General How Should I Proceed

[Guinea2002]

My Guinea Pig is about to complete his first month now. There are a few questions though Autumn is coming and so is Winter right now I need help on how should i Proceed and I want to know if this is good. So My Guinea Pig is living fine I think he has start Wheeking when he hears the Fridge open. I havent played with him much as I want him to get very Comfortable so I have not Identified the Sex of my Guinea Pig yes as it hates to be held so its hard to find out. My Friend told me I should get a glove and put my hand under him and check if he has a a bump. The problem is it's very complicated as he hates being held when I get him out the cage I let him get in his Fleece tunnel or house and put him down on the floor while i clean he stays there the whole time. I've also noticed that my Guinea Pig only likes coming out If i cover his cage with something. He will then start Eating, Drinking, Popcorning and everything that most Guinea Pigs do. I plan to take him to the Exotic Vet to get his/her nails trimmed so I can learn and also get her/him a Check Up. Now here is my Problem I don't think I can get my Pig a friend till Spring or Summer Cause as Winter rolls on my Dad doesn't work as much and like he works out of town and works outside Rain and Snow in the Winter makes are income less. Also my house is very cramped and I'm worried if it's a Boar we won't have space to make them happy. Also he's living a Pet Store Cage right now but he is getting a Play Pen soon it should come soon as I've ordered it. My Parents also are on a Tight Budget and I hope my Guinea Pig doesn't die of Depression When we got him he was in a Group of 10+ Yes more than 10 I am thinking of getting a Baby in Spring but I don't know What should i do

 

[CavyTV]

If you're going to take it to the vet, you can ask to identify the gender. Don't be afraid to pick it up; a pig will never get used to being handled if it's not handled regularly. Pick it up and give it 5 minutes of lap time on the first day and each day add 5 more minutes. You can have some food with you during this - the best way to a guinea pig's heart is through its stomach. It might not do anything at first, but just keep offering food to him/her during lap time and in the cage. Hand-feeding is one of the best ways to tame a piggie. It will come around eventually. All pigs are different... some take weeks to fully trust their owner, and others take months or even years. It all depends on the guinea pig's personality. Just give him/her time and be patient. Patience is key.

You can also just sit by the cage while reading a book, for example. This will allow your guinea pig to get used to your presence. You can also leave your hand in the cage. It might take a while, but eventually he/she will come out from hiding to sniff your hand, especially if you're holding food.

Have you checked Craigslist? There are always guinea pigs on there for adoption. If you ask, you may even be able to get the pig you want for free. That's what I did. Some people only ask for money on their ad because they don't want to attract people who are looking for free snake food. As long as you prove that you have a guinea pig and a cage, and you're nice, they may be able to give it for free or lower their asking price. You can also check petfinder.com and guineapigfinder.com

Let us know the gender of your pig once you find out! And if you find a piggie, let us know about that too so we can help you with introductions and cage size.

Good luck!

 

[Guinea2002]

Yes I know everything about Cage Size and Intros I watch Youtube and Read many forums. I should be getting a Play Pen soon so we can have floor time Sometimes i feel I don't give him enough fun but he wheeks all the time now once he wheeked non stop and was popcorning for hours I have handfed I just cleaned his cage and he started wheeking after i returned his favorite Hidey

 

[bpatters]

If he's wheeking a lot, he's probably hungry. How much/often are you feeding him? Does he have hay all the time?

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!
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/105287-How-to-teach-a-guinea-pig-to-eat-vegetables

 

[Guinea2002]

He always has Hay and Pellets and I feed him Veggies 3 Times a day Food is not an issue at all

 

[CavyTV]

Wheeking and popcorning are signs of excitement and happiness. Nothing to worry about. Some pigs will wheek/popcorn more than others.

 

[Guinea2002]

I was thinking if my Plan to get a piggy later was better if you read the whole thing

 

[Soecara]

If he/she has been with you for a month and hasn't exhibited any of the major signs of depression (which it doesn't sound like they have) then it should be okay to wait until you are in a better spot to be getting another guinea pig before getting a friend.

It would be better to get a friend as soon as possible, but providing a cage that will be big enough for two, and financially being able to possibly provide medical care for two, should come before the friend. Of course before you find out what cage size you would even need for two you have to find out what gender your current guinea pig is.

Though I would like to add, if your guinea pig came from a group of more than 10, it is possible that group was a mix of both genders, in which case if your guinea pig is acutally a female it could be pregnant. I hope that isn't the case, but you may need to consider that possibility.

 

[CavyTV]

I was thinking if my Plan to get a piggy later was better if you read the whole thing

I'm not sure if that was directed at me, but if it was, I want you to know that I did read the whole thing. As said in my first post on this thread, you can look into adopting piggies from online ads and possibly get a pig for free. Sorry if I wasn't clear on whether you should wait or not... like Soecara said, the sooner the better but it would be best to figure out your current pig's gender and then go on from there. Once you've got an appropriately sized cage you can adopt a friend for your guinea pig. If you've got all these things and you find a pig that you can have for free I think you should take it as soon as you can.

 

[Shieme]

Your piggie sounds happy right now but CavyTV is right, sitting by the cage helps friend your piggie faster. Also favorite treats which you can find what he/she likes by sitting by your piggie. Their first instinct is to hide! Does your piggie attack you? I don't understand the glove thing. If your piggie doesn't, put it in its hidey blanket and pet him/her while your piggie is comfy. My piggie, Shiemi, hates to be picked up but she allows me to pet her because I would sit by her cage. She realized that I was no threat. She still hates being picked up but when I do, she knows now, "I get a treat!" And runs up to the door for it. She likes Timothy hay flowers (wheat like things on the tip). I learned that by watching her. She has them in her hay but she doesn't have to dig for them if I hand them to her. Piggies are very smart! I just got her a cagemate because lately I couldn't pay that much attention anymore. I have sows. It will help once you sex your piggie on the next part of your PLAN. But if your pig was depress, it wouldn't eat and sit around, something would show. You can tell. I could.

 

[Guinea2002]

So here is what's going on a drastic change from yesterday so here is things goings on and signs and behaviors.

Ir sees and hears me all day as I usually spend my time in the Living Room where he/she is at. He will only explore his cage if i cover the top his/her I think he is doing fine though I did take some wrong turns. Like I had no prior knowledge of his diet and literally fed him everything a Guinea Pig eats no dangerous stuff

Veggies Fed -
First Days
Cucumber
Carrots
Celery
Strawberry

Later on -
Apples

A Few Days Ago -
Romaine Lettuce

Pellets - Oxbow Pellets

Hay - Quality Hay from Walmart Not the best option


I only read during that time other stuff. So here is answers to questions

1 - He Takes No Insult in Me Petting Him but prefers to be petted by my Mom
2 -

 

[bpatters]

Fruit needs to be an occasional treat only. Guinea pigs weren't engineered to process sugar, and too much of it can cause major digestive problems. You need to think in terms of leafy stuff -- red or green leaf lettuce is preferable to romaine. And he needs veggies every day, not just occasionally.

 

[Guinea2002]

Yes he gets Veggies Everyday 2-3 Times a Day I know all about Fruits too even though I'm new Cavy Owner I do know what they eat who would own a Pet and not know what to feed it Lol. I never feed Fruits once a week maybe every 2 weeks he gets an Apple Slice and Strawberry. Maybe I should go more in detail when I describe stuff but I do make sure my Pig has Hay and Pellets and Water and I even Hand Feed him one of his meals

Also He/She Loves Listening to Music