acclimatization period

If you quickly got home with a newly acquired companion or even a family member, then you should immediately place him in a prepared cage and leave him to himself for a while. Any newcomer is likely to first hide in a corner and burrow under hay or straw. In a new unfamiliar environment, this is quite understandable. Later, when the guinea pig feels that no one is watching her, she will begin to explore her new home. And in this case, even if it is difficult to resist, you still need to refrain from taking it out, because again it will try to hide. Guinea pigs are naturally shy and panicky easily. 

It is most correct to put our guinea pig in a cage when she moves to a new place of residence. 

All this will change later. A guinea pig, having heard a familiar person, for example, goes to the wall of the cage. She also begins to recognize all those who give her food regularly. This is manifested in the fact that when a familiar person who gives food approaches, she begins to squeak. And that means: I’m waiting for food! 

Most pigs like to retire to a small house, the variants of which are shown in the drawings.

Such a house should be approximately 15×25 cm in area and about 15 cm high. 

The house can be wooden, plastic or textile.

According to the experience of breeders, wooden houses are more durable in use and easier to clean, but textile ones seem to many outwardly more attractive.

It is better if there is no floor in such a house, then there will be less problems with cleaning.

And yet it is unreasonable to immediately install such a house in a cage. The fact is that this will lead shy animals to sit in the house for too long and leave their shelter only when they are absolutely sure that they are completely safe and no one is watching them. 

At first, strong noises should be avoided so as not to scare the animal. Quiet, calm speech addressed to an animal always has a very favorable effect. This is especially important during the adjustment period. Within a few weeks, the guinea pig will learn to distinguish its owner’s voice from other voices.

If you want to share a new tenant with another guinea pig, proceed with caution: the new animal may have a disease that is still hidden. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the guinea pig in a separate cage for the first three to four weeks until you are sure that he is really healthy. In order to introduce animals, proceed as follows:

• first place the cages side by side so that the animals can see and sniff each other. After some time, open the doors of both cages so that the pigs can visit each other, but at the same time have the opportunity to return to their territory;
  
• if the animals tolerate each other’s company well, put them in the same cage. Beforehand, both guinea pigs should be wiped with wet straw to reduce their own smell for a while and create a common smell for them. This will help the animals build relationships faster.
  

For more information on how to make friends between two guinea pigs, read the article “Integrating guinea pigs into a group of relatives”

Note. Female guinea pigs, as a rule, get along well with each other, but at first they can also enter into fights, achieving superiority in a given territory. Sometimes a dispute arises over a sleeping house, so make sure that the house is spacious and has two exits in front and behind. But in any case, the first condition is, first of all, a fairly spacious cage.