Sorry if this is really long but I had a couple questions about my little guys behavior today..
So my guinea pig has been home for two weeks now and he's been adjusting quite well. The shelter said he was skittish and he would always run inside his pigloo whenever I would come in the room, move around, get close to his cage. More recently he was doing a lot better I could do whatever in my room and he'd watch but wouldn't hide, he would hide when I first came in the room but then look and come out when he saw it was me. When I go to clean up his cage he runs into his house or next to the hay rack. He did well adjusting to floor time and no longer runs away when I go to bring him out of his cage. And even more recently he's started to talk to me at night and early morning.
Last night I did a full bedding change and put him back in as normal and instead of running into his home as usual, while I was adjusting his hay rack, he was running laps and popcorning everywhere. Later my dad moved some boxes out of my room and while he did I had the cat in my lap sitting near his cage. The cat has seen him before but she's not allowed in while we aren't here watching her. Before when she's come in he of corse hides and turns his back to her. Last night he turned around, stuck his head out of his house, and was sniffing at her.
This morning I woke up, looked over, and he wasn't in his home and I didn't hear him eating or drinking like I normally do if he's out and about. I sat up in my bed and looked and he was just sitting in the corner.
Its now 2pm my time, and although he's gone in his house and bed, to the hay rack and water bottles, he's still spent a lot of his time today in that one corner. I'm pretty positive I've seen him lying down but he just sits there.. Normally he does this in his pigloo. But not ever out of there that I've seen.
He also hasn't been running into his house as normal when I open his cage and put food in, change water, spot clean, etc.
So I'm wondering is he sick or is something wrong? Or is this just his personality finally coming out now that he's comfortable in his new home?
Nothing major in his cage has changed.. He's had the same bed and house. I've rotated some of the toys in and out as they get dirty and need washing or have to be replaced. His hay and food and treats and vitamins are the same. His vegetables are the same but only because he is very very picky and won't eat anything else but his usual (a carrot, peppers, lettuce, occasionally some parsley or radicchio) I had to take out his soiled bed and I took out his hammock because I didn't think he was using it. His main toys he likes are still the same.
The only thing is, the hay rack I have from the Cages store is the one with heart shaped cut outs, after a couple days I noticed he had been able to climb inside the hay rack - not from the cut outs, up - but from climbing onto/into the top where you put the hay in. I was afraid he would get hurt so I unclipped it from the side and laid it down temporarily, since it was just getting too soiled too quickly I clipped it back up and attached a towel across the top. He was in hay bedding at the shelter and I use fleece. I try to put hay in paper bags that he can go inside so if he wants he can still lay in the hay but is he upset by this change?
So thank you and sorry again if this was super long I just want to be sure there isn't anything wrong with him!
So my guinea pig has been home for two weeks now and he's been adjusting quite well. The shelter said he was skittish and he would always run inside his pigloo whenever I would come in the room, move around, get close to his cage. More recently he was doing a lot better I could do whatever in my room and he'd watch but wouldn't hide, he would hide when I first came in the room but then look and come out when he saw it was me. When I go to clean up his cage he runs into his house or next to the hay rack. He did well adjusting to floor time and no longer runs away when I go to bring him out of his cage. And even more recently he's started to talk to me at night and early morning.
Last night I did a full bedding change and put him back in as normal and instead of running into his home as usual, while I was adjusting his hay rack, he was running laps and popcorning everywhere. Later my dad moved some boxes out of my room and while he did I had the cat in my lap sitting near his cage. The cat has seen him before but she's not allowed in while we aren't here watching her. Before when she's come in he of corse hides and turns his back to her. Last night he turned around, stuck his head out of his house, and was sniffing at her.
This morning I woke up, looked over, and he wasn't in his home and I didn't hear him eating or drinking like I normally do if he's out and about. I sat up in my bed and looked and he was just sitting in the corner.
Its now 2pm my time, and although he's gone in his house and bed, to the hay rack and water bottles, he's still spent a lot of his time today in that one corner. I'm pretty positive I've seen him lying down but he just sits there.. Normally he does this in his pigloo. But not ever out of there that I've seen.
He also hasn't been running into his house as normal when I open his cage and put food in, change water, spot clean, etc.
So I'm wondering is he sick or is something wrong? Or is this just his personality finally coming out now that he's comfortable in his new home?
Nothing major in his cage has changed.. He's had the same bed and house. I've rotated some of the toys in and out as they get dirty and need washing or have to be replaced. His hay and food and treats and vitamins are the same. His vegetables are the same but only because he is very very picky and won't eat anything else but his usual (a carrot, peppers, lettuce, occasionally some parsley or radicchio) I had to take out his soiled bed and I took out his hammock because I didn't think he was using it. His main toys he likes are still the same.
The only thing is, the hay rack I have from the Cages store is the one with heart shaped cut outs, after a couple days I noticed he had been able to climb inside the hay rack - not from the cut outs, up - but from climbing onto/into the top where you put the hay in. I was afraid he would get hurt so I unclipped it from the side and laid it down temporarily, since it was just getting too soiled too quickly I clipped it back up and attached a towel across the top. He was in hay bedding at the shelter and I use fleece. I try to put hay in paper bags that he can go inside so if he wants he can still lay in the hay but is he upset by this change?
So thank you and sorry again if this was super long I just want to be sure there isn't anything wrong with him!