Help with New Guinea Pig!

Howdy T.,

I used to have a pigger and he was the coolest, most lovable little fellow. They are very sweet and lovable. And the rest of the advice is very good. Here is some more info you may find helpful....Oh one more thing, never use cedar or pine shavings for bedding. Those two woods have phenols that irritate small animals. For more information on bedding check out: http://www.guineapigcages.com/bedding.htm

How to Care for Guinea Pigs:

© Stephanie Shain/The HSUS

Adapted from Animal Sheltering Magazine.

A descendant of the wild guinea pigs of South America, today's domesticated guinea pig is viewed by many as an "easy" pet for children. Many parents select a guinea pig as a first pet for their child, believing a small pet needs only a small amount of care. It is important to understand that these little guys have lots of requirements, including a roomy cage, specialized diet, daily cleanup and gentle handling, and that an adult should be the primary caretaker.

1. Make Room at the Inn

They might be small, but guinea pigs require ample space to move. Make sure their living quarters are at least 18 inches wide, 14 inches high and 25 inches deep. Guinea pigs housed in larger cages are more likely to be active. Do not use aquariums, as they provide poor ventilation, and mesh or wire-floor cages hurt guinea pigs' tender feet.

When choosing floor linings and cage furnishings, keep in mind that guinea pigs will chew on just about anything to wear down their constantly growing teeth, so everything placed in the cage must be nontoxic. Use plenty of lining material—shredded ink-free paper or commercial nesting materials available at pet-supply stores, for example—because guinea pigs will use the material as both bedding and bathroom.

Remember also to provide plenty of high-quality hay, which these rodents use for nesting and snacking. Do not use materials such as sawdust, pine or cedar chips, or fabrics that may cause respiratory or other health problems. Finally, provide your guinea pig with a gnawing log (such as an untreated fruit tree branch), tunnels to crawl through and platforms to climb on. Add a heavy food bowl resistant to tipping and gnawing and a water bottle with a sipper tube.

2. Get a Little Closer

Guinea pigs are easily stressed, so they require careful handling. To pick up a guinea pig, slowly place one hand under his chest just behind the front legs and gently cup your other hand under his hindquarters. Once you have a firm but gentle grip on the animal, lift him. Then immediately pull him close to your chest or lap so he feels safe and doesn't thrash around.

3. Give 'Em Their Greens

Feed your guinea pig a commercial guinea pig food, formulated especially for the species. These herbivores require a lot of vitamin C, so you should provide a variety of deep green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards and romaine lettuce, introduced one day at a time. Be sure to observe for any digestive changes after each addition before making that item a permanent part of the animal's diet. Treat guinea pigs to fruits, including melon slices and apples (but remove the seeds, which are toxic).

4. Help with the Cleanup

Guinea pigs try their best to keep clean, fastidiously grooming themselves with their front teeth, tongue and back claws. But pigs—particularly the long-haired breeds—require frequent brushing and combing to stay clean and tangle-free.

Also, because their cage lining doubles as bedding and toilet, guinea pigs require daily housekeeping assistance. Scrub and disinfect the cage, then let it dry before lining the floor with fresh bedding and replacing the cage furnishings. Also clean the water bottle and sipper tube daily to prevent buildup of food, algae, and bacteria.

5. Pair Them Off

Guinea pigs are happiest when with other guinea pigs, so many pet care books urge owners to keep two or more together. Choose pairs that are the same sex and compatible. (For example, more than two male pigs together are likely to fight.)

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbit_horse_and_other_...

1 mom found this helpful

I have grown up with guinea pigs in the house! I have two right now. Guinea pigs do not like a change of environment. When I was young, I left my pig at my friend's house to go on vacation. When I came back, my guinea pig (after a week) had lost a ton on hair and wouldn't eat for my friend.
When we moved houses, it took my pigs about a month or two to adjust (even changing the location in the house bothers them). The best way to win a pig over is giving them a piece of lettuce. I haven't met a pig that doesn't love it! Try holding the pig and feeding her the lettuce. Be real calm when holding her with gentle pets on her back. If the guinea pig was sweet before you got her, then she will be sweet as soon as she settles in. Just give her a little time. Make sure she has a house to hid in, plenty of alfa hay, and dark greens to eat.

1 mom found this helpful

We have 2 guinea pigs that we have had for about a year. One thing we noticed is that they are very social creatures and the more you hold them, the more they"tame up". However getting there can be a trick. We work with our piggies every day. One thing that helped with us is that if you offer them a treat it makes them more use to you. For example, have you tried to hold a carrot in the cage, have the pig get use to it, nibble on it ect. Let them try that for awhile, then make advance to holding the pig while it nibbles on a treat. We have noticed with ours you need to be very soft spoken with them as they get scared of loud noises. So I make sure my kids dont fuss when they are around the piggies. They also like to feel secure, so holding them in a towel or sitting on the floor and providing them with a "cave " can also help. Trying to scoop them up while they are in their cage is always a challenge as they can scamper fast. If you goggle guinea pigs, there are some helpful tips your daughter may find about the care of them which my kids read before we took that first step b/4 we bought them. Also getting use to what their chattering means lets you know if they are scared or hungry. One other thought however, have you asked the people you got the pig from if it they had problems with them being picked up and biting? Ours really dont nip at us unless they think our fingers are food. I was also wondering if the reason why they didnt want it anymore is if there was a problem. Maybe the other owners were too rough with them? (Just a thought) They really are cute and low maintenance. I hope this helps and good luck.

You could try hand feeding with baby carrots and leaf lettuce. Let the pig come to you the one I had took about a week to start climbing into my hand.

We bought two guinea pigs for my stepkids about 3 years ago. I did not do my homework until after we got them home, but this site was very helpful. http://www.guineapigcages.com/
We had started with one guinea pig in its own cage, in each kid's room. That changed when I realized that they need to be in pairs, and they needed a much bigger cage than they had. We have not had a problem with the smell. We use newspapers, then towels, then fleece on top, and I change it out twice a week.
Food is absolutely the best way to befriend your guinea pig. One of ours was always more shy and nervous than the other, but she comes right out when I go up there with food. If you decide to get a second guinea pig, rescue groups might be the best able to help you pair one with yours for the personality match.
Good luck, and enjoy. They really are quite fun.

I used to have guinea pigs. They will get used to people very quickly, if they are handled on a regular basis. You can't expect a prey animal, like a guinea pig, to be held for 15 minutes a d ay and grow to love it, however. You should at least start by holding it for longer, more regular periods. Guinea pigs typically ADORE food, so I would recommend feeding the pig special treats (fruits, veggies) while holding it. As long as the dogs are reasonably under your control, you should b able to hold the pig around the dogs. I wouldn't necessarily recommend let the pig run around on the floor near the dogs unless you want to spend some time and effort to train the dogs not to chase it. Guinea pigs can also be litterbox-trained (esp. if its a girl), so your daughter could let it run around her room for longer periods of time, which would be fun for both of them. Good luck!

Also guinea pigs are night animals. Very active at night. And the life span of a guinea pig is four to five years.

I only babysit my neighbors pigs when they're out of town. They don't especially like me coming in to their space, but they DO like it when I brush them. My friend has a brush like a baby hairbrush and the little pigs just love it. I brush them in the cage, then pick them up after a few minutes. So you might try that.

Keep trying everyday. Maybe not picking it up but pet it and let it get to know you. Eventually it should warm up to you. Also, I learned by mistake but make sure and feed it guinea pig food. I fed mine rabbit food and unfortunately he did not live long. There are certain vitamins in guinea pig food that rabbit food does not have.

We loved our little girl guinea pig. Also, VERY IMPORTANT, keep the dogs away. I wouldn't want to take any chances with the dogs killing the guinea pig. That happend with a friend of mine and the kids walked in on the massacre. They thought they had a secure hutch on the floor, but the dogs figured out how to get in. Good luck!

Guinea pigs are not nocturnal, yes they are rodents but they are not nocturnal animals. We did a lot of research on them before purchasing two last year. I had hamsters growing up and when my daughter wanted one, I wanted to convince her otherwise. Learning about the guinea pig showed her that this was a much better choice, as you can handle it and play with it, they interact with you and they are not nocturnal. (so I dont have to listen to a wheel ALL night long! lol)

I think the issue with your guinea pig is that she is female and alone. Yes she has had a change of environment and that is hard on a guinea pig, but I dont feel that is the reason for her personality because you are saying she was this way with her previous owner as well.

Females are often very shy and protective. Because she is a female she has natural momma instincts, pregnant or not. Females are just this way. Our female still could care less about is and prefers to stay far away from us, although she is not aggressive at all. Maybe yours has been hurt before and therefor is more cautious.

Our male is the complete opposite! He is loving, talks to us, feeds from our hands and loves to be pet. They also are very loving animals and I bet she is VERY lonely. Any guinea pig rescue will only let you adopt in pairs because they do much better in pairs. This may also be a problem with her aggression.

Ii was very fortunate to do my homework before adopting and to find a great rescue to adopt from. The North Texas Guinea Pig Rescue really taught us alot.

GL!

I raised guinea pigs when I was a young girl. They are wonderful pets that enjoy being held once they adapt to you. I would suggest feeding it by hand little bits of lettuce or baby carrots and talk to it a lot. While it is nibbling on the veggies, slowly stroke its head and talk. It should start whistling when she comes in the room especially when it hears her voice and knows a treat is coming. Go easy though, they don't need a lot of daily veggies. I had one guinea pig that would lay on its back in my lap and let me rub his belly. He lived about 7 years and would even run to me when I called his name. Time, treats and patience will win most of them over. Hope this helps.

This is not normal for a guinea pig! We have had them for approx 3 years now (a total of 7 altogether, lost a couple that had health issues and one our big dog tried to "play" with). Anyway, I have taken it upon myself to research the heck out of guinea pigs... we got ours from the guinea pig rescue in Lewisville, they have a website theguineapigrescue.com if you want to visit it. Julia there is very knowledgable! First of all piggies are social animals and prefer to be in packs (we currently have 3, 2 females and a male - fixed). Your piggie is definitely trying to tell you something! The chattering is their way of telling you they're scared. Be sure you are picking up your piggie correctly - holding under the main body and supporting the behind. Children sometimes have a hard time doing this and keeping hold of the piggie because they have small hands. I would suggest that an adult get the piggie as well as put it back, a lot of piggies are hurt by kids letting them wiggle free from them and jump the rest of the way into the cage, they have fragile legs. We taught ours to hold them backwards (facing them) and lower them into the cage that way, it keeps the piggie from panicking and jumping to the cage. Piggies need 2 cups of veggies per piggie per day (and some they cannot have). They also need Vit. C, because like us they do not produce it themselves. They also need Timothy Hay at all times and cannot have tap water because over time it can hurt them, just get drinking water in the gallon jugs (97 cents). This piggie may just be unhappy and mean, but most likely it needs a pal or reassurance that it's not going to get hurt (if it was in the past). Is he eating okay? The first sign a piggie is sick is he stops eating and usually faces the wall of his cage. Also, his cage cannot be a wire bottom, it hurts their feet and causes them to develop foot sores. Have you checked out his coat, any raw itchy spots that may be getting aggravated when held? Feel around also for lumps, may have a cyst that is being aggravated. I'm sorry to throw all this at you, I just love these little guys and wanted to share with you! Please feel free to call me anytime and I would be happy to talk with you! Our piggies are a special part of our family, we really enjoy them! Best wishes with your piggie! K. ###-###-#### cell.

Oh, I had guinea pigs when I was little. They can be shy at first. A lot of that depends on how often and how gently they were held as infants - like the rest of us. But, give it time. They run away and wiggle when you pick them up, even when they're very tame. I would suggest a treat of lettuce and perhaps some carrots. That will help the guinea pig to associate your daughter with the yummies. Soon, it will whistle and squeal when she comes in the room - kind of like a "hello". Be careful of drafts, too warm or too cold. You can't house break them, so when you hold them or let them run around, expect little drops. And, they don't live terribly long - only about 3 to 4 years. Just remember that it's a rodent and not the brightest bulb in the socket. Be gentle and consistent and she'll win it over. Good luck!

Have your daughter give her treats at the same time every day a pice of apple or 1/2 of a baby carrott put her hand in the cage and hold it and wait for the little piggie to come see it don't make at 1st eat out of her hand. It will take a few days but that should help. Make sure she has one of the little dome things so she feels safe.

You just have to handle it alot! We had a guinea pig and gave it away because it was too messy and I got tired of being the one to clean up after it. They are sweet and alot of fun though for kiddos. They make a small animal play pen and a huge hamster ball you can stick em in good luck! Don't give up just yet on the little one I"m sure you can tame it down. Ours never bit or got ugly though so I'm not sure what that means maybe it's just scared of the new surroundings and needs some time to adjust. The hamster ball and small animal playpen are a good start oh and they LOVE fresh veggies and their timothy hay too lots of treats!! Hand feeding treats are a good way to get their love too!!

I'm going to guess that the girl didn't want it anymore because it bit her! Agh! I believe them to actually be in the rodent family, not sure but they are a difficult animal sometimes. My niece and nephews had one for quite awhile as kids and they can be petted and held but they're animals and easily frightened. The thing with "picking them up" is that is terrifies them, think about it, they're little creatures and if you dropped them it could break their bodies. It's nothing personal and the creature probably doesn't care whose hand it is trying to touch her. There are some really good books that will provide lots of info, I've even seen them at WalMart. I imagine that by now you've all realized that they also stink, really bad and really quickly. Lots of litter changes and yet her room will still smell. Even tiny hamsters create a stink cloud, it's just logical, stick a rodent in a cage and they go round and around, that's it. I was never fond of keeping rodents. Reptiles are easier although cold. Fish and hermit crabs are great pets for kids though. I think I'd rather add another dog or maybe a cat to the mix, the dogs will deal well if you bring in a kitten. Good luck with this.

Go to the Texas Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue web site at www.theguineapigrescue.com. It has lots of helpful information. Some of the responses that you have received here have contained incorrect information about guinea pigs. Our family has adopted all of our piggies through the rescue and they are wonderful people and extremely knowledgeable. Good luck with your precious piggy!

Have your daughter move slow and pet the piggy in the cage. Have her also bring a snack like ( carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale,lettece-romaine, or even the spring mix salad you buy at the store.) They also love the timothy hay. Once the piggy realizes your daughter isn't going to hurt it, that she's the one bring the food, and taking care of it. It will warm up to her faster. Just don't to the grabby thing for it. That freaks them out, and will just make them run away more. Let her hand feed some of the snacks. There's a web-site somewhere about all the fresh fruits and veggies you can feed to your piggy. They LOVE they fresh stuff. Good Luck!!