A couple guinea pig questions.?

Question

So my parents just got my brother and i 2 boy guinea pigs (Skunky and Twix) they're 8 weeks old and we got them 2 days ago :) We've researched how to take care of them and all the things we need and my mom talked to the pet store owner, but I have a few questions. I can't tell if they're just playing with each other or if they're fighting. I know ovbiously they're going to mess with each other but if it gets bad do we just take them away? And I've read and listened to all the sounds the guinea pigs make and their meanings but when mine are making it I can never remember what they mean! If there's an easier way to do that, it would be helpful :) and i know they're suppossed to eat the vitamin c thingy but they won't eat it on their own or when we try to give it to them. And when they're eating is it ok to pick them up or should we leave them alone because they're happy? My brother always tries to pick them up but I want him to just let them be :) And i know this is a stupid question but whenever i try to pick them up i get scared because they run away then i feel like they know i'm scared then they get even more scared! Is their an easier way to pick them up? If anyone could answer any of these questions i would really appreciate it :) and if you have any other suggestions that would be great!! thanks!!

Answer 1

guinea pigs rarely fight, if there is blood drawn then that means they are fighting, if they are sniffing each others bums and teeth chattering then its all normal guinea pig behaviour and will pass as soon as they figure out who is the boss, this is what all guinea pigs do, they have a little "argument" about who's boss, then they get over it. if it gets too the point where they are drawing blood, then i suggest putting a cage divider in the middle of the cage, to avoid males fighting make sure they have a big cage 7.5Square feet, two pigaloos, two water bottles and two of everything so theres no fighting over who gets what. the longer you have your guinea pigs the more and more you will start to understand what each sound means, i was like this also when i got my first guinea pigs guinea pigs get their vitamin c from fresh veggies such as bell peppers, guinea pigs need veggies morning and night to prevent vitamin c deficiency, ill give you a list of safe foods, my guinea pigs weren't to interested in the bell peppers at first, but now they love them so just keep it in their cage and they will go too it eventually. i would pick them up after they finish eating, or pick them up and hand feed them =] guinea pigs are prey in the wild so when they see something bigger than them their first instinct is too run, over time your guinea pigs will warm up to you more and more and the running away will become less frequent. when i first got my guinea pig i was way too scared to even touch him cause he was so little! but i just wrapped him in a blanket, layed down and put him on my chest and just pet his head. they can tell when your scared so try not too be, you've only had them for 2 days so don't worry it will get easier! =] good luck

also, dont listen to people who say dont put males together and they fight its not true, ive had my males for like 8-10months and they have never fought, because they have a big cage and space away from eachother and they also have two of everything

btw, incase you didnt know dont use hamster balls or wheels

Timothy hay based for healthy, grown, chubby guinea pigs.

Parsley – curly or plain (high in calcium)

Coriander

Collard greens

Mustard greens/ leaf mustard

Water cress

Garden cress

Lettuce – cos lettuce, red lettuce

Swiss chard, red chard

Beet greens

Spinach (feed in moderation)

Carrot tops/leaves

Dandelion greens

Kale – curly or plain

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Capsicum – red green yellow

Tomato (leaves poisonous)

Tamarillo – leaves poisonous

Orange

Mandarin

Strawberries

Kiwi fruit

Mango

Guava

Rosehip

String beans

Asparagus

Basil

Dill

Mint

Celery/leaves

Baby corn

Turnip

Parsnip

Cucumber

Zucchini

Pumpkin

Apple

Pear

Peach

Cherries (without seed)

Watermelon

Banana

Answer 2

You can't do what they tell you to do in the pet store as they will simply try to sell you products to make money and not for the benefit of the guinea pig.



If you feed a pellet that is 18% protein with Vitamin C and has no nuts seeds or other colored stuff in them and give 1/2 to 1 cup of dark green leafy veggies such as kale and romaine lettuce your guinea pigs will get all the Vitamin C they need on a daily basis.



Your brother is correct, you should be holding them at least 2 hours a day. There is no reason to be afraid of a guinea pig, in fact just being afraid puts you in a place of maybe getting bitten more than ever as they guinea pig is going to pick up on your energy and it will scare it. Try to stay calm when you hold the guinea pig, if it is the getting it out of the cage that triggers you have some one else get them out of the cage and give them to you to hole. This is a good time to use the Towel Trick. Go to my You Tube site and view The Towel Trick



http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaPigPersonals



In this case the Towel Trick will be very useful as it will keep the guinea pig from feeling your fear and it will also provide for the guinea pig the instinctive need to burrow. In the wild guinea pigs love to burrow in the tall grasses when they are tired or afraid, so the towel mimics this for them and makes them feel comfortable.

Answer 3

I have two girl guinea pigs and they fight a lot. I always hear Ginger squealing from 2 rooms away when she's getting picked on. Just separate them for a while if they start squealing loud. Otherwise, they could just be playing. You'll know if they are fighting though, like if their hair stands up or if they look puffy or they are chattering their teeth.

I feed my guinea pigs pellets and hay. I don't give them vitamin C droplets because they don't need it. Every once and a while, I give them a baby carrot or a handful of lettuce as a treat.

I've had my guinea pigs for 2 years now and they still hate to get picked up. I tried from on top, underneath, etc, but they still run away, so I have to corner them and take them out. It's the only way. Don't be scared to be forceful, you aren't hurting them.

Answer 4

if they chatter there teeth they don't like each other and they will pull out hair and fight u would know if they have been fighting, 1 of them will want to be the 'top' guinea pig and may like push the other around this is normal, also all my guinea pigs run away when i try and pick them up and i've had them longer then 2 days, i've been a owner for 6 years and have had 17 piggies

Answer 5

First of all your guinea pig does not need vitamin c supplements it should get all the vit c it needs from it's vegetables. The only other food they need are hay and pellets. Though they LOVE grass and it's ok to occasionally give them fruits.

When they rumble it means they are happy, when they chirp it also means they are happy, purring means they are happy, teeth chattering means they are upset and when they squeal it means they are scared or hungry (they squeal louder when they are hungry and mine actually know they are going to get fed when they hear me moving their food bags. they get excited and run to the front of the cage.)

Your brother should actually try holding his guinea pig and feeding it as it will get him to bond with his guinea pig.

Also don't be afraid of your piggy it naturally wants to run and hide so you can try and lure it to you with a piece of hay or a vegetable (mine always run when i try and pick them up). Also you may want to wrap yours in a towel when you hold it as it will feel more comfortable and then it won't pee and poop on you.

Good luck with your guinea pig and good for you for researching on guinea pigs before you got yours.

Answer 6

Firstly, guinea pigs dont need to eat vitamin c " things" because it is not what they would normally eat in the wild. You don't need to be scared of picking up guinea pigs because they only bite if you put your fingers in their mouth. Pick them up by putting both your hands round their stomach and lifting them!

Answer 7

Check them to see if they have any holes in there ears or if there bleeding that means there fighting.



It is ok to pick them up when there eating but I suggest you first pick them up then give them food because then they'll be less scared of you because they know you have food so they'll come to you. But if you do pick them up a lot when there eating they might be scared to eat because they'll think you'll pick them up



Another good thing to do is when you pick them up give them treats



Or sometimes just put your arm in there cage so theyll get use to you in there