Should I be worried about my two constantly hiding rescue girls?

F

Fizzali

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 10, 2024
Messages
17
Reaction score
30
Points
90
Location
UK
We have had our 2 girls for a couple of weeks now, they are 2 years old.

They are very shy and spend almost the entire day in their hideys - the hideys are filled with hay for them. One of them is more confident and will wheek when she hears the rustle of salad bags and will come out and take veggies from a plate and then take it back into the hidey. The other will only come and get the veggies if the plate is literally right outside the hidey, so I tend to put the veggies in for her. I have noticed that they must come out more in the evening and early mornings when we aren't in the room as there are usually lots of poos outside the hideys when I come down in the morning - this morning when I came down there were only a couple of poos outside the hideys which makes me think they didn't even come out when the room was quiet. They both seem to be eating plenty of hay as it needs topping up regularly.

I'm mainly concerned that they don't seem to be very active at all - we also put them in an outside run this weekend and again they stayed in the hideys and didn't come out to explore. We've done lots of sitting by the cage, talking, putting our hands in and gently stroking on the nose. Have picked them up a few times to weigh and for a quick cuddle.
Is it normal for them to be so sedentary? I was expecting them to run around a lot more, especially if we aren't in the room. Is it too early to worry?
 
Guinea pigs by nature tend to be more active early morning and late afternoon, evenings. They do like to sleep through the day quite a lot, so that’s quite normal. Guinea pigs are prey animals so they always have that idea that at any moment they might be eaten and your girls are rescues and they might have had a traumatic background too (or not) so take that into consideration. Small steps, and patience work best. You will get there, it just takes some time. Try covering half the cage with a sheet or blanket it will make them more secure and likely to come out more
have a read at the guides, they are so helpful Helpful Info Collections for Wannabes & Owners
 
Don’t worry!
What you are describing is normal for the fact you’ve not had them very long but also for piggies in general!

Being in the run outside can be quite a frightening experience for them - new smells, sounds etc. did you cover the run? They fear being attacked from above so a cover can help them feel more secure.

Are they used to being on grass? Grass time needs to be built up slowly so as to not cause digestive issues.
 
2 weeks is only a very short time for new piggies to get used to a new area. Have you covered half of their cage with a blanket? This will make them feel a bit more secure.

Think of it from their point of view. That's what I do when I adopt new piggies.

Your piggies are scared and frightened right now. They have been put in a new place, there are strange noises, smells and a huge giant (you) who is trying to pick them up. They don't know they aren't going to be eaten, you have to teach them that. They are running on prey instincts right now which means "I must hide so I am safe".

It can take a long time for piggies to trust you. Have you tried the piggy whispering techniques? They are very good. The most useful one I found was always make a noise when approaching them as a predator is silent. Whenever I go and see my piggies (they live in the garage) which is quite often I always say "hello piggies" or something like that so that they know it's me.

You may find the guide below helpful.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
 
I can't thank you all enough. I just covered half the cage with a blanket and it was instantaneous - literally within 10 seconds they were both out of the hidey, walking around, eating from the food bowl and they are both making this squeaking chattering sound which I hope is a happy noise!?
 
If it sounds like they're chatting to each other, which it sounds like they are, it's a good noise all right!
 
It's lovely that you have rescued them. We'd love to see pictures when they are more settled.
Any advice that I have been given on this forum has always worked a treat, you can't beat personal experience by people who are dedicated to ensuring their piggies have happy lives.
 
Thank you - I've been in and out the room and the braver one has been out of the hidey every time I have checked. The quiet one is more tentative but I have seen her pop out a couple of times.
 
They will get there. Patience is key with guinea pigs, so is food! Have you tried offering fresh herbs from your hand, most piggies find them absolutely irresistible and because they are quite pungent the piggies are aware of them even when hiding.
My boys will do anything for a bit of basil, dill or mint!
 
fluffysal said:
They will get there. Patience is key with guinea pigs, so is food! Have you tried offering fresh herbs from your hand, most piggies find them absolutely irresistible and because they are quite pungent the piggies are aware of them even when hiding.
My boys will do anything for a bit of basil, dill or mint!
Click to expand...
Yes! The more confident piggie will eat out of our hand, especially dill! Shy piggie has eaten mint with my hand nearby from her hidey but not yet from my hand. This is our braver girl.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7453.webp
    IMG_7453.webp
    81 KB · Views: 4
Well the blanket is genius. They have both come out and eaten from the plate (clearly they don't like pak choi, but the mint, dill and cucumber is all gone!) This is the longest time our shyer girlie has been out since she arrived. She even had a little explore and climbed into the little snuggly chair. My daughter sat for half an hour just watching them eat and was so excited to actually see them properly. Thank you all.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7504.webp
    IMG_7504.webp
    49.5 KB · Views: 3
How lovely! You can spend time quietly talking to them by the cage side, they will get used to your voice. It’s just a matter of time and patience. I have a new piggie, when I approach the cage I talk gently as I come into the room so she gets used to my voice
your little ladies are adorable 🥰
 
Instead of using a plate try scattering the food. You can get gradually further away from the "safe" zone.
 
We've had our babies for nearly three months now and for the last two weeks or so they haven't had any covering over the cage top. I slowly reduced how much the towel was covering (like folded it back a little bit every week) so they got used to less covering, now they're happy without it but it made such a difference at the start! I'd say I see them active about 50 per cent of the day at the moment, hoping this will increase as they get more comfortable, but definitely to start with they mostly just hid. Food is 100 per cent the way to their hearts though!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top