Why is my guinea pig lazy?

Question

I got my guinea pig 3 weeks ago, and he just lay there with one leg out. please help!!!

Answer 1

well if it lays on its side, and its tummy seems to be growing each day it may be a girl and pregnant. But if its just laying on its tummy sticking one leg out then yea my guinea pig did that before we found out she was pregnant and it is normal for a guinea pig.

Uhh, abercombie guinea pigs arent nocturnal... They sleep for VERY short periods of time (30 seconds to 30 minutes at a time) and they sleep to up to 4 hours a day...

Answer 2

Probably because guinea pigs are nocturnal (sleep in the day, play at night). If your really worried you can stay up and watch. It could also be that hes getting to much or to little food. I would go with the first one though! But Guinea pigs are notorious for hiding illnesses so I think you should take him to a professional exotic vet. Do you do weekly weighings? If you don't, start now. The earliest sign that a guinea pig is sick is a loss of weight.

Also, how big is your cage? It should be at least 7.5sq ft. If your cage does not meet the sizes listed (as stated on guineapigcages.com) above then you need to consider making/buying a bigger cage. Guinea pigs need space to do zoomies and pop corns, with space they become happier. I recommend a C&C cage.

I would defiantley take him to a professional exotic vet, as the saying goes it is better to be safe then sorry. I would also enlarge your cage if it does not meet the size recommendations and once you have a cage that meets the size recommendations you may want to include things like paper bags, scrunched up paper balls, toilet rolls stuffed with hay, hiding houses, cuddle cups - the list goes on.

Answer 3

lol its normal for a guinea pig

Answer 4

Did you get him checked out by a good vet who has experience with guinea pigs when you first got him? If not, take him as soon as possible, and even if you did, another vet visit may be in order.

Is the cage big enough? Guinea pigs need a lot of room - for 1, at least 7.5 feet. Also, guinea pigs are much happier with another piggy friend to play with. Obviously, get the same gender as your animal, and make sure you get the guinea pig sexed by a vet experienced with guinea pigs.

Make sure you your guinea pig out of its cage every day for at least an hour for "floor time" - they need more activity than just running around their cage

If you have any more questions, ask a reputable vet with experience in guinea pigs - do not trust a pet store like Petco or Petsmart, they often do not give the proper care information.

Answer 5

Ylime has given you some good suggestions. The other thing to consider is, why should your guinea pig not be lazy? It doesn't have to search for food. It doesn't have to find a safe place to sleep. In fact, it doesn't have to do anything. You provide everything for it. So it isn't going to do anything unless it has a reason to. Giving it toys to play with, or another guinea pig to socialize with might make all the difference.  

Answer 6

It's a guinea pig...what do you want it to do???

If you want an action rodent...try a hamster with a wheel.

Answer 7

Guinea pigs like to sleep with one or both legs kind of out to the side. That's just the way they are comfortable.

As far as lazy, if your piggie had a friend, he probably would be more active. Guinea pigs should really be housed in PAIRS.

http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

Something worth mentioning though would be that maybe he's not being "lazy" and is being "lethargic". If that's the case, he should be seen by an exotics vet for a check up to make sure nothing is wrong.

http://www.guinealynx.info/normal.html

It would be wise to familiarise yourself with common guinea pig ailments so you know what to be on the lookout for. If you can catch illness early, your piggie has a better chance of survival. As a piggie owner, you owe him this.

Answer 8

what is its age?

it may be lonely and miss all of his friends that he used to have before you got him. try playing with him and see what happens. maybe he needs a lot of attention.

Answer 9

mayb ur face makes him lazy......... lol jk