# please help with my guinae pig



## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

ok so i posted a thread in the rabbit forum about putting my gpig with my rabbit and was told not to do this

so my issue is i do not have a cage to house my guinae pig as she was meant to be living with my bun
i have put her in a cardboard box as it's the only thing i can think of but she is so nervous and tiny and idk what to do
everytime i go near her she trys to run away or burry herself in the hay (which i have put in the cardboard box along with a cushipn cover and a little bowl of food and water) she is just sitting completely still and not making a sound until i go near her

idk what i can do please give me some advice


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## mstori (May 22, 2009)

how long have you had them both? what are your plans, when will you be getting a cage etc.

Glad you have separated them, but both rabbits and piggies are sociable creatures and should be with another of their kind. Have you thought if you will be getting them a companion?

hiding in the hay is normal nervous behaviour.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

Well done for splitting them 
Will you be getting a cage tomorrow?
How long have you had your piggie?


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

Where are you. I have a hutch standing in my garden empty. If you can get it you are welcome to it....


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Have you only just got her? If you have and she is only a baby then she is probably very frightened. Just leave her to settle down. As long as she is eating and drinking she should be fine, once she is settled then just sit with her so she gets used to you being there and then you should be able to start very gently handling her and getting her used to you. Will you be getting her a cage, you can get indoor guinea pig ones. As long as she is in the box indoors with you tonight, and she cant get out she should be fine for tonight.
If there is any possibilities she can get out, have you any of the plastic storage boxes, you could put her in one of those that may be better, just until you get a cage.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

northnsouth said:


> I have always kept GP with Rabbits. Never ever had any injuries or fights. But this is not accepted in modern thinking.


It isn't just injuries tho, all rabbits carry Bordatella which is harmless to them but potentially fatal to guinea pigs if their immune system is compromised.
Rabbits and guinea pigs also speak a different language to each other so it is better to house them with their own species.

Imagine being stuck in a room with people that speak a completely different language to you with no way of either of you learning that language, it would be a lonely existence IMO and not fair.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

As I said modern thinking is different.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

northnsouth said:


> As I said modern thinking is different.


It's not modern thinking tho it is scientific proof.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

If you look at my original post I deleted the line about keeping Rabbits and GP's together. My post was the offer of a cage. I do not need any information on keeping rabbits or GP's. But thank you any way.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

northnsouth said:


> If you look at my original post I deleted the line about keeping Rabbits and GP's together. My post was the offer of a cage. I do not need any information on keeping rabbits or GP's. But thank you any way.


It's great you are offering the cage and I hope you can help the OP, but you obviously do need information about keeping rabbits and guinea pigs otherwise you wouldn't keep them together. Not trying to start a fight at all just giving people all the facts


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

northnsouth said:


> If you look at my original post I deleted the line about keeping Rabbits and GP's together. My post was the offer of a cage. I do not need any information on keeping rabbits or GP's. But thank you any way.


if you post anything on a public forum you will get comments on it, and no it isnt modern "thinking", it is proven "facts", thoughts and facts are very different things, you were just very very lucky....

to the OP well done for listening to advise, im sure your animals will thank you in the long run.

for now what i would actually do, is move piggy into an empty bath tub, with the plug in, tip the box upside down, and put it in the bath tub with her, with a little door way cut in, this will offer her somewhere safe to hide, you can put a thin layer of substrate in the bath tub with her, and some food and hay to nom and water in a dish.
it will be much safer for her as shes likely to chew out a box, or the bottom is likely to disintergrate from wee

she will be fine in the bath tub until you can get to get her a cage (obviously if you only have one bath the sooner you get her a cage the better :lol: )

what food did you get for her? did you get her guinea pig food, as rabbit food can actually proove fatal to guinea pigs, and guinea pig food causes health problems in rabbits and reduces their natural lifespan significantly


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

northnsouth said:


> Where are you. I have a hutch standing in my garden empty. If you can get it you are welcome to it....


hey i am in newcastle


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

B3rnie said:


> Well done for splitting them
> Will you be getting a cage tomorrow?
> How long have you had your piggie?


hey i have had her for only 1 day (around 15 hours)
i wasn't planning to have 4 animals  money is tight
we were only wanting 2 to keep each other company but the pet store owner said i should not get another bun as they are terrotorial he told me to get a gpig


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

mstori said:


> how long have you had them both? what are your plans, when will you be getting a cage etc.
> 
> Glad you have separated them, but both rabbits and piggies are sociable creatures and should be with another of their kind. Have you thought if you will be getting them a companion?
> 
> hiding in the hay is normal nervous behaviour.


how can i stop her from being nervous can i do anything for her?


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Have you only just got her? If you have and she is only a baby then she is probably very frightened. Just leave her to settle down. As long as she is eating and drinking she should be fine, once she is settled then just sit with her so she gets used to you being there and then you should be able to start very gently handling her and getting her used to you. Will you be getting her a cage, you can get indoor guinea pig ones. As long as she is in the box indoors with you tonight, and she cant get out she should be fine for tonight.
> If there is any possibilities she can get out, have you any of the plastic storage boxes, you could put her in one of those that may be better, just until you get a cage.


she has not ate or drank anything since we got her  (around 15-20 hours ago)


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

tutter said:


> hey i have had her for only 1 day (around 15 hours)
> i wasn't planning to have 4 animals  money is tight
> we were only wanting 2 to keep each other company but the pet store owner said i should not get another bun as they are terrotorial he told me to get a gpig


She will just be nervous then, she has had a lot of change in the last few hours so she should be fine once she starts to settle in.

Don't worry that isn't the first time a pet shop has said that to get a sale, but just so you know when both rabbits are spayed/neutered they get on fine I have a group of 4 and a group of 3 (which I am adding to once my newest arrivals are neutered) and they all get on great, there is nothing like seeing rabbits interact with each other 










But anyway if you want any advice on keeping your bunny happy ask in your thread on the rabbit side or feel free to PM me when you have enough posts


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

Lil Miss said:


> if you post anything on a public forum you will get comments on it, and no it isnt modern "thinking", it is proven "facts", thoughts and facts are very different things, you were just very very lucky....
> 
> to the OP well done for listening to advise, im sure your animals will thank you in the long run.
> 
> ...


to be honest i don't want to disturb her again by moving her as she seriously gets so nervous (she wet all over her fur when i picked her up before) and she is racy and her heart is going so fast when i touch her) she has not had anything to eat or drink since i got her and she hasn't even moved once since i got her. she is sitting very still not moving at all. there is very little chance of her biting out i just want her to be comfortable and i want to do whatever i can to make her less nervous 

but yes i got her guinae pig food


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

B3rnie said:


> She will just be nervous then, she has had a lot of change in the last few hours so she should be fine once she starts to settle in.
> 
> Don't worry that isn't the first time a pet shop has said that to get a sale, but just so you know when both rabbits are spayed/neutered they get on fine I have a group of 4 and a group of 3 (which I am adding to once my newest arrivals are neutered) and they all get on great, there is nothing like seeing rabbits interact with each other
> 
> ...


thanks so much
will do


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## mstori (May 22, 2009)

tutter said:


> how can i stop her from being nervous can i do anything for her?


it will take time, she will need to get used to you. Also as she has no other guinea pig with her in my experience that makes them more scared and nervous. If you can I would really recommend getting her a friend.

Until then, make sure she has a safe place to hide and is she drinking from a bottle ok? just noticed you said she isnt eating and drinking? has she got the food she is used to? sometimes it takes a bit of time to settle in, some of mine dont eat much, and you may not notice her eating the hay.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

I do not keep either any more. When I did keep them the thinking was different. I have numerous *older* books that recommend GP's and Rabbits as companions. Mine had seperate hutches as diet requirements are different. I found this easier. GP's are happier with company and GP's were housed together in multiples. Only one boar had to be kept seperate. Runs and out door pens were shared. All were treated and vaccinated and if required nuetured as well. My animals were all healthy and very, very contented, illness and injury free. None of which was done to luck!!. I had numerous GP's and rabbits. Because ideas change and I am no longer up to date I deleted that part of my post. (Clearly not quickly enough),I did not wish to offer advice on the matter. If I was to decide to have Rabbits or GP's again,I would research and catch up on newer ideas first, then make an informed decision on this information and my own past experiences. And I would suggest any one else to do too.

To original poster I am in Berkshire so having the hutch is out of the question I suppose. Shame as it is just sitting there going to waste. It makes a good bird table though!!


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

mstori said:


> it will take time, she will need to get used to you. Also as she has no other guinea pig with her in my experience that makes them more scared and nervous. If you can I would really recommend getting her a friend.
> 
> Until then, make sure she has a safe place to hide and is she drinking from a bottle ok? just noticed you said she isnt eating and drinking? has she got the food she is used to? sometimes it takes a bit of time to settle in, some of mine dont eat much, and you may not notice her eating the hay.


she has a bowl of water as she is in a box i can't put a bottle on for her
she hasn't drank or ate ANYTHING including the hay i am getting worried about that now


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## mstori (May 22, 2009)

tutter said:


> she has a bowl of water as she is in a box i can't put a bottle on for her
> she hasn't drank or ate ANYTHING including the hay i am getting worried about that now


she may not be able to drink from the bowl, if its a cardboard box you can poke holes in and tie a bottle on with some string and try that.

She will eat, just give her time to settle in. You probably havent noticed, guinea pigs graze. If she has been getting veg try a bit of her favourite and see how she goes with that, or some grass or dandelion leaves.


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

mstori said:


> she may not be able to drink from the bowl, if its a cardboard box you can poke holes in and tie a bottle on with some string and try that.
> 
> She will eat, just give her time to settle in. You probably havent noticed, guinea pigs graze. If she has been getting veg try a bit of her favourite and see how she goes with that, or some grass or dandelion leaves.


i think she is only a few weeks old

she looks too young to have been taken from her mam too
i really do think she is only 3 weeks or so old
the pet shop owner didn't tell us her age ;\


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## mstori (May 22, 2009)

tutter said:


> i think she is only a few weeks old
> 
> she looks too young to have been taken from her mam too
> i really do think she is only 3 weeks or so old
> the pet shop owner didn't tell us her age ;\


i would be concerned if she was 3 weeks to be honest, was it a small pets hop or a chain?


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2011)

tutter said:


> i think she is only a few weeks old
> 
> she looks too young to have been taken from her mam too
> i really do think she is only 3 weeks or so old
> the pet shop owner didn't tell us her age ;\


Poor piggie, she is probably terrified 
If you are really concerned that she is that young I would write a letter of complaint to your local council as they are breaking the terms of their animal license.


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

mstori said:


> i would be concerned if she was 3 weeks to be honest, was it a small pets hop or a chain?


a small local pet store
she is around the size of a small womans fist and no bigger
does that sound average size or..?


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## catloveralicia (Oct 22, 2009)

That sounds very small for a baby guinea-pig, I think you are right, she sounds like she's only a few weeks old. Sorry, I don't have any advice on caring for very young guinea-pigs, I'm sure someone here will know about it though  It's great you've seperated them, I hope the guinea-pig starts eating soon


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hey,

I'm getting two new gp's soon from a local hobbyist breeder, the youngest is only ten days old. I get to visit them regularly but can't bring them home for another few weeks. I took a video to show my Mum and uploaded it privately to youtube. You can access the link here though, maybe this will help you work out the age of yours as you can tell from the video mine is the size of my hand.

MVI 1418 - YouTube

Now I don't know if this will work, but hey if you're at a loss.... make up a hot water bottle - not boiling water and wrap it in lots and lots of towels - it should just feel warmish and squishy. I know you don't want to scare him but get something lovely and soft (that you don't mind getting wee on) dressing gown, fleecy jumper, blanket etc. Grin and bare how awful you must feel but pick him up like you mean it even if that includes a handful of hay at the same time! Try to ignore any weeing. The breeder said this to me, you just got to do it, otherwise you stress them out even more by 'trying' to pick them up and them trying to hide etc. Sit with the gp and place the water bottle wrapped in towels on your knee. Just let the little one rest on top, the warmth should feel familiar to that of it's Mum's along with the watery type motion - (like resting it's head on its Mum's tummy) - again just be really careful the water bottle isn't too hot.

My first concern would be fluids at the moment. Take his drinking bottle and try to feed him, almost like you would craddling a baby. Make him feel snug, secure and warm, so do it very calmly, best to not even make any noise or talk throughout - you're essentially trying to mimic the feel it would have with its Mum. Also you could try warming the water up, ever so slightly. You need to be able to put your finger in it completely with it only feeling warm. If he doesn't understand the drinking bottle just squeeze a drop out near/onto his mouth, so he starts to understand. Or wet your finger and put it to his mouth. The biggest thing is going to be patience, if you have to sit there for a couple of hours, you gotta sit there for a couple of hours. Eventually I'm sure his heart rate will come down as he learns this is a safe environment and then he will drink. Fingers crossed.

Maybe people with more gp knowledge might say this is ridiculous, so apologies, but I'm just going on what basically is my Mum's old school advice. To be fair my Mum is always right about everything (as Mum's are).

Apart from that, an animal that hasn't taken any fluids in the last 20 hours or longer - phone a vet to see what they say.

Please let us know how you get on! Thinking of you!


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## tutter (Sep 21, 2011)

kat04kt said:


> Hey,
> 
> I'm getting two new gp's soon from a local hobbyist breeder, the youngest is only ten days old. I get to visit them regularly but can't bring them home for another few weeks. I took a video to show my Mum and uploaded it privately to youtube. You can access the link here though, maybe this will help you work out the age of yours as you can tell from the video mine is the size of my hand.
> 
> ...


thank you so much for your advice!
i have to see watching your video i am now worried
my guinea pig is the same size if not even smaller than the one in your video
meaning she is definitely a baby and should not have left her mam.

this is awful and i feel so bad for her
i also don't have a cage (or the money for one) for her to live in
nor do i have the money to get her a friend as my plan was for her and my bun to keep each other company
i am letting her rest at the minute i have put her in buns cage and my bun is sleeping in the living room tonight so the guinea pig can feel safe and secure in a cage

idk what to do ugh


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hey,

You could get something like this for indoor use, it's £22:

Metal Runs for Small Pets - Great deals at zooplus: Octagonal Run with Sun Protection

Is it your intention to keep the guinea pig inside or are you really snookered from been given bad advice? I.e you really thought the guinea pig could stay outside and there's no room indoors?

Is there any way of phoning the pet store, explaining that the guinea is too small and should be returned to it's mother? I guess the issue would be if you return the guinea they will place it back on the shop floor and just try to sell him again!

How much did you pay for him? Are you intent on keeping him or are you worried you've bitten off more than you can chew here and now you're thinking you should have got another bunny instead?

I'm trying to judge how old you are! But have no idea. Do you live with your parents can they help or is that out the question?

Let me know what you're thinking about these questions and we can go from there to see what can be done. 
xx


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## kat04kt (Sep 11, 2011)

Hey, 

How are you getting on? Did you sort anything out yet? Is the little one doing better?


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2011)

kat04kt said:


> Hey,
> 
> How are you getting on? Did you sort anything out yet? Is the little one doing better?


Piggy was sent back to the petshop


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

kat04kt said:


> Hey,
> 
> I'm getting two new gp's soon from a local hobbyist breeder, the youngest is only ten days old. I get to visit them regularly but can't bring them home for another few weeks. I took a video to show my Mum and uploaded it privately to youtube. You can access the link here though, maybe this will help you work out the age of yours as you can tell from the video mine is the size of my hand.
> 
> ...


can i just say, size means nothing.
it is very obvious you have found a decent breeder, so yours will be chunky little monkeys, and bigger then anything you will ever find in a pet store.
pet store animals tend to be very poorly bred, and as a result, tiny in comparison.

one of my piggies is about the same size as the pig in your pigie, she still fits in the palm of my hand
she is SEVEN years old

you judge the age of a young pig by their body proportions and fur condition.
chances are the pig was an acceptable age to leave mum, but piggies are shy at the best of time and the poor thing was probably terrified, ripped from its family, then thrown in with a bun, then taken back and put in a box, all in the same day is extremly stessful

it is a shame the pig has been returned, animals are not like clothes we can buy and return at whim


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