General Inquires Regarding New Guinea Pig

[himedere]

Background Information (no need to read, just some information):

Hello, I recently got a new Guinea Pig from Petco (first red flag: yes, I realize getting them from pet stores aren't ideal).
I've been wanting to get a small animal. However, Levi, my little piggy, is my first Guinea Pig I have ever had (second red flag: I only got one because my parents only allowed me to get one).

I am not so knowledgeable when it comes to Guinea Pigs, since I have had dogs all my life and still have an eleven year old Miniature Australian Shepard, who is such a sweet dog--unfortunately he favors my parents more than myself.

Anyways, the main reason why I wanted a small animal was because I just needed something to take my mind off of things. I deal with a lot of anxiety, minor depression, and ADHD; which becomes too overwhelming to me. I heard Guinea Pigs are very fun-loving, sweet little animals and need to have owners with a lot of time on their hands, which I for one do (as I am a senior in High School but do Online Studies at home). And the moment I saw Levi I fell in love with him. He wasn't like the other Guinea Pigs there, he has a unique mocha, blackish, light brown color and a cute little brown nose. His hair shoots up in all sorts of ends and he was quite the energetic bunch, walking all over the cage mate he had. And I was so surprised when my parents let me take him home, especially since I have been asking for months on end to get one, and normally they would respond with a 'No'. But now I have a sweet little baby to take care of.

And I also realize that I shouldn't expect an animal to give me all the attention and magically fix my issues. All I want of him is to be happy and feel safe and loved.


Questions:

I probably sound like some crazy person, but all these sites tell me different things and I would like to get other's opinions.

The pet store told me to not even interact with him for a week. For a week I should only clean up his potty and feed him, not pet him, or hold him. Is this true?

I have a friend who has owned about five Guinea Pigs in the past and she told me to completely disregard what the person said and let him sit on your lap so he doesn't get cage dependent? But, I don't want to traumatize him, and if I was in his position, I would be scared to death. So when should I start to interact with him? I do talk to him a lot, so he can get used to my voice. I tried to hold a piece of carrot in my hand to see if he was comfortable eating it, which he was not.

He really only eats when i'm not in the room, or if it is dark in my room and i'm laying still in my bed at night. If I get up to do something he will quickly scurry back into his hideout, basically he won't eat when I'm present. I did try to give him some vegetables and a very small piece of orange, but he won't eat it and tends to favor the Timothy Hay. He also has pellets to munch on as well. Will he eventually be comfortable eating when i'm in the room? I don't know if I should just leave my room so he can eat, or what?

Edit: Another thing, if i'm sick should he stay in my room?

Is it possible to just get some general tips and advice? It would really help a lot, especially from people who are experienced.


Closing:

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this. Have a wonderful day/evening!

 

[new2piggs]

Hi there and welcome! Congrats on your new piggie. I have not had my guinea pigs for too long (about 3 months) but have gained an invaluable amount of information from this site.

First, it's normal for them to be skittish and not eat around you at first. All of mine (even the adult ones) were that way for the first week or so. I did pet them after the first day but did not take them out for lap or floor time until after the first week or so. I can say, that with my girls it has gotten much better. Emily, my oldest will climb right into my hand from the cage and all (except our newest) will take food right from my hand or my kids hands.

The other thing that I have noticed is that every new pig I have brought into my house has become much more social and less skittish when they were introduced to our other pigs. Maybe consider getting him a friend (of the same sex or a spayed female) if you have the room and funds for vet visits if necessary.

As for diet, I introduced one thing per every three days at a time to my girls. They always have timothy hay to munch on and every night they get pellets. I hope this helps!

 

[himedere]

Thank you for the help ! It's so appreciated ! I do wish to get him another playmate, and I wish I could have gotten the other Guinea Pig in the cage with him, but unfortunately it's up to my parents to decide. Maybe sometime soon though !

But thank you for the help ! I wish you the best with your piggies

 

[jaycriae]

Congrats on your baby and welcome to the forum. I also depend on my pigs as kind of therapy animals, so I definitely relate to what you've said.

Every guinea pig will be different as far as how long it takes for them to be comfortable with you. Personally, I'd keep doing what you're doing, and try taking him out after he's willing to eat from your hand, but you probably won't cause any problems trying a little earlier or later.

How big is his cage? If you got it at Petco too, it's almost certainly not big enough for him, and I recommend looking into C&C cages/diy instructions on this site (preferably at least a 2x4 so that there'll be room for a friend if you eventually get permission).

Since he is alone for now, it's especially important he get a lot of attention and exercise- loneliness and small cages are the biggest reasons guinea pigs get depressed, and will sit in their pigloos all day. Once you're able to handle him, make sure he gets lots of floor time and affection.

Also, before adding a friend, double-check that they are both male. Pet stores often missex their pigs.


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[bpatters]

Here's some recommended reading for new guinea pig owners. This will be a good start toward learning about your pet.

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!