Woo Hoo

[wilson]

I got my new guinea pigs tonight. I went to the pet store and i seen these two and i had to have them. They are so cute! So i brought them home and worked on getting there cage set up while they were in there boxes. So i just had to put some food in so i thought i would let them go in there cage. I let the one in and it doesnt move then it runs into a corner and stays there. I let the other one in(a bit more active) and it runs down my ramp and into my hay rack that i made out of a grid. It got stuck in one of the little holes with its head and one paw. I felt so bad trying to get it out i hope its ok. So i took out that hay rack and used the one i bought from petsmart a while back( i thought they wouldnt be able to get to it). I am also worried that they may not be able to reach the water bottle, Its as high up as the chloroplast goes so 6 inches. O and they are both females but i have no idea for names yet. I also got them just romaine lettuce because i couldnt remember what else was on the list. So they are going to have romaine for a few days until i can get to the grocery store- is this ok.

Thanks for all the help so far

 

[wilson]

Also for the romaine, should i give them the whole stalk or just give them the leafy parts. I just ripped up some leafy parts for now, im hoping they will eat it. They moved haha, i tried to give them some romaine with my hand but they ran away. How long should i wait before i handle thme, also will they be able to find their water bottles and stuff. Their water bottles only stick out like half an inch from the cage and it is 6" high is that ok?

 

[wilson]

Aslo to add on. I have a piece of PVC pipe in for support. Its not attached to anything it just sits on the ground and one fo the connectors goes inside the hole. Should i take it out till i can attach it or should it be fine? Thanks for answering my many questions.

 

[kennethlhm]

will they be able to find their water bottles and stuff. Their water bottles only stick out like half an inch from the cage and it is 6" high is that ok?

If you afraid they can't reach the bottles, put something under the bottles such as wood block, so that they can reach it.

 

[CavyCrazyMom]

or you could poke a hole in the coroplast for the nose of the bottle to go through so they can reach it. But if you do that, be sure it's not too short either. A lot of people make that mistake.

About the lettuce, I would give them the whole stock, but cut off the end that you tear off if it's brown at the end. And Iprobably don't need to say it, but I'm going to anyway...be sure to always wash the veggies very well.

The part of your post that says she got stuck really concerns me...she shouldn't be able to get her head through there at all! How old are they?? If they are too young, you might have to double up on the grids to make the holes smaller. Be sure you check out the cage safty info.

And congrats on your new pigs! Good luck with everything!

~~Cheri~~

 

[wilson]

Thanks for all the help. I cut a little bit of chloroplast out so they can get to it a bit easier. Yeah i was really worried about her getting stuck too. It was the part of they hay rack where it was bent that she got stuck in. I took it out, and at the end of my ramp i put chloroplast up the whole way in case they run down so she doesnt get stuck again. I dont think they are to young, plus i dont think they cant reach up that high its 6" high on all sides. I am trying to pick them up so i can hold them and they can start to get used to me but they always run away, no matter what. I even tried giving them a piece of lettuce and it didnt work. So what is the best way to go around getting them, i dont want to hurt thme.

Ryan

 

[CavyCrazyMom]

The only way you're going to hurt them is if you squeeze them as you pick them up, or drop them when you put them down...I can't think of any other way you could hurt them and not know it. As far as the getting stuck thing goes...I miss understood, I thought it was the grids...sorry! lol i read it again!

My pigs are 6 months old now and I have had them since they were very young and they still run away from me! I said this to another member...it's in their nature to run from things bigger than them, although they know and love you, they can't help it...they have a fear that they can't control. My advice to you is to not give up and just catch them and talk soft and loving to them to reassure to them that you're not going to hurt them. I have four pigs, two are 6 months, and two are 10 months, three of them run like crazy, and one sits there full of fear! And I have never done anything to them to make them think I'm going to hurt them, and although I adopted the older ones, I don't think their previous owners did anything either. Good luck and don't give up!!

 

[wilson]

I wont. Im to see if i can at least pick up one of them. I was also just wondering if anyone knows of a site where i can check for what sex they are? The petstore said they only sell females and i do trust them i just kind of want to make sure.
Thanks agian.

 

[wilson]

I just held each of them for a little bit to let them get to know me. The one just sat there and they other one kind of sniffed around a bit. I found a website: https://cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm and checked both of them and nothing popped out when i applied pressure. Will they be abelt o find they are water bottles on their own, they arent too high now im just nervous they wont find them. Also do they shed a little bit because after i put them back in their cage i had a few hairs on my shirt(not a lot just like a couple) and i was just wondering if thats normal? Thanks
Ryan

 

[CavyCrazyMom]

Yeah, it's normal for them to shed...mine shed a ton of hair. As long as you don't notice any hair missing in patches on thir bodies. Good that you double checked because even though the person was sure that they were females (and I trust that people are honest when they say that) they may not have the experiance to make sure that the pigs that were givin to them as females by the breeder are in fact females. So check out that website on cavyspirit (an awsome website dispite it's hate for petco...lol) because it shows you exactly what the female parts look like. I recomend that site to anyone who has questions about sexing the pig. And you should take them to the vet soon anyway for a general checkup and they will be able to tell you for sure.

And you know what I do as far as holding my pigs...I let them run around on my couch when I'm sitting there. They will run away, then come back in sit real close to my side, then jump on my lap, then back down...it's fun for them and it doesn't make them think you're trying to make them stay in one spot. Also, save some extra grids from your cage and make a little 'play yard' as I call it. It can fold up or open up...very handy and almost free compared to $70!! lol I put my girls in that for outside time and inside floor time...they love it. Sometimes I sit in there with them and let them crawl on my lap.

Anyway...have fun, and no worries about the shedding!

 

[wilson]

Ok thank you so much. I have a little play pen thing i bought from petsmart. It was 25$ i think. Im glad shedding is normal. They dont have any bald spots.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[wilson]

Here is the darker one:



And here is the lighter one with the spot.



Sorry for such the bad pics. Its with a really bad webcam. Sorry that there so big too. This is my frist time using pictures in a forum. Do they work right?

 

[wilson]

Me and my mom were just holding them and hse likes them. She wants me to move them to the other side of our basement so they get more light. I am making a vet appointment for this week coming up hopefully. We let them go downstairs of there cage because they havent used it yet, the one ran into the hidey house down there and the other ran through a hole i nthe steps. This is what my ramp looks like https://www.guineapigcages.com/gallery/396/

I amy have to try the pencil case ramp just so they dont get stuck in the night. Thats what i am most worried about. I think i may have solved my problem. I just fouind some carpet that i had put in my garbage(it just had papers in it) wrapped in a bag that i took out and kind of wrapped around the grip(with out the bag). So hopefully no one gets stuck and they learn to use it right haha.

 

[loves2travel]

She wants me to move them to the other side of our basement so they get more light.

basement??? huh???? are you sure there is no place for them in your properly heated and ventilated home? Do they HAVE to be in the basement? The temperature fluctuation can be quite harmful and they are known to get URI from such places. Also, is there enough light? During the Day, guinea pigs like be in sunny areas.

 

[wilson]

Maybe i should see if i can put them in my computer room. They have been living in my bedroom(in the basement) and its on a side with no light. I will talk to my mom about it tonight. I didnt know about the temp. fluctuations so i will find out tonight. Could this be why they hide all the time. I have a vet appointment tomorrow night at 4. Also im worried about them not drinking. They drinka bit but there isnt a lot of water gone(i put tape on the bottles to see how much they drank through the night). Also i dont know if they know how to go up and down the ramp. If i put them on the bottom they hide in the hidey house, and if they are up top they stay in the hidey house up top. How should i go around this problem, is there any way?

 

[CavyCrazyMom]

Time is the only way hun, it's new to them and it'll take time for them to learn what it is and where it goes. Maybe try to put them in the middle of the ramp and see what they do?? Might work...I don't know, mine's only one story.

 

[wilson]

Ok thanks. I figured it would take them time. I think they are still adjusting to their new environment too. They eat all their vegetables so im happy about that. There appointment tomorrow will hopefully show if anything is wrong(i dont think there it). I still dont have names for them i was thinking of naming the one cadbury, and they other one im not sure. Thanks for all your help so far its greatly appreciated.

 

[wilson]

K i was talking to my mom and she said if they have to be moved then we will move them into my computer room. Its one level up from my basement but its just like a regular room, plus with the computer on it doesnt get cold. I was just holding them and my one dark one had like crusties on the fur around his eye(it looked like what u get in the morning when you wake up after sleeping kind of). I thought id ask you guys if you knew what it was first, but i am also going to ask my vet tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Erin8607]

No rescues around by you?

 

[Starbucks]

wilson,
congrats on the new piggies. i just had to ask one thing. how do you know they are both females? did the petstore tell you that. if so... dont listen. ask the vet you are taking them to, to sex them also. you dont want to have a pregnant piggie. also, i think your piggies are quite young if their head can get stuck in one of the squares on the grid. my guinea pigs are 4 months old and they can reach the top of the cubes when they stand on their hind legs. if you said that yours cant even reach the 6 inch tall coroplast, than yours must be young. just a caution that you may want to extend the sides of the coroplast by adding cardboard for now so your piggies dont get stuck.