Behavior New Piggy - Scared out of his Mind or Adjusting?

[DisneyQueen]

Hello there! I am a former guinea pig mommy who is just getting back into the swing of things. I had guinea pigs in the past, but I was young and didn't do my best to make sure they were the happiest that they could be.

Yesterday, I went out and got a young male guinea pig. I brought him home and had researched how to deal with a new piggy. I was determined to make him as happy as possible. Suggestions included not handling the piggy for a day or two (which I have listened to), putting a sheet over the cage to let the piggy get comfortable without distractions, and generally just letting the animal be.

I have been following this advice, but I am very worried about my little boy. I am trying to just sit near his cage so he gets used to me, but he is still as a statue. He's in pretty much the same place that he ran into last night when I brought him home, and he hasn't moved while any of us are awake. I can tell that he moved around last night as there are droppings in different areas of the cage. However, he seems absolutely petrified of us humans. He stares at us and doesn't move. Is this normal piggy behavior? I understand that all guinea pigs react differently to a new environment, and some are more shy or nervous than others, but he literally does not move a muscle. Hasn't in hours. He also won't eat fresh veggies such as carrots and lettuce, at least not while it's daytime. He ate a carrot last night.

Is my piggy just taking longer to adjust? If so, how can I make the process easier on him? I need answers as soon as possible, please, because I want to reduce his stress levels as much as possible! Thank you!

 

[bpatters]

Totally normal.

Here's some reading material:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!

 

[DisneyQueen]

Totally normal.

Here's some reading material:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!

I had read those before posting, but I couldn't determine whether he was acting normal or not based on those. Thank you, though.

If his behavior would be considered normal, could I begin physically handling him tomorrow, or should I wait one more day, just in case?

 

[lissie]

See this thread.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42465

 

[DisneyQueen]

Thank you so much. He runs from me when I put my hands in the cage, and I only got him 24 hours ago, so I'll leave the handling for tomorrow. I will sit by his cage while doing work, however, and will talk to him while I do so. Thank you for all the help!

 

[nikdarg]

Is there a way you could get him a male friend? Guinea pigs also tend to be tamer and more likely to settle down if they have a buddy. They are also just happier that way in general since they are herd animals.

 

[DisneyQueen]

Is there a way you could get him a male friend? Guinea pigs also tend to be tamer and more likely to settle down if they have a buddy. They are also just happier that way in general since they are herd animals.

I don't have the resources to quarantine a new piggy for 2 weeks, unfortunately. I hope to eventually be able to find a friend for him, but for now I'm going to try to spend as much time as possible with him so that he's not alone.

 

[jaycriae]

If there are any very reputable shelters/rescues and they provide full health backgrounds and such on their pigs, sometimes you can forgo or shorten quarantine. There aren't many shelters I'd trust that much, though they do exist (I volunteer at one). If you think in the near future you'll be able to do quarantine, I would wait since it's always better to do it, but in some cases it's not absolutely a must.

How big a cage does he have? In your profile picture it looks kind of like a small petstore cage, if it is I recommend buying or making a bigger cage ASAP, especially before adding a second pig. Good luck getting him to warm up to you!

 

[DisneyQueen]

If there are any very reputable shelters/rescues and they provide full health backgrounds and such on their pigs, sometimes you can forgo or shorten quarantine. There aren't many shelters I'd trust that much, though they do exist (I volunteer at one). If you think in the near future you'll be able to do quarantine, I would wait since it's always better to do it, but in some cases it's not absolutely a must.

How big a cage does he have? In your profile picture it looks kind of like a small petstore cage, if it is I recommend buying or making a bigger cage ASAP, especially before adding a second pig. Good luck getting him to warm up to you!

Toulose is actually quite small, and his cage was the largest we could find at the store. I don't have the dimensions, but despite the cage being from the pet store, I plan on buying a playpen for him as soon as possible. I want to give him ample run-around time outside of his cage once he starts to get more comfortable in our home. Right now if I take him out of the cage he freezes. Won't move, won't eat veggies put in front of him, etc. For now I'm going to just be sitting with him and trying to get him more comfortable around me.

Thank you to all of the help I've received!