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This may seem impersonal, but there has been a large influx of I-just-got-a-guinea-pig posts lately, and I can only repeat myself so many times before I start to lose my mind (my apologies if I've been short/snippy at anyone). So in an effort to retain my sanity, I have created this thread. I know its long (sorry). I tired to make it as short as possible. If I have sent you here, please give it a read.

I just got one guinea pig. I've found out they should have a playmate. What should I do?
Guinea pigs are a herd animal. Ideally, they should have another guinea pig buddy (you can read more about that at CavySpirit - Social Life). But singleton pigs have done well, too. They will get lonely and bored if they're left completely solitary for long stretches of time. So if you have a lot of interaction with them, it can help fill the gap of not having a cage mate.

Two guinea pigs are not much more care than one, but you should consider a number of things before running out and getting a second pig:

• Verify your current pig's gender (you don't want babies)
• Make sure your cage is large enough for multiple pigs.
• Be sure you have the finances to feed and house them.
• Be sure you have the finances to take both of them to the vet, if they become sick.
• Be sure you have a plan of action (for example, resources and space to set up two cages), if for some reason, they don't get along.

If you feel set to add another pig to the mix, consider adoption! There are a ton of guinea pigs in shelters looking for a forever home. Check for local guinea pigs at www.Petfinder.com. The feeling you get for giving a forever home a cast-off guinea pig can't be beat.

He always runs away from me. He hates me. How can I get him to like me? What's wrong?
or
She won't let me catch her. How can I catch her?
or
Will he always be so skittish? Will he let me catch and hold him?
First, this is perfectly normal. Nothing causes alarm bells faster than a young pig that doesn't run away. There are many, many posts on this board asking this question. Second, your guinea pig doesn't hate you - they are incapable of hating you. They may not show affection towards you like a cat or a dog would, but if you're providing them food, they love you. Really.

Guinea pigs are prey animals. Instinct tells them, that if something is swooping down to catch them, they're likely to end up dead. It takes time for them to adjust and realize that you're the good guy, not some predator. Depending on the pig, this may take days or weeks. In my experience, it takes a full 6 months for a guinea pig to feel totally at home in a new place. It doesn't happen overnight. (I know - that's just not fair.)

They need to just get used to the sounds and smells of the place. Hear the daily routine in the house. Get to know your voice. Talk to them in a soothing voice. Feed them whenever you can. Hold them (wrapped up in a hand towel helps to make them feel safe). They will eventually calm down. As you get to know your guinea pig, and they get to know you, you will get better at catching them. You will discover whether the two of you enjoy spending time sitting together.

For catching them, I found that dropping a hand-towel over the pig will stop it from running, and then you can pick them up, towel and all. Some people use cozies, others use a small box or a paper bag. Basically, use whatever gets them to slow down or corner them. Some pigs will think its a game, and force you to chase them. He may never "let" you catch him. I've had that happen, too. Baby pigs are even tougher to catch than adults. They're small and fast. Adult pigs are fast, but there's more to grab onto! It truly depends on the pig. I have some pigs that will sit patiently and let me pick them up.

Some pigs never become lap pigs - they just are too restless to be held for any length of time. Some may not like the human contact. I had one pair of sisters - one would sit with me for hours, and the other had enough after 10 minutes. Its just the way they were.


We've had her home for 1-3 days, and she doesn't move from her hiding spot. Is she okay?
This is a really tough one to answer without knowing the pig. She could be fine. She's likely just scared out of her wits at being in a new home with strange surroundings. Especially true if this is a single pig (as opposed to a pair of pigs). They'll sit tight, until they're comfortable with their surroundings. If she looks healthy (clear eyes and nose), is eating (even if you never actually see her eat), is keeping her weight up, and runs away when you try to catch her, I'd give her a few more days, and she should get more comfortable and move more.

However..... guinea pigs sold at pet stores are often ill. Its heartbreakingly common. Illness usually first shows up as lethargy and an unwillingness to eat. If your guinea pig is very calm, will let you pick her up without a struggle, doesn't seem to be eating, is losing weight (instead of gaining weight), sneezes, wheezes, has goopey eyes or runny nose, you need to bring her to a cavy-savvy vet immediately.


The pet store said she was x months old. How do I know what her age is?
Once a guinea pig reaches adulthood, there's no way to determine their age. Before that, though, you can make a pretty good guess at their age based on their weight. There are weight charts on GuineaLynx::Weights (scroll down a bit), that compare weights with weeks of age. If you're confused at reading the chart (many people are), post their weight in a message, and someone can give you the corresponding age. You can use a kitchen scale (that can handle 3-4lb capacity) to weigh your guinea pig - something that you can read their weight either in ounces or grams.

I have a female cavy and she was previously housed with male cavies. How do I know if she's pregnant?
Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way, short of taking her to the vet, to tell if a guinea pig is pregnant until she has the pups. You can bring the pig to the vet to be xrayed well into their pregnancy, which will show their skeletons... but that's not healthy for her or the pups. You can also weigh her regularly, and track that (compare it to the charts from the link about weights, above) and if she starts gaining faster than a baby pig should, then chances are she's pregnant. But basically, a potentially pregnant pig goes on pregnancy watch. Pregnancy lasts 59-72 days. Count out 72 days from the last day possible she could have become pregnant; if day 73 arrives, and no babies, then you can confirm she wasn't pregnant. There have been pigs that are very rotund that turned out not to be pregnant. And there have been stories of surprise babies in the cage one morning that weren't there the night before.

You should get a cavy-savvy vet lined up, in case of complications. Other than that, keep your fingers crossed for 73 uneventful days!

Why is he not eating any veggies I'm giving him?
Baby pigs have baby tastes, like any kid. Sometimes they don't like their vegetables until they're older. I joke that my pigs think I'm trying to poison them. It was like that with tomatoes. For a year, they wouldn't touch them. Ick! Then one day I tried them again, and they snarfed them down, while giving me dirty looks like I had been holding out on them. So the moral to the story: keep trying new veggies (and fruit - in moderation).

So many of us on this site started with guinea pigs with no real knowledge. I did the classic "everything wrong" - housed pigs in aquariums (eventually moved to store-bought cages which were still too small), never fed them hay, fed them too much of the wrong kinds of veggies (lots and lots of carrots and fruit), gave them junk food (yogurt drops, other pet-store treats, salt wheels), gave them a horrible quality pellet (Hartz. Yuck). You learn. If you're lucky, you get good information early on and learn from other people's mistakes and experiences.

Okay - so deep breath. As fragile as guinea pigs can be, they're also a pretty hearty animal. They will survive while you both go through the learning process about how's best to care for them. They are also very entertaining animals. Although they will never play with you like a cat or a dog will, they will interact with you (wheeking for food, possibly following you around the house during floor time), and are fun to watch. You'll be fine. So will they.

I realize its a lot of reading, but please take the time to go over the links in the FAQ - Links to good answers thread. So many of your questions about what to feed them, how much to feed them, what kind of bedding to use, can be answered there, and with better explanations than I can give! I have tried to break up the topics and clearly label them, so you can focus just on the current issue you have at hand.

Lastly, this board has a good search feature. There is a button for the search on the upper right of every forum page. It is very, very likely, for a common question to have been asked and answered already. Members come and members go on this board, so there is a wealth of information in the older posts.


If you have very beginner/generic questions that you think belong it this thread and are not addressed above, please post them. In an effort to make this easy to read for new beginners, I will add the content to this first post (and may delete your posts - or split them off, if they're specific to your pigs - for clarity). As always, constructive feedback is welcome.

Thanks!

Pooksied Animals