How long does it take???

[mycavyhides]

Hey All! I got my first cavy about a week ago. I had checked out this site before getting him, and knew that I wanted a cavy cage for him. I got the grids at target (14.99), and today, I finally found a place that would sell me some coroplast in the size I needed (15.00). So I was lucky enough to build my cavy cage for $30.
Anyway, my cavy, Chubby Checkers, or Chubbs, loves to eat. But, the only time he comes out of his "house" is whenever I'm not in the room, or if I take the house away from him. He plays whenever his house is not in his cage. And he will eat carrots from my hand. But, he rumbles A LOT. I know this is because he is scared, but it bothers me, b/c I don't want to make him sad. Finally, today, he didn't rumble sadly whenever I picked him up, but as soon as I put him back in his cage he ran into his house and rumbled. All in all, my question is "How long will it take before he gets used to me, and plays around?"

 

[mycavyhides]

I've had my cavy, Chubby Checkers, for a week now. They told me he is between 4-6months. By the way he acts, I think he is more around 4-5 months. He will not come out of his house unless I am not in the room, or unless I take the house out of his cage. Whenever his house is out, he plays around, and will eat carrots/kale out of my hand. At first, whenever I would hold him for a while or pet him, he would rumble. I know this is because he is scared, but it makes me sad. Today, I got him out of his cage and held him and he did fine. But, as soon as I put him back in his cage, he rumbled sadly and ran into his house, where he proceeded to rumble a little more. Currently he is quiet. So my question is, how long do you think it will take for him to get used to me, and quit rumbling?

 

[Kori'smom]

I have had my little Kori for about a month now. She was 3 weeks when I got her. She still does the same thing. When I get her out she is fine. But everytime I move by her cage she gets scared and runs and hides.

 

[mycavyhides]

Does she make noises? I've only heard Chubbs rumble so far. I'm sad b/c I don't want him to be scared of me. Is it a good idea for me to take his house out? My boyfriend thinks it might make him feel like he isn't safe anywhere. I'm afraid if I didn't, he would hide the whole time and not get used to us being around!

 

[fourbwabbys]

It will help if he has a friend to make him feel safer. Guinea pigs are herd animals and being alone means danger in the wild. Have you considered adopting him a friend?

 

[mycavyhides]

It would be nice for him to have a friend, but my boyfriend was mad that I got him, so having 2 right now is not an option. He loves Chubby Checkers, but we aren't sure if our landlords would.

 

[Kori'smom]

she is starting to know when it is feeding time. OMG she can wheek really LOUD. So I started wheeking back and her and it is just tooo cute. She will do it back.

 

[PinkGrass]

Pepper will run and hide in his cage, too... and I've had him since he was born. I guess he just feels scared when a big, tall shadow comes walking his way.. I'd be too!

Meatball, I've had for 2 years.. he's really used to me and even comes up to me to be petted.. I guess it might depend on personality too.

 

[Buggie_00]

Mine will come up and sniff me and even take a little nibble to make sure I'm not edible, but they run and hide when I try to pick them up too. You'd be scared if a giant was taking you out of your safe place too I guess.

 

[pamziaw]

I had a similar problem, we got fudge but the people we got him from missexed him as a her and we had to send the other sow back with them so Fudge was on his own for a while however he's a very outgoing pig and would wheek for attention whenever anyone walked past the room. I'd often come home to find my family sat on my bed as wheeking fudge was preventing them from leaving. So we searched for a shelter and found an overcrowded one in manchester that needed help so we got nugget. Now Nugget is the opposite of Fudge, he barely came out of his house, never had any courage and froze solid during floor time and lap time so we thought introductions wouldn't amount to much but Nugget turned out to be the dominant one! The great thing is now Fudge's behavious has rubbed off on nugget, he still hides but not as much and he's not as bold as fudge but he's better. They feel safer in a pack and getting him a friend is the better thing to do, you'll see a behaviour change straight away in introducitons.

 

[Talishan]

Simple answer to your question: a long time, for some.

Cavies are prey animals, and the responses you are seeing are hardwired. Having said that, give him lots of time. Don't take his house out (well, except to clean :crazy. Handle him gently and move fairly slowly and quietly around him, at least for a while. (I don't mean tiptoe, just try to keep things relatively calm around him.)

Give him appropriate vegetables when you visit with him. He probably won't take them from your hand at first, but eventually, he likely will. Eventually he'll rip them out of your hand.

It took one of ours months to come out of his hide box if we gave him open-run floor time in the kitchen. That's not common, but not real unusual, either.

Be very patient, and read this for the basics if you are new to guinea pigs:

https://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html

 

[Lucy99]

I got my two boys a week ago, they spent the first day hiding but then on the second they investigated their new living quarters. They are obviously still very shy (one more so than the other) but then I do think they are helped out a lot by the fact that there are 2 of them.

I would be feeling very upset if I had just one cavy in a cage all on his own without a friend, they are herd animals, and even if they spend the majority of the time appart (in my boys case) they have each other when they need eachother!

 

[Percy's Mom]

Please do not start 2 threads about the same thing in two different parts of the forum again. Look around, decide where the best place is to ask your question, and only ask it once. I merged your threads here.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I am moving this out of this forum and into cavy chat. This isn't an intro thread, it's a question thread.