Guinea Pig Frightened?

Question

hey ive had a guinea pig for i think atleast 6 months. ive been going pretty well. feeding her (scruffy) very well. though i notice if i take her inside, closing a door or gate she jumps, she doesnt shake,she just jumps. without a doubt every single time i close or open the door or gate. she seems fine afterwards. is it ok? i even try closing it very slowly so she only hears a click. but she still jumps!

she lives by herself at the moment and im trying to convince my parents to let me get another one? is this a good idea? me and my dad just made a huge cage which i think is way to big for one guinea pig because my next door neighbour has the same size for 15 guinea pigs, but they house male and females so i reckon its gone up now :P id really like to know peoples opions. even if they are a bit harsh, i wont take it to heart :)

also, i believe she is blind. i think she is. she is albino or PEW (pink eyes white fur... or is it skin.....) anyways she seems to navigate her way around the cage and hasnt fallen off the second story.... well i havent seen her. its a bit like a balcony;... besides the point she wont even flinch if you put your hand up to her face. my brother (btw i stop him when he does this) puts his hand back and forth. she doesnt flinch, blink, move back. nothing. just sits there (btw do guine pigs blink?)

i know im seeming like a very inexperienced owner, but i really love scruffy, she is like a daughter to me, which is a tiny bit scary. i even stick up for her when my dad calls her a rat :)

thanks guys, sorry for talking so d**n much

xx

Answer 1

Hi, it may be possible that your Guinea pig has an ear infection and every time a sound of a specific frequency is passing across her ear, she is having a reaction because of the pain caused to her ear drum.

Try Asking your local vet to give her a check up and definitely get another GP.

Answer 2

Guinea pigs are naturally very jumpy, their ancestors used to be the prey of birds and other carnivores so they evolved to be ultra sensitive to every little sound, shadow or movement. I would definitely suggest getting another one to keep her company, as guinea pigs are not solitary animals and im sure she is very lonely at night etc. Just make sure you get another female coz they breed like rabbits! Or like guinea pigs lol

Answer 3

Firstly, guinea pigs are very shy little animals that are often nervous. Jumping at noises like this is probably perfectly normal - although she may get used to them in time.

Definitely consider getting another guinea pig - they are a social species and need the compnay of their own kind. I would suggest getting her s*x double checked (particular if you bought her from a store) to make sure she is definitely female. Then go to a rescue and find another female, or a NEUTERED male as a companion for her.

Females are usually very tolerant and get along well, so intros shouldn't be too difficult.

Remember to introsuce them on neutral territory - do NOT put a new guinea pig into your current ones cage, or Scruffy will feel threatened and fight to defend her territory.

Put them together in a neutral area and watch them. If no blood is drawn they can then be put into the cage (which should be thoroughly cleaned) together.

Some people make the mistake of trying to introduce piggies gradually - putting them together then separating again. This does not work as the pigs have to re-establish dominance every time.

With new pigs there will probably be some squabbling while they establish dominance. This can include squeeking, chasing, nose-butting, mounting and rumblestrutting (they walk funny and make a purring noise). This is all completely normal - just let them get on with it. You only need to separate if they draw blood.

There is no such thing as a cage that is "too big". The bigger the better! Guinea pigs actually need far more space than people imagine. For two piggies you need a cage that has at least 7.5 sq feet of floor space - preferably 10.5 sq feet. If your cage is big enough, getting Scruffy a companion is the best thing you could do for her.

You asked for opinions so here goes.... I think your neighbour is being totally irresponsible.

There is no need to be breeding guinea pigs at all when there are so many in shelters already.

By keeping them all together and letting them breed at will they will also be breeding back to back (one litter straight after another) which is extremely bad and dangerous for them. They will also be inbreeding - father to daughter, brother to sister etc.

Your guinea pig could just be a PEW, and absolutely fine. Or she could be a "lethal". This is a genetic mutation caused by inappropriate breeding (eg breeding two roans). Lethals are usually completely white, and many are born with deformed or missing eyes, deformed teeth etc. Lethals can live reasonable lives, depending on the severity of their problems, and how well they are cared for. If you are worried at all get her checked out by a vet.

Guinea pigs don't have eyelids like humans do - I don't believe they blink but not entirely sue!

For great, accurate info on guinea pig care check out these sites:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm

http://www.guinealynx.info/

Answer 4

Previous answer is correct. Guinea pigs are very nervous animals and quiver, shake, jump all the time. She may not be blind, as this theory is relative to cats. Mostly eyes which are blue in albino cats indicate blindness. A vet will be able to tell you. Being albino keep her out of the sun as she will burn easily and is susceptible to cancers on her nose. I love g/pigs, they're great. Have fun with her. Sounds like yr doing everything right. Oh and remember G/Pigs need Vitamin C or they get respiratory failure - use Vit C in her water or a food cube for guinea pigs with the added vitamin.