Behavior New cage, Duff seems mad

[LC Kiko]

So I built a "pig palace" for Duff a few days ago. His food and water and hay are in the new loft area, and he isn't quite getting the hang of the ramp.

He seemed happy at first and wanted to investigate everything, but now he just seems "angry" at me. Duff gives me the stink eye, I have to encourage him to get to his food, and he didn't react the way I was hoping he would with zooming around and doing some popcorns. (He is 4 though, maybe that has something to do with it?). He isn't even eating the "crunch berries" part of his pellets, and those are his favorite. He is also not using the corner litterbox that has shavings in it for his potty area, and normally he is very good about that. When I try to coax him down the ramp, he gets frustrated and starts chewing on the cardboard sides of the loft.

Duff's old enclosure had a 2x5 run, with a normal cage inside. His cage had the igloo, food and water for him, and he would go inside to go potty most of the time.

I know its going to take some time for him to get used to the new bachelor pad, but has anyone else had this problem? Duff just seems mad at me, and I feel bad :'(

 

[pinky]

I had a loft but removed it because some of my guinea pigs hated it. I moved their kitchen area back downstairs first because some of mine weren't going up there. I took it out when I noticed one would stand guard up there and not let the others even go up. I think single levels are a lot easier to keep clean so I prefer them.

 

[lissie]

Your ramp could be too steep. Some pigs prefer longer, less steep ramps. Side rails or tunnel type ramps would also help them feel more secure.

 

[CavySavvyGirl]

Yes, try to make the ramp less steep. The way I got my pigs used to their ramp was I tempted them up with their fave veggies, then after they were done eating a little bit, I would take it away and tempt them back down, and etc etc etc. Also you should not feed pellets that have extra things added to them, as they are very high in sugar and fat.. you should just buy him plain pellets. The best brands are Oxbow and Kleenmama's.

 

[LC Kiko]

Also you should not feed pellets that have extra things added to them, as they are very high in sugar and fat.. you should just buy him plain pellets. The best brands are Oxbow and Kleenmama's.

I've been reading this a lot on this forum. Duff's been on the same pelleted food since he was 9 weeks old. It doesn't seem to have bothered him, but now after reading everyone's suggestions on food I'm wondering if I've been a bad pig parent!

The brands that you say, are they alfalfa pellets, pellets with vit. C ? What should I be giving him? The food he has now is an off-brand of Nutriphase.

 

[cavykaitlyn]

I don't think the pellets with vitamin c last for more than six weeks (the vitamin c that's in them doesn't) so you'll have to supplement with tabs or veggies. And alfalfa isn't good for pigs over six months, I believe. But I am not too experienced yet, check with the others try OxBow. I heard it is wonderful. Just don't do water vitamin c supps. They go bad and in some pigs they make them not want to drink the water.

 

[ellisa]

I don't think the pellets with vitamin c last for more than six weeks (the vitamin c that's in them doesn't) so you'll have to supplement with tabs or veggies.

Actually, most pellets for guinea pigs have added vitamin c, and it's stabilized so it has a longer shelf life.

@LC Kiko , Either way, your pig should be getting the vitamin c it needs from fresh veg. He'll need to be on a plain pellet, with no added colourful bits, etc. If he's less than 6 months then he can have an alfalfa based pellet. If older, a grass hay/timothy hay based pellet. If he is younger than 6 months he can have adult pellets and you can just supplement him with foods higher in calcium until he's older.

 

[LC Kiko]

Just don't do water vitamin c supps. They go bad and in some pigs they make them not want to drink the water.

I stopped doing water drops after I moved to our new house. We have well water, and didn't have a filter for a very long time. The drops with the unfiltered water made the water STINK. Its nice that we have a water filter now. Duff gets water from my Brita