Behavior Managing Stress While Moving Cages

[GuineaPigParent36]

I’m not certain I put this in the right section. Hopefully this weekend I will be repainting the room my Guinea pigs are in and not long after moving them into their new cages. I’m going to have to move everybody out because of fumes and I want to make it as little stress as possible. If it will be less stressful to do everything at once (painting and cage switch) I will do that but can easily change the plans if needed. My girls are really easygoing but it’s Harley (who’s high strung) and Dax (baby) I’m worried about. Any advice would be super helpful!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Try and keep their cages and layouts identical. That should alleviate much of the stress associated with moving them. I would use the same bedding, not clean bedding so that the scents are familiar. Their eyesight tends to be somewhat poor, so as long as their surroundings and smells are the same they should be fine.

One tip : The smell of paint MUST be completely gone before moving them back in. Their respiratory systems are extremely sensitive and fumes can cause serious respiratory issues, both immediate and delayed.