Help? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #1 02-18-08, 04:44 am

I got my quinea pig Jeeves(My first pig) a few days ago he is quite small and the pet store said he was pretty new to their stock.
I give him alot of fresh veggies
His cage is reeeeally big for one pig his bedding is fleece and the rest of the cage is hay
He has toys and a hidey hole(a shoe box) but ive cut up my favourite jumper and attacked it into his home
I do everything good to him i go on sites and look at new toy ideas and all
But when i go to see him and he is eating/drinking/running around he runs straight back to his home and if i close his homes door and open the top he tries to escape from me what can i do

Ive heard if i get him a friend male or female, but i dont want piggy babies so does anyone know of a piggy place in sydney?
I also heard if i get him a male mate he (might) fight with him
Please help

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #2 02-18-08, 04:55 am

by attacked i ment attached

**Banana** · #3 02-18-08, 05:02 am

Hi and welcome to being a piggy parent. It is perfectly normal for guinea pigs to be scared of humans at first. You will need to be very patient and take small steps to be able to get your piggy comfortable with you.

I used to get my girls out and have lap time with them at their dinner time. i would offer them fresh greens whilst patting them, they came to enjoy this time and eventually were happy to have lap time, even without the treats (although they still get weet bix or oats as a special treat at times)

I wouldn't expect your piggy to be completely comfortable with you for a few weeks, maybe even a month. be gentle and patient and he will realise you're not there to hurt him.

There is a rescue in the shire called the care rescue. They have lots of piggies that need home, many males at the moment I believe. You may be able to visit with Jeeves and get him acquainted to some other male piggies. Good luck! let us know how he goes

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #4 02-18-08, 05:55 am

Are older guinea pigs more attuned to humans than younger ones?

And should i neuter jeeves and get him a spayed female friend?

Also when i got Jeeves he was sitting in the back corner of the cage and all the pet shop guinea pigs were playing without him and when i got him home and was petting him i touched 3 cuts in a row and he got angry at me

**wiggley_narco** · #5 02-18-08, 08:59 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeevesIsMyPig

Also when i got Jeeves he was sitting in the back corner of the cage and all the pet shop guinea pigs were playing without him and when i got him home and was petting him i touched 3 cuts in a row and he got angry at me

That's one reason we do not advocate buying GPs in pet stores. They are not well taken care of.

It definitely takes a while for GPs to warm up to humans. Chances are, he'll never enjoy being picked up and will always run when you attempt to pick him up. And he will hide from you for a while.... It took my Wiggley about a month and a half to warm up to me. Narco is a whole different story--I've had him for 2 months and he is still just a skiddish as the day he came home (maybe even more so!). When I walk into the room, he bolts. It all depends on your pig, but don't give up on him. GPs are naturally very shy and skiddish.

**guineapigluver1** · #6 02-18-08, 09:03 am

If you neuter jeeves, you shouldn't need to get a spayed female. It's a lot riskier to spay a female than to neuter a male, but if you do get a female, than you should just get one already spayed. Also what kind of pellets are you feeding him? He shouldn't be eating any pellets with dried fruit, seeds, or colored bits. He should also have unlimited timothy hay.

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #7 02-19-08, 01:05 am

I give him fresh guinea pig mix, cucumber and carrots
And hay

**pigsforlife** · #8 02-19-08, 01:41 am

I live in Australia as well - Western Australia.

It is a myth that 2 males when put together will fight. So long as they have a big cage, they should have no problems. There are people on this forum with large numbers of males living happily together.

I would not nueter your boy, but would look into adopting a boy and introducing them following the instructions on cavy spirit http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

Now, by a good size cage I mean a 10.5sq ft cage. There is no petstore cage that big. C&C cages are only just becoming popular in Australia but are fantastic. I have own myself. The corflute you can pick up from a sign shop. Some bunnings sell grids, I ordered mine of deals direct. This site is all about grids so have a look around.

Now, going back to adopting a pal. The Care Rescue is located in Sydney. I am not sure how updated their site is so give them a call The CARE Rescue - The Cavy and Rabbit Elite Rescue. Taking in and rehoming guinea pigs and rabbits. . Also check out the RSPCA, currently there are 4 pigs in shelters across NSW - http://www.adoptapet.com.au/search/s...n=Find+Animals .

Finally check out the diet and nutrition section. Just cucumbers and carrots are not enough. My girls get cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, bok choy, parsley, mint, basil, red curly leaf lettuce, cucumber, carrots and other veggies fed according to the menu I set up for them.

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #9 02-19-08, 02:24 am

Thank you for that but they dont have much younger spayed females...

Jeeves cage is 42" by 22"
Is that to small for two GPs

**pigsforlife** · #10 02-19-08, 03:20 am

You do not need a spayed sow.

I said before, 2 males get along fine. Do not listen to the petstore, they do not know one thing about cavies and you will soon learn and understand that alot of what they told you is garbage.

It is a MYTH that 2 males will not get along. Do not put a sow or your Jeeves through the pain of a nueter/spay when he will get along just fine with a same sex species.

You can also have a look at ACS. They have a shelter in Wollongong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and will fly interstate. SECTION 1 Title 1 Title 2 Title 3

42" by 22" is way to small. It is not large at all. 2 pigs need a 30" by 50" cage.

**staphjermz** · #11 02-19-08, 03:34 am

I find that when you first get a piggie they need time to get used to you and the sounds of you.All piggies have their own personality. Some loves to be touched others just prefer if you just pat their head but not pick them up.The more you interact with them, the more they realise that you are no threat to them. Some would even cuddle into bed with you

HAHA.. one of my piggies does that to wake me up.lick my face.it is so cute. A friend for your piggie is most ideal. Whether male or female, im sure your piggie will appreciate it if they had a friend. But if you can't then you must provide a lot of love and affection to him so he does not get lonely.,

**Banana** · #12 02-19-08, 03:39 am

Having a female piggie spayed is very painful and obtrusive for them I agree but I thought I should add that female pigs are prone to ovarian cysts that may not be symptomatic until they are much older (4-5 year olds) and therefore should have ther ovaries removed as a preventative measure. If there are no cysts then this can be done with minimal poking and prodding via keyhole surgery just above the ovaries.

I was unaware of this and now my oldest girl, Nikita, needs to go into surgey on Thursday and have more obtrusive surgery to remove the ovaries and cysts. The vet said the cysts are so big that she cannot do the keyhole surgery and will have to open up the abdomen, which means some handling of intestines which will be painful for her.

Just wanted to let people know so that they could be proactive if they are able. My other two girls are booked in for their ovary removals next!

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #13 02-19-08, 03:48 am

Your all helping me so much

When i figure out how to add pigtures ill show you pics of jeeves eating on my bed

**pigsforlife** · #14 02-19-08, 04:00 am

I find it unnecessary to put a pig through spaying when there is no reason. It can and is painful, no matter how it is done. And there is always the chance that the pig wont react well to the anesthetic. Finding a vet that will actually operate when there is nothing wrong is another trouble, finding a vet that has actually done a spay is even harder.

Saying all of this, spaying the pig at an early age means it will recover quicker than a 4 year old for example. So I suppose you have to weigh up the pros and the cons for each individual pig. It can be fairly pricey as well.

This is all off topic though. JeevesIsMyPig doesnt need to adopt a sow, or a spayed sow and her pig should get along fine with another boar.

I also said, that I didnt think that The Care Rescues website had been updated for some time, so I dont know if there are more pigs or less currently available. Thus I recommended giving them a call.

**pigsforlife** · #15 02-19-08, 04:02 am

Actually, I would sex your pig again. Pet stores are notorious for miss-sexing and as a result it could well work out that you have a little girl instead of a boy.

Basically, gently press around the genitals and if anything comes out you have a boy. There are some good sexing pages on GL and Cavy Spirit.

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #16 02-19-08, 04:06 am

I know hes a boy i looked at the sexing page

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #17 02-19-08, 04:12 am

It wasnt really a pet store it was more of a barn
Its called Cassisis pets and is located in merrylands sydney
It sells small animals Ferrets, Rabbits, GPs, Rats, Mice, Chicks and Birds

And it had a huge variety of feed and hay

**pigsforlife** · #18 02-19-08, 04:13 am

Ah ok, well that is a good start.

Is Wollongong near you? Have you given The Care Rescue a call (might be a bit late)?

I think for now, you should probably start off by making sure that Jeeves is healthy. See if you can find a good exotic vet, if you need some help loet me know.

I would give the ACS branch in Wollongong a call and The Care Rescue. You may be able to bring little Jeeves along, and match him up with a buddy. If they get along you should be able to adopt him.

**JeevesIsMyPig** · #19 02-19-08, 04:15 am

Problem is he doesnt have a carry case...

**pigsforlife** · #20 02-19-08, 04:22 am

Ah well that is easily fixed. He and his new buddy will need a bigger cage. Have you considered a C&C cage? This will need to be sorted out before you pick up the new pig. You are going to have buckleys chance of getting 2 pigs of any gender getting along in a cage of that size - 42" by 22". The little petstore cage can then be used as a carrier.