New to Guinea Pigs, have a couple of questions...

She's doing just fine -- that's all normal. Just give her a few days to settle in, and then start catching her in something like a tunnel or a box with holes in the ends. Lift her out in the box, then put her on your lap and feed her goodies. EXCEPT, no yogurt treats!! Guinea pigs are lactose intolerant, and shouldn't have yogurt at all.

Think herbs -- dill, basil, thyme, cilantro. Or very occasional fruits -- melon rind, apple slice, a grape, a couple of blueberries, etc. They're all much better for your pig than any treat you can buy from the store.

Read the Diet and Nutrition forums here, especially the "Read Me" sticky on foods and poisonous items, the discussion thread that goes along with it, and the Sample Menus forum. Also read the articles at Guinea Pig Education, Care, Rescue and Adoption at Cavy Spirit. Then come back and let us know how you're doing.

Welcome to the forum.

Hi! Welcome! Your piggie sounds completely normal. Some piggies NEVER get used to being picked up - and some are even afraid of heights. Mine still try to run away from me, but they're litter trained, calm with bathing and nail clipping - so they're tame - and they're fine once they're in my lap... You just need to give them time to consider you as something that's going to be a positive experience for them (like vegie treats). Bpatters is right in the diet department too... Piggies love nothing more than fresh vegies! (although, my pigs love their pellets too - I don't know why...) and they need lots and lots of hay for wearing down their teeth and helping with their digestion. Hope this helped...

Welcome Sean !

Just like bpatters said, it just takes time and patience. I am sure she is thrilled with the new loving home you have provided her, it's just a little overwhelming to her at first, that's all ! She will certainly settle in, and in time...with your love and your patience, she will surely blossom.

My 11 year old daughter Sarah's middle name is Rose ! Her Dad use to call her "Rosebud or Rosebuddy" sometimes when she was little.

Just in case you are unsure how to navigate around here yet ( it took me like a month to learn!) Here are the links to the nutrition threads that bpatters was talking about, below. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask. O.K. Here are the links you can just "click" out !

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/24770-sample-veggie-menus.html

https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...g-nutrition-charts-poisonous-plants-list.html

Here is a cavy spirit link on their social behaviours too...which are so very helpful !

Guinea Pigs Social Life

Here is a small excerpt, from this cavy spirit social life page link from above, that I just LOVE.

Imagine being abandoned on another planet with no other human to see or talk to. Just some giant alien creature who tries to kindly interact with you every so often. Well, for some us, that would be cool and fun. But for most of us, wouldn't it be nicer to have someone to share your life with? That's what it means to be a social animal.

Bonding with You versus the The Other Guinea Pig
A common concern we hear about getting two rather than one guinea pig is that the guinea pig won't "bond with me" if he or she has a friend.
Generally speaking, this is not a concern. Guinea pigs are not dog-like in their behavior and bonding with humans. Please don't have those expectations or you are likely to be disappointed.

Guinea pigs all have their own personalities. Some are more friendly than others. Over time (and it can take quite a bit of time with guinea pigs) they will learn to trust you and recognize your scent and sounds. In this process, it doesn't make much difference if they have a friend or not. A friend does make a difference to them when you are not around.

Thanks everybody and all the advice. I didnt realize that the yogurt treats were bad for them though. I bought it from the pet store and its says guinea pig all over it, there some sort of carrot treat... I also have been giving her fresh baby carrots and apple chew treats. Another question though, is it normal for her to make a lot of racket at night, for some reason she is most active at night and in the morning... Any advice on what treats to give her too would be great. Thanks, Sean

Lots of things in the pet stores have guinea pigs all over them -- cages that are too small, treats with dangerous things (seeds, nuts, yogurt, etc.), leashes that will harm their backs, and so on. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because it's got the words "guinea pig" on it, or a picture of a guinea pig on it, that it's in anyway suitable for guinea pigs.

Those things are in the stores because people who don't the time to educate themselves about guinea pig care go in and buy them, and the store and the manufacturer make a profit of it. That's all they care about, it's why they're in business.

And I did suggest treats in an earlier post in this thread:

Think herbs -- dill, basil, thyme, cilantro. Or very occasional fruits -- melon rind, apple slice, a grape, a couple of blueberries, etc. They're all much better for your pig than any treat you can buy from the store.

Click to expand...

GPs are crepuscular, meaning they're more active at dawn and dusk. (I know, it sounds like a particularly awful form of acne, but it's not. ) Your pig is right on schedule.

Ok thanks bpatters, never thought of it that way. Is it also normal that she flips everything over at night or is it a sign that she needs to burn off energy and exercise. I feel like she maybe bored at times. I'm thinking when I have more pig smarts and I'm used to everything I may get another, and either buy or make a new cage. Ill try to get a picture of her up so everybody can see her...

I don't know why they flip things. Mine seem to take by spells. For days they won't bother anything, and one day I'll get up and whole cage will have been rearranged. One of mine will sit under one of the hideys and just bump it up and down for ten minutes at a time. One of the GL posters has a pig who folds the cuddle cups. If you figure that one out, let us all know!

But do consider getting her a friend -- they can run off all that excess energy chasing each other around.

Thanks bpatters again.. I'm thing about building a two story cage and moving it into a different room. Ill probably get one (guinea pig) from a shelter. I think there's one on this website, ill check it out. If I have anymore questions ill put them on a new thread. Thanks.

Welcome! I too have a flipper! I'm not sure if it's just one of my guys or they are both doing it! I can't wait to see pictures of Rose!