Owning a new Guinea Pig

When I got my new sow (6 weeks old). 25th January 2003

Today I fininally broke and got Kornage a female companion. At this stage they are in different cages. I will be getting Kornage castrated in order to stop them producing babies. As there really are far too many Guinea Pigs in the rescue home already!!

When I arrived home with my new sow. The first thing I did was arrange her new cage for her to go in. I put her straight into it and left her for a while as she was very freaked out. She had left her Mum this morning.

Kornage was allowed on to the floor to come over to the cage and investigate the new smell. Instantly he started rumble strutting.

After a couple of hours I went over to her cage and spoke to her and offered her a mixture of fresh vegetables to which she was not interested. So I have left them in there for her to find later on.

When she had been with us for about 4 hours I got her out of her cage. I placed a towel kind of crumpled up for her to hide in. From my previous experience with Kornage he used to like having something to hide in. A Guinea Pig works on the factor if they cant see you .. you cant see them! even though they have their very cute fat GP bum showing.

I have searched her fur for fleas it looks clear but this is something I will keep an eye on. I had to treat Kornage for fleas when I first brought him home from the Pet Store I brought him from. I went to the vets who game me a small animal treatment.

She is extremely smaller than Kornage, I had not realised just how big he has become.

She has still not found her hidey hole house and has just been sat in a corner not moving. However when you try to approach her with your hand she soon shifts. This is a good sign she is healthy and full of energy. For the time being she must just be extremely nervous. However I am sure she will perk up over the next few days.

After being in her new cage for 10 hours she has found her hidey hole. Before I went to bed I took her out of her cage for one last cuddle and this time she started responding by making tiny noises, she has also stopped shaking her head every time you stroke her. She also is eating all her different food now.

Day two

When I got up this morning I took Kornage out of his cage first. He came and had a cuddle and sneaked in to my dressing gown. He sat there happy for about 20 min's. Then decided he wanted to stretch his legs. When he went on the floor he went over to the sows cage and started his rumble strutting around it.

I got her out for a cuddle <left kornage doing his dance around her cage he hadn't realised she wasn't in there>
This morning she ate some food from my hand for the first time and then snuggled down for about 15 min's. She then started fidgeting. I have learnt from Kornage when he starts to fidget it normally means he needs a pee. So I put her back in her cage. She is now walking around sniffing her cage and eating food.

I have been in to the kitchen and opened the fridge many times and Kornage hasn't noticed once. He has spent the whole morning by her cage working himself up!

Day Three

Today she is much the same, although I have given her a cuddle and for the first time she laid stretched out and was yawning. So I think she is starting to trust me. She has also eaten more freely today and a few times have seen her over by her food bowl having a chew on something.
She has mweeped for the first time I have heard. Which automatically caused a reaction in Kornage and between then I feel they are going to be quite vocal!

Day Four

Today she's been out of her cage quite alot having cuddles. I don't think she is ready to go on the floor yet. I think trying to catch her to put her back would traumatise her too much. She still doesn't like being picked up from her cage. We have now got her a cover to hide in when she is being cuddled. Kornage came across this at floor time and went wild trying to find her in it. He got underneath it and sniffed around. Then my partner put his hand under it and instantly Kornage came over and attacked his hand. He has never gone for anyone like this before. I feel when they are together after Kornage's chop they will make great companions. I am having concerns about Kornage's operation at present. I have read so many bad issues around this. I will however keep a diary of this procedure. I know I am taking a risk, but if it all works out then he wont have to live on his own and I wont have to be irresponsible by breeding them.

Day Five

I have picked her up out of her cage again this morning and she is still not keen on this. She tends to bite your fingers when held in my hands. I am not sure however if she is just seeing if they are food as the bites are not aggressive or hard.
I have noticed in her food bowl she has eaten all the things that Kornage has left and vice versa. I am hoping when they are fininally put together in about 4 weeks time they will encourage each other to eat the other bits.

Tonight Millie started to popcorn in her cage<we have settled on the name Millie now>. She was running around like a loon in her cage and making squeaking noises whilst jumping up in the air. This is the first time I have seen her do this. Since she has been out and was my partners hoodie pocket pop corning in there. I am really looking forward to putting the pair of them on the ground together to play.

Day Six

Today she has been very scared. She does not want to be picked up. When I try she is running around squeaking trying her up most to get away. I have sat with my hand in her cage offering treats. This will hopefully build up her trust as she has to approach me to get it.

Day Seven

She is still very scared. Although once she has got settled down for a cuddle with me she lays out long which I have found from my experience of Kornage is a sign she is relaxed.

Day Eight

Today she is still the same. Today she did however lay with me for about 2 hours at one point with her eyes practically shut and stretched out to about 10" which is amazing seeing as how small she appears in her cage.

This evening I let her stretch her legs but only on the sofa. I laid down on the edge so she couldn't jump off and she ran up and down pop corning. Which is a sign of a happy Guinea Pig. So I am not worried about her too much. I think I was just ever so lucky with Kornage from day one he would allow me to pick him up and always loves to snuggle down. I think this new Guinea Pig is just going to be dead lively.

Day Nine

Today she is just the same very quiet and does not want to be held. I am persisting with the offering of food.

Day Ten

Today she has been very quiet I don't know if maybe she knows Kornage is not here.
I gave her a cuddle and offered her some cucumber and she wouldn't take it. She didn't move. I sat talking to her and she started eating. When I stopped talking she started again. So I sat and chatted to her and she ate the whole lot. Then after this she started making them cute little noises they make when they are happy.

Day Eleven

Weight 13oz

Again today she has been the same I am going to persist. Although maybe this is normal for them to be like this as new to your home and Kornage was just very mellow and trusting from the beginning. She does however mweep back to me when I do it to her. She also does it when she hears rustles of bags.

Today I decided I would check her weight and see if I can find some info on weights for age as I am still not convinced she is as old as the pet store said she is. She is 8 weeks old tomorrow. However again I may be comparing her to Kornage is who extremely big and cuddly. :)

Day Twelve

Today she has been very very vocal. She hasn't settled today when I have got her out of her cage, although she did calm down briefly when I offered her some cucumber. I was starting to worry about her however whilst sat here typing this she is currently pop corning around her cage.

I am so glad I got her as a companion for Kornage. Although they are still in separate cages until he recovers from his neuter, they are talking to each other and when I looked over a few times earlier they were in fact nose to nose through the bars. I have put their cages side by side to try and reassure her that she is not in any threat.

Day Thirteen

Today when I got her out of her cage she didn't want to be picked up but I took decisive moves and grabbed her before she could work her self up too much. Sat on the sofa with her cuddled in to my chest and she seemed happy. She didn't struggle and made some quiet cooing noises. I cuddled her for about 20 min's then put her back before she had decided she had had too much. When I put her back I rustled her food bowl and she mweeped. This is a good sign.

2 Weeks 2 Days

Over the last couple of days she has become alot more trusting in me and has been on the floor. I let her down for the first time yesterday, I had been worried that she would be hard to catch to put back away. However she went home by herself after about 15 min's. Whilst on the floor she was running around Kornage's cage pop corning and standing up sniffing him and licking his face. I am looking forward to letting them both have a good run around together. Getting a 2nd Guinea Pig was a good move.

4 weeks

She is proving very hard to tame. When I think she trusts me she has a total turn around and bites me. She bites at my clothes and sinks her teeth in when she comes in contact with my skin. I am starting to find this very hard and its having an electric shock therapy effect on me!

2 years on!

Millie is the most adourable Guinea Pig she has a real cheaky streak to her and although she still bites me I could never get fraustrated with her. Millie is still very timid, she is a nervous Guinea Pig when she is not on me, if I go to her cage and stroke her she shakes her head and runs in her house.

She does not get on with Nudgie or Squirrel and needs to live in a separate cage with Kornage. Her and Kornage are like an old married couple, they sleep in the same house, fight over cucumber and occasionally she catches him looking at the other girls, although he really doesn't do him self any favours when he is rumble strutting in thier direction! It's too much of a giveaway