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Acclimating New Guinea Pigs

If guinea pigs move in with you, you should definitely pay attention to these things so that the rodents quickly get used to their new home and their new owner.

Guinea pigs are prey animals and are naturally skittish. The transport, the unfamiliar surroundings and the new smells stress the animals. Therefore, give the guinea pigs enough time in the first few hours and days to get used to their new home.

Read here how to acclimate new guinea pigs step by step.

Build trust with patience

Only from the second day you can slowly start to deal with guinea pigs. That means you can, for example, sit next to the cage and talk to the guinea pigs quietly and soothingly.

You should definitely avoid noise and hectic. You should also not touch or even hold the guinea pigs at the beginning. They are still alien to the animals and thus cause them stress.

If children are to deal with guinea pigs in the future, you have to make them understand that the guinea pigs have to get used to them before they let you pet them. Patience is very crucial here.

The right pace

Once the rodents have settled in a bit, they won’t retreat straight back into their house, as they certainly did at first. After a short time, the animals will recognize you by your voice and your smell.

Step by step you can also get used to them on your hand. Offer your guinea pigs a treat and let them sniff your hand. Don’t push the guinea pigs: let the rodents decide for themselves how fast they want to approach you.

If the guinea pigs eat out of your hand and don’t run away, a lot is gained. It is best to repeat the procedure several times a day. In this way you will continue to build trust and the animals will gradually get used to their new home.

Pick up guinea pig

If the acclimatization has worked so far, you can finally lift your new guinea pigs. Proceed as follows:

  1. Approach your guinea pig carefully and give your guinea pig a treat.
  2. Hold the guinea pig with one hand around the chest and place the other hand under the rump.
  3. When lifting, support all four feet.
  4. If you must carry the guinea pig, hold it tightly in front of your chest with both hands.

Free range for guinea pigs

Only when the guinea pigs have settled in and are tame are they allowed to roam freely within a limited area. It makes the most sense if the rodents can decide for themselves whether they want to leave their enclosure or return.

A treat for the guinea pigs will help you get the rodents to roam freely.

With the right acclimatization, you enable both you and your guinea pigs to live together in a relaxed and familiar way. The patience required at the beginning is guaranteed to pay off.

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