Basic Questions

[jubileloo]

Okay, I have posted a few times only really a couple. I am a brand new quinea pig owner and have a few basic questions of course I think they should be basic.

I have pigs in the home.

Beast, they said about 6 months old but he is my biggest one. I have a pic i can add (if I can figure it out) This piggies is mainly mine. We got him on Sunday april 15th. He is really social and I love him.

Squall, to be said about 6-8 months old but smaller than Beast. We got him yesterday, Thursday April 19th. He comes out of his pigloo at times he thinks no one is around, and sqeals alot. I think he is lonely. This one is mainly my sons piggie.

Mumble, said to be about 4 months, much smaller than the other two. He seems to be very shy, maybe lonely. He is not mine, my sister in laws that lives with us. I have tried to talk her into a buddy for him since she works most of the day 6 days a week, we shall see. We got him on Monday April 16th.

So I got Squall to keep Beast company since 3 days out of the week I will be in the office with 3 days out of the week at my home office. He spends all day with me when I am home. Right now I have them in seperate cages for the quarentee period, but they are right next to each other. They do at times talk to each other through the cage and Beast and Squall seems to be fine, however ever since I got Squall, Beast clatters his teeth when I pick him up like he is mad at me. Does anyone know about this. He used to only clatter when he had to go potty and wanted to be back in his cage, this is what I assume since when I put him in his cage he always urinated right away and if I did not he urinated on me. lol

Another question, I have heard a lot of people mention fleece bedding. I have read a post in regards to different kinds of fleece, I really want to try fleece becuase right now I have two big cages and hopefully will go to one in a couple of weeks, but if Beast and Squall do not get a long I will keep them seperately in cages side by side. I will end up spending a fortune on bedding. Any suggestions and advise on fleece very welcomed.

I think that Beast makes happy sounds but I am not really sure. How do you know for sure if it is happy noises or stressed. I know defeinatly the mad sound he made that at first at Mumble. I have listened to different sites on their communcation sound but his is kind of different. it is like a higher pitched gurlgling or purring so kindof like a squeak with a gurgle and is fast and short gurgleing squeaks not like the squeals I heard Squall doing in his cage.

thanks guys. I really love my piggies and want to spoil them.

[jubileloo]

okay here is Beast
and the one with two is Beast and Mumble.
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[Foggycreek]

Hello there,

A couple of things--

Quarantine means separate cages in different rooms. It's meant to stop any diseases or parasites that your new pig may have from infecting your previous pig. Since you have them right next to each other they are not really quarantined.

Your cage/cages are much too small. Ideally, a pair of guinea pigs should have at least 10 square feet of living space. Have you checked out the cages at Guinea Pig Cages, Your Cavy At Home yet? If you attempt to keep a pair of guinea pigs in one of those pet store cages you are just asking for trouble.

Beast sounds stressed out. Read this page on introductions from Index of / .

As for fleece bedding, read this page from Guinea Lynx.

[jubileloo]

the cage in the picture is not the cage they are in now. this was the cage that was recommended and after going on the interenet i found they needed larger so they are much larger now.

thanks for letting me know on the quarantine i will seperate the cages.

[Foggycreek]

It's too late to quarantine now! You might as well introduce them, according to the directions on Cavy Spirit. So how big is your cage?

[Meredeth]

hey everyone, just a quick question
lately when my skinny is playing and runniong laps he may stop and eat some hay and then continue running but i notice what sounds like hiccups when he starts again, they only last a few secs but does anyone else have this issue?

[sus4rabbitsnpigs]

How old is he? It may be URI or if it is hooting, heart problems.

Are you weighing him weekly?