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Post by pipsqueak on Dec 2, 2012 4:55:49 GMT
Hello! I am new to cavy ownership and have a few questions about cavy behavior. We bought a sow who we were told is approximately 3 months old for DD9 birthday. We have had her for 5 days now. She seems to be doing well. She is eating well and drinking (although only eating her pellets, not the veggies we have been giving her!). I'm curious how long it is going to take her to not scamper away when we walk by her cage or go to interact with her. Once she is on your lap she is a little lovebug who purrs quite a bit, but when does a GP feel comfortable enough in your home to be happy when you walk in the room? She has been making what I feel is steady progress towards it - she still scampers into her hutch but will turn around and look out the opening instead of going to the back corner. But I would love to see her go towards us instead of away! BTW, DD9 handles her very well and gently, so the "issue" (if there is one) is not being handled incorrectly.
Also, I think she was alone for a good while with just males in the next cage. We are planning on adding another sow after the holidays. How do I go about trying to make a good match for my current girl?
Thank you so much for any words of wisdom you can give me! I think I am gonna like having cavies!!!!
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Post by cordane on Dec 2, 2012 5:34:50 GMT
Well first of all, Welcome!
In my experience, guinea pigs are naturally skittish so she may never feel 100% comfortable with you coming into the room. Maybe if when you enter the room, you say her name or something? Let her know that you are there.
I have had varying experiences with them becoming comfortable with people in general. Coop and Is, I have had for about 3 months and they are still not use to it. Tobi who I have had for less than a month was use to it after a week. In really does depend on the personality of the GP itself.
As for finding your girl a friend..
Introducing females, in my experience, is so much easier than boys! All I can suggest is try and find one with a similar personality or if your girl was extremely skittish, get a more relaxed girl to pair her with. In most cases, the younger the better but in this case, it isn't a huge factor.
Oh! And as for the veges and such..
I assume you don't know what veges and such she was fed prior to you getting her? I'm in a similar situation but the favourites with my guineas are carrots, apples and by far : celery.
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Post by Kayleigh on Dec 2, 2012 9:54:46 GMT
Welcome to the forum : )
Your sow is still young so its natural for her to be a little scared. Guinea pigs are naturally prey animals, so running and hiding is something they do naturally. Was she handled much before you got her? I find pet store pigs arent handled from when they go into the shop, usually about 5 weeks old. Thus making them extra scatty as they havent been handled for weeks on end. If you have a hidey in her cage then removing this will help, when my pigs are indoors they dont get hideys as it encourages them to hide (which i dont want) So i provide a nice mound of hay for them if they want some cover.
It can take a good while for them to become comfortable, Is the cage on the floor or on a stand? Talk to her and stroke her in the cage, it takes time and patience but she should come around.
As for getting a friend, Im sure she would like that, I am opposite to the above poster, i find boars far easier to introduce than sows. Sows are hormonal and come into season every couple of weeks which starts the rumbling/dominant thing all over again. As your sow is still young age isnt really an issue, you can go for a 6-8 week old, or you could introduce her to an adult (over a year old) it depends what your looking for. Its all about the personality of the pigs, you want a laid back, confident sow so avoid petstores if you can.
As for handling, aslong as your make sure when lifting her out of the cage you support her bottom hold her close to you, so shes fully supported then thats good.
Find out what she likes, some pigs hate being touched over the rump area, some prefer a chin tickle or a head rub. Just find out what she likes and thats a great start.
As for veggies, it can be a trial and error thing, but dont give up, It doesnt sound like she had very much prior to coming to you so shes naturally unsure (a friend would help her try new things too) Try the simple veggies, spring greens, kale, bell peppers, carrots, apples etc. Offer her 1 or 2 veggies a day and see what she likes. Dont use too much incase she wastes it.
Welcome again, id love to see a picture of your newbie : )
Kayleigh
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