My new guinea pig hides. How to make him comfortable and come out?

Sorry to hear your having some problems with Oscar. Small animals can often be very shy and winning their trust can be a difficult task. Starting by offering a small amount of healthy treats, such as a small piece of carrot or apple just to encourage Oscar to come out of hiding. Start placing the treat only a few inches away from his hiding place, then gradually work it out further or from your hand. Try too keep all hand and body movements slow and precise as to not scare him. As always, if you think he is hiding because he is ill, see a veterinary examination.

Hello, and congratulations on your new guinea pigs! Guinea pigs can become very social with humans but it can take some time if they have not had much interactions with humans before. Try to very gradually get them used to you by offering them something tasty such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and commercial treats from your hand. Eventually, they will start to associate your presence with treats, and will be more willing to come out to play. While they are eating a treat from your hand, you can try to gently pet them on the top of their head. Talk to your guinea pigs regularly so they get used to your voice, and ideally put their cage in a room where you are often in, so they get used to your presence as well. They can also learn their names if you use them often enough! Don't try to pick up/hold your guinea pigs until they have some comfort with taking a treat from your hand and putting their front paws on your hand. When you do try to pick them up, hold them snug but not too tight, and always support their bum to avoid falling. I hope this helps! Enjoy your little guys. They are great pets!

I think this is normal behavior for a guinea pig that is in a new environment. It will take some time for her to get used to her new home and her new enclosure. I would encourage you to spend as much time with her as possible to help her feel more comfortable. When you are handling her or playing with her offer her her favorite treats so that she will learn that she can trust you. I think small amounts of fruit are fine to give her but start off slowly. If you give her too much of a new thing all at once she may develop diarrhea. Congratulations on your new pet! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Continue to give the attention and handle them daily. And offer them treats. Try to find treats that a high in vitamin c since they can't produce their own vitamin c (kiwi, bell peppers, kale, oranges, etc). It will take some time for them to get use to you as changing environments can be stressful. I hope this helps

Your new babies are probably very stressed living in their new home. They're more likely to come out at night when the house is quiet. I would make sure the nervous piggy has access to water, just incase he doesn't know how to use a bottle. You may want to place a small dish of water in his cage.

I also have had skittish guinea pigs, so I can relate to your problem! Things that may be helpful are making the experience positive when he comes out - this may include favorite food items. You may also try getting into a routine when you are going to pick Spice up. If he has a pigloo or other hidey house, you can encourage him to go in there every time he is being picked up, and then he won’t be surprised when it happens. I hope that gives you a place to start, and please let me know if you would like to do a consult where we can speak more about this!

Hi, change can be stressful in guinea pigs and they need the time to adjust to it. Are they caged in a quiet location ? I am not sure if you have tried to handle them yet but you should just offer them food and water for the first few days, then gradually handling them for a couple of minutes at a time once a day, then twice a day.Have you offered cucumbers as a treat ? See if they are interested in cucumber and other veggies that are suitable for Guinea Pigs. Also make sure you are sticking to the food and diet that they were used to previously. Hope this helps !