Bringing Home your New Skinny Pig
The car ride home with our new friend is often full of excitement. We just can’t wait to play and cuddle with them. This is just a review of what we should do with a new arrival.
Do gently place your new pet in their cage. This cage should be set up with all of things a cavy needs before you pick up your pet. This includes a water bottle, pine shavings, a sleep sack, some timothy hay, and high quality guinea pig pellets. A cavy will need a couple of hours or more just to get use to the sights and smells of a new home. Place the cage in a quiet area where it can get used to the new house and watch you without being in the middle of the activity.
Don’t put your new cavy in a cage that has your other cavys in it. Your new edition should be quarantined from the others for about a week to make sure that it is healthy before you try to make introductions. Disease can pass quickly between cavies and you do not want to risk infecting your herd. Introductions should always be make on neutral ground first, like a freshly cleaned play pen. Remember cavies all have different personalities; most will become fast friends but sometimes they just won’t like each other. Never forget that separate caging may be a permanent situation.
Do take your skinny pig out of the cage after this rest period and offer it fresh greens while holding it securely on your chest, head facing up, see picture.
Holding a skinny pig
After a few seconds most cavies will start to munch on the offerings and your life long connection with yummy food has begun. Your cavy will learn to look forward to your visits in a short time. You do not always need to offer food every time you handle them, but the first day it can help them settle and give you a chance to relax and enjoy some bonding time.
Don’t pester your pet and handle them constantly or show it to all your friends the first day it is home. Banging on the cage or pulling them out of the sleep sack so you can check on them repeatedly is very hard on a young cavy. Please remember that they are still babies. This means they need to sleep, eat, and poop often. Try to let them rest most of the first day. This is a big step for them. Everything is new and different; they will need some time to settle in.
Do check on your baby before bed. A quick look in the cage will let you know if you need to add more hay or pellets. If the baby is in the sleep sack you can always peek in and take a quick look. Do not lift the whole sleep sack, as you can do this by just lifting the top open and peeking in.
Remember you have years to develop a wonderful and loving relationship with your pet. You do not need to constantly hold it the first day to show how happy you are to have them. Giving your baby a little space the first day can help it settle down and get used to its new home. With that said, babies who are without the company of another cavy will get lonely quickly. They are very social and will need a lot of attention from you be meet those needs. So once they have settled in, let them sleep on you and cuddle the way they would with mom. Show them the fresh veggies they should eat and give them lots of tunnels, tubs, and toys to explore. This is the beginning of a great adventure that the two of you will take together.