anyone got guinea pigs?

emilyasweetie · Dec 11, 2007

I just bought a guinea pig yesterday... it is a male. he has very big eyes and extremely cute..
I wanted to get two piggies, but they told me i need to get a huge cage for 2 piggies, right now i dont have much space in my room.. I might consider getting another one later on though..
I brought him home last nite, he was being very very shy, seemed so scared..always hiding in his den, as long as im there, he wouldnt come out. and he was being very very quiet, wasnt making any sound at all. I am kinda nervous about this.. how long does this usurally last? are there anyways to make him feel comfortable around me sooner?

and he is about 9 weeks old, is it ok to feed him veggies and fruit now? do i have to wait till he is a couple of weeks older?

THanks!!!

ladycat · Dec 11, 2007

I don't have a guinea pig but I have rabbits and they are of similar care. This is a great site, everything from cages/food/play/adoptions. I'm sure this will answer some of your questions. Good luck and Congrats on the piggie!

http://www.guineapigcages.com

miagi's_mommy · Dec 11, 2007

http://www.guinealynx.com is a great site on information on guinea pigs.

Enjoy your little bundle of joy! I grew up with guinea pigs and I would have another one again but my cats would terrorize the poor thing and you may consider getting another one for a companion. I have heard they live longer in pairs.

sweet72947 · Dec 12, 2007

Yes, it is completely normal that your guinea pig is hiding from you. He is in a new place, and he is scared. When I bring home a new piggie, I don't pick them up for a whole two days, just so they can get used to their surroundings. After that I handle them as much as I want. Be gentle! Maybe also feed a fruit or vegetable while handling. Your guinea pig is plenty old enough to eat fruits and vegetables, they are usually able to eat them by 3 weeks of age. Males, in fact, have to be seperated from momma and female siblings by 3 or 4 weeks because that's when they start "feeling their oats" so to speak.

I recommend also feeding a straight pellet feed without anything mixed in (they do nothing but make your guinea pig fat!), Oxbow is one good brand. If you have a Southern States near you, I also recommend the Big Red Guinea Pig Food, that is what I feed. Timothy hay is also good to feed your guinea pig. Unlike rabbits, guinea pigs don't NEED hay to be healthy, but it does help keep the digestive tract moving and guinea pigs love it, so why not feed it?

Good fruits and veggies for piggies include, but are not limited to: apples, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce (iceburg just makes them PEE), cabbage, kale, and much more.

Those websites posted above are good, and I also suggest http://www.cavymadness.com. There is a forum there as well, although it is a little slow.

Good luck with your new furry friend!

emilyasweetie · Dec 12, 2007

Thanks for all your replies...

it has been almost 3 days, my piggie is still scared of me...unless i give him some treats, he is always hiding from me...he doesnt like me..
i wonder how long does it take for your piggie to like you?
I am kinda worried now...
does it take longer for male piggies to get used to a new surrouding? or is it just my piggie?

ghostuser · Dec 12, 2007

It just depends on the individual piggy, and how much socialization they had growing up.. give him some time. Talk to him, put your hands in the cage without touching him or getting too close.. let him come to you. My girl doesn't like when you come at her from above with your hands even now.. but she is quite happy if she comes up to you and you scritch her chin rather than going for the top of her head.

sweet72947 · Dec 13, 2007

With some guinea pigs, they never really like attention from humans. I have three guinea pigs right now. One of them I got from the animal shelter when she was very young (I'm sure she originally came from a pet store, but somebody must have had her only a few days, she was so little). Since I was able to raise her from a young age, she is very into me and loves attention and pets.

My other female was originally from a pet store, but came to me from a girl who didn't want her anymore. She was skittish, and still is skittish months later, and doesn't care for human attention. She lives with my third guinea pig, a neutered male who I got from a rescue. He enjoys some attention, but is quite happy being with the other guinea pig most of the time.

Guinea pigs from pet stores don't get handled appropriately most of the time, and some come away with excess shyness. There is a great difference between the guinea pigs I was able to raise myself, and the guinea pigs from pet stores. The guinea pigs I raised myself were always much more outgoing and accepting of attention from humans than those from pet stores.

jackie158 · Dec 14, 2007

Originally Posted by Sweet72947

Yes, it is completely normal that your guinea pig is hiding from you. He is in a new place, and he is scared. When I bring home a new piggie, I don't pick them up for a whole two days, just so they can get used to their surroundings. After that I handle them as much as I want. Be gentle! Maybe also feed a fruit or vegetable while handling. Your guinea pig is plenty old enough to eat fruits and vegetables, they are usually able to eat them by 3 weeks of age. Males, in fact, have to be seperated from momma and female siblings by 3 or 4 weeks because that's when they start "feeling their oats" so to speak.

I recommend also feeding a straight pellet feed without anything mixed in (they do nothing but make your guinea pig fat!), Oxbow is one good brand. If you have a Southern States near you, I also recommend the Big Red Guinea Pig Food, that is what I feed. Timothy hay is also good to feed your guinea pig. Unlike rabbits, guinea pigs don't NEED hay to be healthy, but it does help keep the digestive tract moving and guinea pigs love it, so why not feed it?

Good fruits and veggies for piggies include, but are not limited to: apples, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce (iceburg just makes them PEE), cabbage, kale, and much more.

Those websites posted above are good, and I also suggest http://www.cavymadness.com. There is a forum there as well, although it is a little slow.

Good luck with your new furry friend!

Guinea pigs DO need hay. There teeth constantly grow and it helps wear and tear there teeth.

sweet72947 · Dec 19, 2007

Originally Posted by JACKIE158

Guinea pigs DO need hay. There teeth constantly grow and it helps wear and tear there teeth.

Eating in general helps wear and tear the teeth

. I had a male guinea pig back when I was first into guinea pigs, and he never touched a piece of hay in his life. He lived for 6 1/2 years, old for a piggie. Hay is VERY good to feed to them though, and I do highly recommend that it be fed.

mbjerkness · Dec 19, 2007

Originally Posted by JACKIE158

Guinea pigs DO need hay. There teeth constantly grow and it helps wear and tear there teeth.

I have had many guinea pigs, they are wonderful pets, to prevent teeth over growing, we put a wood hiding house in their cage, carrots are also a good idea. they love to chew. some piggies like to hide other prefer to have constant attention. avoid feeding iceberg lettuce it can cause severe diahera (sp) and dehydration.

anyone got guinea pigs?

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