Where People & Piggies Thrive

Newbie or Guinea Guru? Popcorn in!

Register for free to enjoy the full benefits.
Find out more about the NEW, drastically improved site and forum!

Register

Help Needed - New Guinea Pig Owner and He Seems To Hate Us. . .

dreamytiger

New Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Posts
1
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1
:sad: We just purchased a new guinea pig, and he seems to hate us. My daughter was able to take the classroom guinea pig home, and he was so loving and chirped all the time, but when we got Dreamy Tiger home (I purchased him for my daughter, because we fell in love with the classroom piggy) he doesn't seem to like us at all. We give him a lot of attention, bought him special treats and a really cool edible cubby home that looks like a log but it is his "home" inside his cage.

We give him out-of-the-cage time and give him lots of holding and kisses. Can anyone tell me what we are doing wrong? He only chirps when he's sad (like when he wants to go back into his cage). We give him red peppers, green peppers, and guinea pig approved yogurt treats. Does he just need sometime to get used to us? Is there anything we can do to make him feel more at home?

Also, how often do I clean his cage? It seems it must be every other day, but I want to be sure. Anyone who can help us with getting him to love us more, I would be greatly appreciate it. How often and for how long should he be out of his cage?

Thank you in advance for any assistance/advice you can give. FYI, We got him Monday night, and it is Thursday (November 20 - November 22) It's been four days. Help, please!!!! :)

Kate
 

porkchophamster

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Posts
565
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
565
:sad: We just purchased a new guinea pig, and he seems to hate us. My daughter was able to take the classroom guinea pig home, and he was so loving and chirped all the time, but when we got Dreamy Tiger home (I purchased him for my daughter, because we fell in love with the classroom piggy) he doesn't seem to like us at all. We give him a lot of attention, bought him special treats and a really cool edible cubby home that looks like a log but it is his "home" inside his cage.

We give him out-of-the-cage time and give him lots of holding and kisses. Can anyone tell me what we are doing wrong? He only chirps when he's sad (like when he wants to go back into his cage). We give him red peppers, green peppers, and guinea pig approved yogurt treats. Does he just need sometime to get used to us? Is there anything we can do to make him feel more at home?

Also, how often do I clean his cage? It seems it must be every other day, but I want to be sure. Anyone who can help us with getting him to love us more, I would be greatly appreciate it. How often and for how long should he be out of his cage?

Thank you in advance for any assistance/advice you can give. FYI, We got him Monday night, and it is Thursday (November 20 - November 22) It's been four days. Help, please!!!! :)

Kate

A few things:
#1 is TIME. It's only been 4 days and he could take weeks to adjust.
#2: Yogurt treats should be tossed ASAP. Even though they are marked for guinea pigs, they shouldn't have them. I learned that when I joined the forum. He also needs a lot more variety than a few bell peppers every day. Here is a chart to help with that:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/food/Veggie-and-Fruit-Charts.pdf
He needs fresh veggies every day for a well balanced diet. Search for nutrition stuff on this forum. It will tell you the best pellets, hay, etc.
#3: If his cage needs cleaned every other day it is probably way to small. This forum also has good info on that. Look into building a C&C cage, at LEAST 2x3 grids for 1 piggy.
#4: Look into getting him a buddy. Guinea pigs do better in pairs even with a lot of human interaction. This forum is anti breeding/petstores because there is an overpopulation problem of piggies so look into adopting from a rescue or shelter. Get another boy so you don't have unwanted babies.
#5: There is a TON of info on this site on proper piggie care. I learned a lot and everyone who comes here does too. Good Luck :)
 

Colorado Cavies

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Posts
733
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
733
First of all there is no such thing as a guinea pig safe yogurt treat. Guinea pigs can't have dairy and you will need to cut those out right away. Just chuck them in the trash.

Sounds like he is very lonely and needs a friend. I recommend adopting (not buying, this site is anti pet store) him a friend but make sure you look at the cage sizes on the front page. Actually do that anyway since he is most likely in a pet store cage. Other then a friend and a cage upgrade he might just need some time. All pigs are different, not all of them are talkative.

NOTE: Make sure your pig is actually a boy before getting another piggy! Pet stores get it wrong all the time.
 

pinky

Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Posts
10,837
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
10,837
Offer veggies when he's on your lap and hold them while he eats so he gets used to your hands. Guinea pigs are prey animals so they're programmed to be afraid of predators. He thinks of you as a predator so you need to convince him that he can trust you. Don't startle him or shout near him. When you reach in to pick him up, try to not cast a shadow on him.... He's still settling in so he needs time to adjust to the new surroundings.
 

mufasa

Well-known Member
Cavy Gazer
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Posts
2,872
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
2,872
To piggyback (no pun intended) onto what [MENTION=24811]Colorado Cavies[/MENTION] said about getting him a friend, I recommend adopting an older, calmer pig. Out of my two current girls, I adopted Amy from a family who advertised her on Craigslist, and she was around older kids and a big dog so she was calm and used to chaos. Quinn was much flightier, since she was a kid's pet before she was dumped, but being with Amy has been so good for her. She's still high strung but has learned to enjoy lap time and to realize we're not going to murder her.

You can also adopt from a rescue that will probably know the background and personality of the pigs it has up for adoption to ensure you get a calm friend for your boy. Also, I don't think it was mentioned previously, but guinea pigs need unlimited hay (timothy or orchard are good...not alfalfa for an adult) in addition to their veggies.

Good luck with your new pet.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Top