choosing.
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

More tips for settling in skittish piggies:
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs (incl. reaction to new territory)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Click to expand...

Thanks a ton, I'll get down to reading those!

I've learned a little bit about introducing friends, it sounds like it can be kinda rough sometimes but I am staying optimistic that she would accept them. I think she was around other piggies for a decent period when she was young, and I was also told that she did briefly have a companion at one point that she got on well with - a skinny pig who perished when an air conditioner kicked on. 😭

I'll probably ask the lady who runs the rescue to choose a pig or pair of pigs for me based on who she thinks is most likely to integrate well with Penny, rather than picking them out myself based on looks or whims. I mean they're all adorable so who cares. :love:
 
Progress! I told Penny she was going to have to visit the wider world again for a bit while I changed out her bedding. I've been spot cleaning and replacing hunks of bedding here and there to delay stressing her out but at a certain point you just need 100% new bedding...

I made sure she was as relaxed as possible beforehand by playing something I found on youtube called "8 Hour Music Video for Guinea Pigs!" (it was a hit) and rubbing her little face a lot. I used half the panels of the run to make a space roughly 1/4 the size, covered the sides with a sheet, and added her new Pigloo and her smelly paper-bag-of-the-day first. She wheeked and did a few laps! She darted in and out of the shelter a lot, but didn't seem too frightened and popped her head out whenever I offered to pet her. I'm a lot more optimistic that I'll be able to plop her right into the whole c&c cage when it gets here.

That piece on guinea pig body language has been very helpful, thanks again Wiebke! We've been "washing" together and I've gotten a couple of licks in return for petting her around the eyes and under the chin. She also lets me push her chin up gently like a boss piggie. I don't have much of a frame of reference, not having known any guinea pigs that well, but so far I'm thinking she has a pretty demure and submissive personality, so hopefully there isn't a clash of the alpha pigs in store for us when a friend arrives.
 
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