Whimsy
Bronze Member
Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Sept 4, 2012 1:39:51 GMT
I adopted a female guinea pig a little over a week ago. She is approx. 4-5 months old. She is currently being quarantined. She came from a shelter where she was with her mother and two sisters. She seems scared and doesn't move much in her cage. She does eat some vegetables, pellets and very little hay, but I am wondering how a get her to feel more comfortable with me and her new home. I talk to her, pet her, hold her a few times a day (should it be more?) and just hang out in the same room. After the quarantine I plan on introducing her to my other guinea pig and I was hoping she would be a little more comfortable with everything by then. How do I help her feel less scared and how do I get her to maybe explore her cage a little bit? It seems like she stays in one spot for hours. I realize that it's natural that she is scared and nervous in the beginning, but I thought there would be some sort of change in behaviour within a week. Maybe I am wrong. Please let me know what you think or if you have any ideas that can help us both.
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Post by 3piggles on Sept 4, 2012 14:42:46 GMT
First, have you checked that she's not blind or deaf? My little Teddy girl, Molly, only come out to greet me, when I first got her. She had skin fungus and other problems, so we spent a lot of quality time together. When I figure out that she didn't react to the noises and activities the way she should. I created a buffered path from her house at one end of the cage, to the hay/pellets/water at the other end. She started toddling out and back much more regularly.
For other new pigs, I have provided hiding places they can run through to get from home to food. That way they didn't have to go totally out in the open all alone, but could move around the cage from safe spot to safe spot. If you have a small cage, try draping cloths or towels over the sides to break up the distance she has to be exposed in the open, so she feels safe to venture out.
Different pigs take different amounts of time to adjust. She was with family, now she's on her own, next she'll have to fit into a new, existing dominance ladder, which isn't easy, either. You're doing what you should be, so keep up the good work!
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Whimsy
Bronze Member
Posts: 400
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Post by Whimsy on Sept 5, 2012 20:28:21 GMT
She is definitely not deaf and I don't think she is blind. I have 3 different hiding places for her now and I covered part of the cage with a towel. It actually seems to have helped a bit. I can see she has been in the different houses and tents, so that's good. She also started eating a few vegetables when I hold her in a snuggle sack, so maybe she is just a little slow at getting used to her new home.
I'll keep working on it and hopefully she will be more confident soon.
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Post by yodelpig on Sept 5, 2012 21:08:08 GMT
Draping a towel over the cage is a good trick I would have recommended otherwise! Single piggies in new territory feel extra vulnerable and stay as quiet and unobtrusive as possible, often only moving around when nobody is around or under cover of darkness. Giving them cover helps a lot!
Just give her time; she's just lost her family! it is a good sign that she is eating when you hold her, so she trusts you. Talk to her as much and as often as you can; praise her lavishly and make a fuss over her. She will come round, latest when she is in piggy company again!
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Post by twirly on Sept 7, 2012 3:41:45 GMT
Im not a piggy expert but when we first got ours we spent alot of time with her. If we were watching a movie she was in out lap. If she acted uncomfortable we gave her hay or offered her the litter box. Iin a few weeks she was getting very comfortable. Dont give up!Its hard when u dont know what to expect (like me) but the more time u spend the more she will come around. Give it 3 weeks, u will see a big difference.
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