General I'm a New Guinea pig owner, and I have some questions about his behavior.

[Caleb]

I just brought my guinea pig home yesterday. He is an awesome looking albino with red eyes. But he hasn't been moving much, and I don't think he's drank water. I have a temporary home set up for him with a makeshift hidey hole with a tissue box. When I give it to him he won't come out of it. He doesn't seem to want to come out and drink water. I did hear him crunching on his pellets earlier, so that's a good sign. He may have drank while I slept but I'm not sure. He doesn't move often and he doesn't close his eyes. When I try to pet him sometimes he lets me and sometimes he runs away. I took him out last night and put him on a towel on my lap and covered him. He chilled there for a while. He left the towel and climbed onto my torso where he then peed on me he's setup at my girlfriends house right now. Ill be moving him to my house today, which won't be good for him I know. I just don't know how to handle him and how to get him to trust me and how to know he's healthy. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Any help would be great!

Thanks

 

[jaycriae]

That sounds pretty normal. Most new piggies are pretty scared, and it's a good sign that he's letting you pet him at all. You should probably mostly leave him be for a couple of days, spending time near the cage and gently talking to him is good. If he'll take veggies out of your hand, do that as well, hand-feeding is a great way to bond with your pigs.

Good luck, and welcome to piggy ownership and the forum!

 

[bpatters]

Here's some reading material for new pig owners:

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!

 

[Caleb]

Ok thank you both for the replies! An update, I got him home and into his cage. He looks healthy. He doesn't do a whole lot of moving. Sometimes he just sits there and doesn't move, and he just stares his eyes. I just need to know the best ways to bond, and how to know if he enjoys the things that I give him/ do for him. Thanks guys!

 

[BeckieL]

do a lot of reading! I'm a new pig owner as well, and it's amazing how much great information is available here and on guinea lynx.

also, it's amazing how much my pig has changed in just 5 weeks. He behaved just like yours from your description, and now when I feed him he lets me rub under his chin and his cheek. And just one tip I didn't know in the beginning: most pigs dont' like to be pet on their backs, only behind their ears/top of the head thing.

And I saw this and thought it was very helpful: the way to a pig's heart is through his stomach. so true. First step: get him comfortable with your voice, your presence, and see if you can get him to eat from your hand. My pig comes now when he sees my hand in his cage. It took another two weeks after that to be able to TOUCH him while he's eating (their instinct is to run away). patience! a few months of bonding is nothing in the span of the 5-8 years we have them.

 

[bpatters]

The best thing you can give him is a guinea pig buddy. They're herd animals, and having another guinea pig can make an enormous difference in the behavior of your guinea pig.

However, if you have a pet store cage, do NOT try to put two boars in it. Boars need a lot of room, and there's no pet store cage on the market that's large enough.

Also, if you bought him from a pet store, please don't buy another. Pet store pigs are often ill or have parasites. You should be able to find a shelter or rescue with a guinea pig for adoption.

 

[Caleb]

I went to his cage just now and offered him some thin carrots which he nibbled on but wouldn't eat the whole thing. Then I added some hay to his cage and when I put my hand in he came out of his house and into the corner of the cage. Is that good or bad?

 

[Caleb]

I moved his cage into my game room so he could hear me talk on call with my mates. I read that hearing my voice is a good way to get acquainted with me? The move did seem to scare him though

 

[DroidGuineaPig]

The best thing you can give him is a guinea pig buddy. They're herd animals, and having another guinea pig can make an enormous difference in the behavior of your guinea pig.

However, if you have a pet store cage, do NOT try to put two boars in it. Boars need a lot of room, and there's no pet store cage on the market that's large enough.

Also, if you bought him from a pet store, please don't buy another. Pet store pigs are often ill or have parasites. You should be able to find a shelter or rescue with a guinea pig for adoption.

What about the midwest cage for housing two females?

 

[jaycriae]

A single Midwest cage isn't large enough for two females, but they have the feature where you can attach two, which might be what you're thinking of.


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[BeckieL]

I moved his cage into my game room so he could hear me talk on call with my mates. I read that hearing my voice is a good way to get acquainted with me? The move did seem to scare him though

I've read that you want the guinea pigs in a room with activity, not alone in a quiet bedroom. So he should be fine in the room where you play games (assuming you spend lots of time there).