Are my guinea pigs happy?

kailaeve1271 · Post » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:07 pm

I've only had my pigs for a few months. They popcorn and run around their cage all the time, but they bolt away from me when I near the cage. If I stay relatively still and try to coax them they slowly walk out and sometimes even lick me. I give them treats when they walk up. I'm not sure if my pigs are skittish or if I'm doing something to scare them off or cause them to be more scared than happy.

PooksiedAnimals · Post » Mon Jun 26, 2017 8:12 am

If they're popcorning and running around all the time, then they're happy! Actually, what you describe sounds like pretty good progress. Young pigs are skittish by nature. They should mellow as they get older. All pigs take like six months or so to adjust to new surroundings. Some may never be "friendly" towards humans, preferring to run away. So - the fact they can be coaxed out at all, and even lick you is great progress.

Keep doing what you're doing!

kailaeve1271 · Post » Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:39 am

I'm glad to hear that I'm not doing something wrong! Thank you, this definitely clears things up. I've only had hem about 4-5 months. I also noticed one of my pigs nips me if I walk while I hold her. Can I stop this in some way or just try not to walk too much?

JX4 · Post » Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:30 pm

She's telling you that you are scaring her by walking around when you hold her. It's like being carried off by a bird of prey. You may just have to not walk around while holding her. We put lap pads on our laps and hold our pigs while watching TV.

PooksiedAnimals · Post » Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:25 am

Ditto JX4 on the nipping. Wrapping her up in a small towel/blanket may make her feel safer (and if she is inclined to tug on something, it will be the fabric, not your skin!).

kailaeve1271 · Post » Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:47 am

Thanks to both of you! I was also wondering if fixing my pigs would help their temper. When in heat they attack each other and sometimes cause ear bleeds. They also smell funky. When they are not in heat though, they are as sweet and calm as can be.

Piggies05 · Post » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:31 pm

I have found out that they all seem to have different personalities and seem to have different preferences from food to being held.
I have had my male "Pooh pig" since he was a baby and he is now, about 10 months old now and he loves being held and is very vocal and seems to enjoy human contact. My female "Miss Piggy" was 11 months old and we have had her for a couple of months now and she is more reserved,but she is getting better ever day. We learned soon after adopting her that she was pregnant and we welcomed a sweet little baby two weeks ago . The baby is skittish even though it's been held and talked too ever day since we realized Miss Piggy was pregnant.

Post » Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:52 pm

Have you properly sexed the baby? It is vitally important that you do not let her become pregnant. She should not be housed with an intact boar.
www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html
www.guinealynx.info/breeding.html

JX4 · Post » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:01 pm

I was wondering if the pigs were properly sexed too.

Piggies05 · Post » Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:52 pm

The mom and baby are in the same pen and I'm not sure what the sex of the baby is yet.I will be taking the baby to the Vet so we can find out the sex.
My male "Pooh " has his own pen and the baby will go in one of the cages until he or she is placed in a loving home. I always try and do as much research as possible on any pet before and after purchasing a new pet / family member.
I wanted to join the group to enjoy the terrific information and love of these fantastic pets.

kailaeve1271 · Post » Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:17 pm

My pig had babies about a month ago as well (both found homes). A good way to get an idea is the shape which is shown in a picture in a link that Lynx gave you. I also noticed the male of the two had a slight bump above hid genitals. Of course, still, go to a vet because it's easy to missex the pig. It's just to give an idea of what to expect.

kailaeve1271 · Post » Wed Jun 28, 2017 6:42 pm

My guinea pigs won't eat the Oxbow vitamin c tablets that my vet recommended they take. I tried giving them to my pigs and they looked at me like I was crazy. Then I pulled out a small piece of dried carrots and they acted liked they were starving. I tried the vitamin again and I got dirty looks. They gently tug with their teeth. They also got all new toys and stuff because I went and got them new, better things since they have loved to chew lately (are they distracted maybe?). How do I get them to take it?