he likes my mom more...

Hello prettypi94. I am so glad so glad you have gotten a new piggie. Pumpkin is a very nice name. Is he Pumpkin color?
Don't be discouraged. The more you love him, give him veggies,cuddle with him, he will come around to you. It takes time. He is in new surroundings. This is all new to him too. How old is he? Just love him.

Maybe you and your mom could read some of the info together. There is so much info on this site. The very best for your Pumpkin. You can check out how to build him a new c&c cage, how to feed him the very best, how to look for a friend.

We are here for you. Ask all the questions you want. We love pictures. Would love to see a picture of Pumpkin.

correction on my first post im 17 not 16. he was my birthday present. he is pumpkiny colors. he is black and burnt orange. im not sure how old he is, all i know is he maybe 7 inches but he isnt an adult yet. i just put a picture of him on my profile but i cant figure out how to make it my profile picture. thanks for the help, tips, and encuragement.

Checked Pumpkin out. He is very handsome. Keep us posted on him.

Thank you and will do

Oh wow, your Pumpkin looks almost exactly like my Louie. His name was Tiger before I adopted him, and for good reason. Black/chocolate brown coloring with some orange stripey markings.


Here he is. I thought about naming him something "Halloween-ish" because of his colors. Like Jack (for Jack o' Lantern) or Hal (for Halloween) but Louie seemed to be a better fit for him.




As for your question, just give him time. It's been only a matter of days. Guinea pigs aren't like cats and dogs that tend to warm up to people relatively quickly. As Suzi said, guineas are prey animals and their instinct is to hide. As you interact with him more, he will get used to you. He may never stay put when you try to pick him up but most pigs wont. Most will settle down when it comes to lap time though.

I have six pigs. None of them mind when I am reaching into their cages to get the water bottle or put furniture back but when it comes to picking them up, they want no part of it LOL. But once I bring them out for lap time, they do settle down. They trust that I'm not going to hurt them. They know I'm a source of only good things.

He does look just like Pumpkin. He does kind of settle down for floor time. He just sits there. Is that normal?

Do you put down things for him to do during floor time? Toys? Hideys? Food bowls? Does he have something to explore? If it's just an open space, he could feel intimidated. When pigs get nervous or scared, they tend to freeze.

Had him out for floor/lap time and he really enjoyed being in my lap. I woke up to him trying to run laps in his tiny cage. He and a yogurt covered timmathy hay bit (strawberry flavor) but only ate the yogurt part LOL. I think he is getting better he even gave me the "this feels good" noise when I was petting his back.

That's a shame that he has a tiny cage. Are you planning on building a C&C cage for him?

so I do need to put down toys and stuff? I put down food and/or some vegies for him but that's about it. Maybe that why he likes my lap cuz he feels secure? And I want to build him a bigger one its just a matter of finding the room.

Floor time is important in addition to lap time because that's where they can get some exercise (especially if he lives in a small cage) and blow of some of that excess energy, which is what he's trying to do when he runs laps in his current cage.

For one pig, a 2X3 C&C is enough space but that's the minimum. Store bought cages are notoriously too small and basically a glorified litter box. I mean think about it - he has to sleep, eat and pee in that same little area.

Yes, I would make sure you put down some tubes (elbow PVC pipes are good for this) for him to crawl through, maybe some TP tubes (with glue taken off, of course) for him to toss around. Maybe some new hideys to explore. In other words, give him something for mental stimulation as well as for exercise.

Lap time does make for a very safe, secure space for your pig. This might also be considered "bonding time". It's a time for your pig to start associating you with positive things so he won't be as nervous when you come around.

Thanks for the tips and advice