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Danish Newbie here :)

MrMortRee

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Hi GPC
I would like to introduce myself and join the forums here. I've read a lot of threads in here before I got my pigs, so I was absolutely sure to "know it all" before I got my piggies home. So thank you all for a great site with lots of good info, you can't find elsewhere (especially not in Denmark).

Yesterday I brought my small cavies home (7 and 8 months old) and they are both CH Teddies (aka swiss teddy, a more fluffy version of the normal teddy) and they are ADORABLE! :love: So cute that I want to just cuddle with them all day. I'm gonna add some photos if I'm capable of doing that. Not much of a computer genius.
But I have a little problem. I wanna cuddle, but they rather hide :p I know they are stressed out so I'll have to wait until they get used to their new home, but I just love them so much :rolleyes:
Should I make them sit on my lap with a treat and a towel and cuddle them some minutes a day? Or just leave them be and tame them very gradually? I've read that some people prefer the slow way while others are like: "You have to pet them everyday". :confused:

I really want them to be happy when I get into the room where the cage is. It's in my office, so I go in here really often!

Btw their names are Bruno Marsvin and Lille Pomfritten. Danish names I know, so I'll try explain and translate them for you ;) They are both girls but Bruno is just such a cute name even though it's for a male. Marsvin is the Danish word for Guinea Pig. She is named after Bruno Mars and I just added "vin" at the end, so in English it would be like Bruno Cavy but it's so funny that Bruno's last name is a part of Marsvin lol at least that's my opinion (maybe it's only funny in my language, but it would be like naming a snowman Enrique Iglacier, if you get what I mean :p)
The other girl's name translates into Little French Fry. In Denmark you use that about a young person who is little, cute, curious and a little naughty and it matches her perfectly lol

Well, thank you for listening and I hope you will welcome me even though I'm from Denmark :rolleyes: You should know how much trouble I've had translating all those guinea pig words and phrases that you won't find in a dictionary! I spend hours on google to see the picture and then trying to find the Danish word for it so I could buy it etc. But now everything should be okay. I'll try find a picture of their cage too, so you can see how creative I had to be (we have nothing like C&C cages nor materials in DK, so I used 2 plastic bed drawers and jointed them and made a 2 floor hidey house out of two plastic children toy boxes) - I'll show you soon.

Cavy Greetings from the north :love:
 

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Marsvin.jpg Marsvin1.jpg

SqueakyPig

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Welcome to the forum @MrMortRee. Bruno and Lillie are very cute - and their names too!
Your guinea pigs are still settling in so it may take a while until they fully trust you. Hand feeding is a good bonding activity as well as lap time, floor time and just generally talking to your cavies. Slowly, but surely, they will come out of their shell and warm up to you.
Once again, welcome to the forum! If you have any questions, just ask or start a thread. :)
 

MrMortRee

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Thanks @Abbie Lauren :)! I'm already rewarding them for coming out of their huts with treats, but wow they are shy. I guess they have settled enough to do some lap time tomorrow then? They were very calm when I put them in their cage yesterday. So easy to handle - just nervous.
Is there a way I can browse other guinea pigs? I would like to see other swiss teddies. Haven't seen so many other than at the breeder where I got mine. If not, I should maybe create a thread for swiss teddies? I love the breed :D
 

MrMortRee

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Danish Newbie here :)
This is their cage. It's about 130x75 cm. (51x27,5 inches) which should be large enough for them to live in. There is a little shelf with some fleece hanging over to the right and they seem to love that already. They also love to tilt Mr. Carrot whenever I go out of the room. I haven't seen them use the hay loft yet. I wonder if they know how to get up there?
 

HannibalLecter

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Welcome!
Use a larger plastic box lower to the ground (or separate them & use both), if you have an old pet store cage or large cat litter box you can cut out an entrance hole in the tray & use that. :) The current hay loft looks much too small for both of them to use at the same time, and the ramp too steep & scary.
 

MrMortRee

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Thanks :)
I agree the hayloft is a bit small for both, but is it necessary for them to use it at the same time? There is a lid to the plastic drawers, which I maybe can attach and cut into size so it's like a shelf like the one to the right. Then somehow create a hay rack on that. But I will need a longer ramp I guess to make it less steep?
They absolutely love the hidey hut and they both fit perfectly in there.

I'm happy to get some feedback on this, as I'm a newbie and I want the best for my pigs <3 So thanks
 

MrMortRee

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Maybe I could cut a couple of inches off the hidey hut, so that the height will be reduced and the ramp thereby less steep? Would still have a small hayloft though but as a fast solution.
 

HannibalLecter

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They both should be able to have access to hay at the same time, as pigs will munch on hay all throughout the day which is essential to keep their gut moving & teeth ground down at the right length. If only one can eat at a time, the other may not be able to eat enough. It can also trigger fighting & dominance issues if they have to fight for the hay & space.

I love the giant IKEA carrot btw, my boyfriend wouldn't let me get one. lol
 

MrMortRee

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Are you sure it's too steep? I've read that some people use 1 grid in height and 2 grids ramp (aprox. 1 feet and 2 feet). Mine is 5,5 inches heigh and 11 inches long ramp. Should be the same angle or? But anyways I have to redo it soon due to the small hayloft if they like to eat together.
 

HannibalLecter

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The main issue may be that it doesn't have any sides. My pigs won't even use a ramp unless it's covered with something like a tunnel as they're afraid of heights.
 

MrMortRee

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My fleece, towels, cage and carrot is from Ikea :D We live close by. Actually it was MY boyfriend who picked the carrot :D But I think my pigs hate it. They push it around with their little snouts :p
 
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