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New piggie owner

missbreadwinner

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We just bought a new guinea from pet store (reputable and clean, in my defense)

After reading up quite heavily on my new little guy-Tomba it seems like he doesn't do things that other piggies do. I give him an unlimited amount of fresh cucumbers twice a day. He only eats a little less than half of what is recommended they ingest. On top of that, he doesn't use the water bottle. :mad:
I tried putting out a bowl of water today and then just like that its gone completely. I felt bad because we've had him for about 2 days. So apparently his only water source had been the veggies! We have this huge cage for him that he chooses not to utilize-he hides under the bridge and burrows holes in my bedding which doesn't work well for me! lol I let him out of the cage about twice a day to love on him but I can't let him scurry off or he will hide in a place that I cannot reach him so I hope hes getting the correct amount of exercise. I hope this is just him making the transition of 'stuck in old way guinea pig' to 'I now have an owner guinea pig'. It wasn't available in my area to just find baby piggies. Tomba was the youngest I could find at the pet store of 6 months. Perhaps he has been treated bad or is still adjusting. I'm still trying to find out. Any comments or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!
 

kathlaaron

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Hello there, and WELCOME !! :)

Cucumbers have a lot of water in them, so that might be why he is not too interested in his water bottle. Also, some piggies just don't drink that much. I love his name Tomba, very cute name !

Piggies take a while to adjust to their new home environment, it can take a few days or even up to a few weeks for him to adjust to the new loving home you have provided him. Just give him some time, and he will come out of his shell when he is ready, to show you his personality.

What kind of hideys/cozies does he have ? They are "prey animals" and they need a place to hide to feel safe and secure...and because they are prey animals they take a lot more time and patience to settle in. Here is a wonderful link about their behaviour below:
Guinea Pigs Social Life

And another on basic quality care from the same site.
Guinea Pig Care

Here are some wonderful links on diet, nutrition, poisonous plants, daily sample menus, and a great chart depicting calcium ratio's and so on, from our Diet and Nutrition Expert, Ly&Pigs below for you to just "click out" !

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

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

There is a ton of wonderful information on this beloved site, so please take the time to read, read, read...it is really worth your time and investment, and you will be so very glad that you did ! Hope these links help you out.

When you give him floor time ( Good for you for knowing that, already !) it helps to set up a perimeter with either grids or a play pen, so you don't have to worry about Tomba escaping, or getting trapped underneath or between something.

May I make a suggestion, though ? Since he is new and still getting use to his cage home, I would wait a while before introducing him to "floor time". Let him get use to his new home first, which is pretty frightening to these small delicate creatures, in of itself. Floor time can be intimidating even with piggies that have long settled in to their cage home.
 

missbreadwinner

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Thanks so much for the suggestion. Lets see how he gets along with this. Perhaps it may have helped too if I would have gotten him a companion. We just weren't sure if we could have handled two piggies. Its very difficult to find fixed guineas so what do you think about introducing another male?
 

OllieandFriends

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Hello and Welcome to the forum!

I only have one thing to add to what [MENTION=17380]kathlaaron[/MENTION] said. I have read that some younger pigs have to be "taught" how to use a water bottle. Do you know what he was drinking out of before? We would love to see pictures of him too!

Other then this, exactly was kathlaaron said :)
 

kathlaaron

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I think getting him a buddy( definitely a male) for him would be a terrific idea!:)

Guinea pigs are very social creatures, and adding a friend would not be that much more work or money...the only thing that would be more costly is a Vet bill. Overall it is highly recommended to get a friend because they need a buddy to feel happy, and healthy...and healthier piggies means less vet visits too !

Have you had a chance to read the above link I gave you on the "Guinea Pig Social Life"? Halfway down the page it talks about "adding a second cavy". Just make sure that you read first-- about quarantining your pig for 3 weeks behind closed doors, and the "Introductions" section which are both on the same page.

Before you get him a bud to pal around with, please consider adoption or rescuing first..:eek:
 

Hhbean

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Welcome! Would love to see a picture of your new little guy! I think it's a good idea to get him a buddy, that's how we ended up with our Roger.
 

bpatters

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If your cage is big enough, I'd definitely recommend getting him a buddy. And if not, then maybe you can enlarge your cage and get a friend. They definitely are happier with friends. Well, occasionally you run into an old grump who won't have anything to do with another pig, but they're few and far between. And even then, they often like having a pig in the next cage to chatter at.
 
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