New guinea pig owner seeks advice!

[guineagins]

Hello! I'm new here, so i thought i'd introduce myself. I don't have any pigs (yet!) But i will be adopting some soon, i'm going to the resuce on saturday, to look at the pigs, i'm getting two sows ones two years old and the other is three years old, they are short haired and they are cream and white one of them is trested. I think i'm calling one of them Laura after Piggiepigpigs! And one of them wednesday, after Wednesday Addims, what does everyone think of my names? And also i've been doing my seserch and i can't find anything on what to do the day i bring them home, Do i give them veggies hay and pellets? do i give them lap time/floor time? staff like that, advice is much appreciated!

[Gohan]

Welcome to GPC! when you first bring them home, leave them in the cage for 24-48 hours (Feeding them, of course)

[PigPandemonium]

Welcome! When you first bring your guinea pigs home, you are going to want to put them right into a cage with hay, pellets, veggies, water. And leave them for about 3 days. That can be more or less depending on the pigs, but I use 3 days as the norm. Don't pick them up, pet them, or really interact with them at all during this time. The reason, is because they just went through the shock of moving to a new home, so they need time alone to adjust to the new cage, sights, smells, food, etc. You don't want to make them more scared by petting them and such, so just let them be for these few days, then you can start talking to them (Getting them used to your voice) Holding them, giving them floor time, etc.

[guineagins]

Welcome! When you first bring your guinea pigs home, you are going to want to put them right into a cage with hay, pellets, veggies, water. And leave them for about 3 days. That can be more or less depending on the pigs, but I use 3 days as the norm. Don't pick them up, pet them, or really interact with them at all during this time. The reason, is because they just went through the shock of moving to a new home, so they need time alone to adjust to the new cage, sights, smells, food, etc. You don't want to make them more scared by petting them and such, so just let them be for these few days, then you can start talking to them (Getting them used to your voice) Holding them, giving them floor time, etc.

Thank you! I will do that when i bring them home, because they are "older" pigs will they be harder to tame? I know they were used for breeding before they were came to the rescue .

[PigPandemonium]

Thank you! I will do that when i bring them home, because they are "older" pigs will they be harder to tame? I know they were used for breeding before they were came to the rescue .

Age does not really matter in regards to taming, though really young pigs can't be tamed very much as all they want to do is run around and pop-corn. It all has to do with personality, and how much they were handled. If they were used for breeding, they most likely didn't get much attention like my Godric and Phoenix who came from a breeding situation. Some pigs have the type of personality where they will warm up to you in a second, but other will never end up becoming tame, it all depends. With my Fus and Ro Dah, they warmed up to me the first second I got them, and were all cuddles and purrs. However Godric and Phoenix took a full year before they were able to just eat out of my hand whilst on my lap, so there is a big difference.

[guineagins]

Age does not really matter in regards to taming, though really young pigs can't be tamed very much as all they want to do is run around and pop-corn. It all has to do with personality, and how much they were handled. If they were used for breeding, they most likely didn't get much attention like my Godric and Phoenix who came from a breeding situation. Some pigs have the type of personality where they will warm up to you in a second, but other will never end up becoming tame, it all depends. With my Fus and Ro Dah, they warmed up to me the first second I got them, and were all cuddles and purrs. However Godric and Phoenix took a full year before they were able to just eat out of my hand whilst on my lap, so there is a big difference.

Well i think they have been handled a bit as its a small rescue, do older guinea pigs pop-corn as much? I've heard mix things. I've never had pigs before, well i have kind of but it's a long story! And if they were breed from which the lady was pretty sure they were, will they have any health problems in the future? ( I'm still adopting them if they do, don't worry!)

[PigPandemonium]

Really young pigs pop-corn the most, but from what I know other than that they all popcorn the same amount. Though pigs pop-corn when they are happy, so the amount of pop-corning will very from situation to situation (Example: Someone has a pig in a small cage, with no friend, it may pop-corn very rarely. The same pig in a bigger cage with a friend will pop-corn much more) I don't think there should be any health problems, though breeding/genetics is not my expertise.

[guineagins]

Oh! Well i will be making them a 2x5 cage with a 2x1 loft, and i've been making alot of cuddle cups, cozy zacks, tunnels. and things like that! and they will have unlimited timothy hay fresh water and veggies and some burgess pellets (I'm in the uk) I will spot clean twice a day (or more!) and i'm getting two so they have each other So i hope to see some piggie pop-corns! I have yet another question! I'm making a loft like i said but it's a no ramp loft so they have more runing space but will they be ok with jumping up? I don't want them to hurt them selfs! I will try and post a photo when it's done ( I don't have any cage making stuff yet but will be ordering some very soon!)

[PigPandemonium]

Well it depends on how high it is. If it is really low to the ground, they will be ok with hoping on and off it, however some pigs just might not want to jump up there. I would say if it is any higher than half a grid, it's not safe, though I'm not sure, I just wouldn't let my pigs jump on and off anything higher than that.

[CavyMama]

I love the names. I'm sure Laura would be very touched to know that she inspired one of them names of your girls.

Yes, I would leave them be for the first day or so. Obviously, the leaving them be means you still feed and water them. Just give them time to explore, even just sit quietly in the room and observe them.

Even after that time, it might take a while before they feel comfortable with you around. Just don't be surprised if it's been a few weeks and they are still skittish. That's normal. It takes times for them to come around.

[guineagins]

Here they are (these are the rescue's photos) I know it takes time for them to get use to me, i do have alot of time to spend with them because i am home ed. I think i may make a small ramp from some fiddle sticks or something like that just in case they want to use it, but i know they have minds of they own!

[PigPandemonium]

Aw, they are very cute!

[guineagins]

Thank you! They look a bit scared in the photos. probably thinking put me back in my cage! I want to eat my hay! Hehehe

[guineagins]

Yay I've orderd the grids! I can't wait for them to come! They should arrive in 3-5 days!