Silent Sows

[joanikens]

I just got two female guinea pigs. I got a very cute brown and white smooth haired one (Penelope) this past Friday. She seemed very depressed and since guinea pigs are herd animals, I ended up getting a second sandy colored female guinea pig (Buttercup) on Saturday. I introduced them properly and they seem to get along perfectly fine. I got a new cage, separate hideaways, toys, hay, etc. They sometimes even cuddle in the same hideaway.

I had a male guinea pig in the past and he was quite loud and vocal. These two girls are silent. Since getting them I haven't heard a squeak, wheek, nothing. Is this normal? Even when I feed them, they don't eat right away and won't eat in front of me. Hard to tell if they are even eating equally. Do you think this is just a phase?

Also, as the days pass, Penelope seems stressed by my presence. I feel like each day she grows more resistant. Today I was trying to clean their cage and it took me a really long time to catch her. Buttercup is totally fine being held and is completely relaxed. Is there anything I can do to make Penelope more comfortable? I would like to bond with her but I don't want to stress her out. Should I not try and hold her?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Everything you are seeing sounds entirely normal. Not all piggies are vocal, with some very rarely saying anything. They are prey animals so to them everything is terrifying. A week isn’t enough time to settle in. She simply doesn’t feel safe yet - this can take weeks to months to achieve in some cases. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to gaining their trust. Cover part of their cage so they can feel more secure.
Offering food from your hand is a good first step after they’ve been given time to settle in. Taking food alone can take a long time to achieve but once they feel confident to eat then they are starting to trust you. It took one of mine six weeks to take food from my hand but it took the other 18 months.

Most piggies do not like being handled and being picked up is the scariest part. The easiest way is to herd them into a carrier and then pick them up from there. Sometimes the piggies who sit still while being held can often be the most scared - they are far too terrified to put up any kind of struggle so just sit there.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

 

[My Piggies]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

It just depends on the personality. Some guinea pigs are just naturally quieter than others. My two girls Daisy and Poppet are super loud, while my neutered male Oscar is pretty quiet and hangs back to let the girls demand for food

As for them being scared, this is perfectly normal. Try to leave them alone for the first couple of weeks to let them settle in. Then you can start letting them take food out of your hands, and they may eventually let you pat them. Some piggies may never like being held, however. My boy Oscar hates being held, so I try not to unless he needs to be weighed.

I'm sure others will be along soon to give you more detailed advice

 

[My Piggies]

Welcome to the forum

Everything you are seeing sounds entirely normal. Not all piggies are vocal, with some very rarely saying anything. They are prey animals so to them everything is terrifying. A week isn’t enough time to settle in. She simply doesn’t feel safe yet - this can take weeks to months to achieve in some cases. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to gaining their trust. Cover part of their cage so they can feel more secure.
Offering food from your hand is a good first step after they’ve been given time to settle in. Taking food alone can take a long time to achieve but once they feel confident to eat then they are starting to trust you. It took one of mine six weeks to take food from my hand but it took the other 18 months.

Most piggies do not like being handled and being picked up is the scariest part. The easiest way is to herd them into a carrier and then pick them up from there. Sometimes the piggies who sit still while being held can often be the most scared - they are far too terrified to put up any kind of struggle so just sit there.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely

Beat me to it

 

[Betsy]

Hi and welcome to the Forum. I adopted Rainbow Piggy Pretty Patsy last year. It took her 6 months to say anything at all then it was a wick wick. As she became more confident and realised this was her forever home she finally found her wheak and liked to used it as loudly and often as possible only about 5-6 weeks before the Rainbow Bridge called her name a few weeks ago. I hope she's up there wheaking away as loudly as she possibly can.

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

[VickiA]

Hello and welcome. I’ve been given great replies above and I agree with the recommendations. All piggies are different and have different personalities. Some piggies take longer to settle in than others. Some piggies are generally quieter than others, whereas others are very vocal. I have 6 piggies and 2 of them hardly ever wheek or even rumble but one of them chatters all the time.

 

[joanikens]

I thank all of you for welcoming me. Thanks for all of the recommendations! I'm glad to know things can improve so I'll definitely give Penelope some space and try and gain both of their trust. They seem to be getting along really well and I saw them both popcorn for the first time today!