Two New Piggies, One Of Them Still Very Skittish

[Alex M]

Hi everyone, not sure if this is the right sub-forum. On Sunday I got two little guys and they were both scared at first. The first, Hermann, has really warmed up and will crawl into the palm of my hand. But the second, Oliver, hides for the majority of the time while Hermann is poking around. He only comes out when it's just me in the room and will run back into his plastic igloo if I make any motion.

I wouldn't worry about him if he wasn't so skinny. I'm not sure if Hermann is fat or if Oliver is actually really skinny. All he seems to do is lay down in the igloo and occasionally come out to eat and drink.

I might be worrying over nothing, but if something happened to Oliver I'd feel downright awful. Do you think he's just scared or that maybe something is wrong with him? Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Could you please tell me how old your boys are and where you got them from?

The behaviour is not at all unusual for new guinea pigs. It is a very good habit to weigh your piggies once weekly at the same time in the feeding cycle so you can spot any sudden problems or slow downward trends quickly. Piggies are very good at hiding illness, as all prey animals.

You may find these threads here helpful:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
Tutorial video for stress-free pick-up: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/videos/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/boars-a-guide-to-successful-companionship.76162/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/
With members from all over the world, we find it very helpful in always giving you appropriate advice and recommendations straight away if you added your coutnry, state or county/general area to your details. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. thanks!

 

[Alex M]

They're from Petco and they're 4-6 months old. Also, I took away the igloo Oliver was hiding behind and he seems ten times more social and active. So I think he was just hiding.
I'll definitely check out the picking up videos/links.

Thanks!