As prey animals it is very normal for piggies to be shy, and how long settling in takes will vary hugely - it can take weeks, months or even years in some cases. Even fully settled piggies will scatter when startled.
Let them settle in for the first week. Cover part of their cage with a blanket so they feel secure and comfortable to explode their cage and leave them to it, with you only feeding, watering, spot
From the second week, start sitting by their cage and talking to them. You can start to offer food from your hand but it could be quite some time before they take it. Follow their lead, only do what they are comfortable with. You need a lot of patience with piggies but you will get there!
One of mine took food from me after six weeks. He became much more confident and was happy to stay out and about while I was around.
The other one took 18 months before he was brave enough to take food from me. He was curious but not brave, he wouldn’t come forward and chose to hide the whole time watching from a distance! After the first 18 months of perseverance, he realised he could trust me and started to take food from me. Now three years down the line, he doesn’t run off and he is happy to go about his piggy business when I’m there. He just isn’t as confident as the other one and never will be - it’s his character. However, neither like being cuddled. I only handle them for their weekly health checks and they are ok with that - certainly ok with it for long enough for me to do what I need to do (weigh, clip nails, brush and clip the long haired piggy, give medication if needed) but have no trouble telling me when they’ve had enough!
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
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
In terms of food, hay is the most important part of their diet. Ensure it is available to them in large quantities at all times.
They can have one cup of veg per piggy per day.
Then just one tablespoon per pig per day of low calcium, ideally grain free guinea pig pellets. These are the least healthy and least important part of the diet. Ensure they are kept strictly limited and they are never allowed constant access to pellets.
Ensure any new veg is introduced slowly into the diet to ensure it doesn’t cause a tummy upset.
Keep high sugar items such as carrot and fruit to no more than one small piece once per week only.
Keep high calcium items such as kale, parsley and spinach to one type, one small amount once per week only. Too much calcium in the diet can cause bladder problems. Most calcium comes from pellets (so this is why they need to be kept limited) and water, so if you filter their drinking water then it goes a long way to helping.
Below are our feeding guides. The second lists the veg which they can and cannot have. The first guide has a sample plate of daily veggies along with the portion size.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading
