Advice on rodent care (as in a pet) - Page 2

**McTahr** · 07-21-2011, 10:17 PM

Timothy Hay is the stuff for most rodents if I remember right. Give it a long time before picking up if you can help it. If you need to get her out of the cage, what I did for my rats was set up a ramp to the cage exit onto a table that was too tall for them to climb off of, and set up some diversions for them to run around on while I cleaned the cage/whatever.

Eventually you can con rodents into climbing around on you, it just takes time and familiarity.

CABAL49 · 07-21-2011, 10:20 AM

First off, guinea pigs are the best of rodent pets.

And mine didn't like being picked up at first either. Once they get used to you it won't be to much of a problem. Remember the difference in size between you. You are the most terrifying thing this little rodent has ever seen.

Food and petting are the best way to get them used to you. Show them that your hand is not a threat.

Osterbaum · 07-21-2011, 10:44 AM

Don't leave them out at night. The cold might kill them.

Aerozord · 07-21-2011, 02:08 PM

lately she's started hiding in her little house. Should I wait for her to start coming out again or remove it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osterbaum

Don't leave them out at night. The cold might kill them.

how cold are we talking, right now I'm more worried about heat, but it can get cold in the winter even inside, I'd say 60s

Magus · 07-21-2011, 02:15 PM

Just put some extra hay or newspaper or whatever in the cage (whatever it is you're using), that is the kind of stuff they like to burrow into to keep warm.

I doubt temperature in the 60s would hurt them. Osterbaum is probably more referring to people's tendencies to leave rabbits outside in rabbit hutches/pens which when it becomes very cold is often not good enough to keep them from freezing to death because they are so small. Rodents in nature burrow underground to survive freezing temperatures, which isn't possible in many enclosements that people create for them. You have to provide insulation and so on instead.

Aerozord · 07-24-2011, 10:42 AM

what exactly is timothy hay? More importantly where could I get some?

Now she doesn't seem to be eating the pelets in her food dish, and starting to worry me abit. Will she eventually eat them when she gets hungry enough or is she being starved?

rpgdemon · 07-24-2011, 11:16 AM

Timothy Hay is hay from Timothy grass, which you can pick up at most pet supply places, I believe. It's really important that you give your guinea pig hay to eat/sit in.

As for not eating, that could be a problem, it might be that she's picky and doesn't like it, in which case if you mix in something she does like, in smaller and smaller amounts, she'll start to get used to the other pellets, and get used to them.

Aerozord · 07-24-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgdemon

Timothy Hay is hay from Timothy grass, which you can pick up at most pet supply places, I believe. It's really important that you give your guinea pig hay to eat/sit in.

is that the default hay? I was given hay from her but I know no details about it, so not sure what kind it is. I do know, she doesn't seem too interested in it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpgdemon

As for not eating, that could be a problem, it might be that she's picky and doesn't like it, in which case if you mix in something she does like, in smaller and smaller amounts, she'll start to get used to the other pellets, and get used to them.

thats the thing, the food she got does have other things mixed in with the pellets, she just eats only those things and pushes the pellets out of the way.

rpgdemon · 07-24-2011, 12:52 PM

Make sure that it's timothy hay, and not alfalfa, since alfalfa hay is bad for them to have too much of. They can't have an unlimited supply of alfalfa, since it can cause kidney stones and they'll get fat, but timothy hay should always be in the cage, in constant supply.

If she's not eating the pellets, just give her a lot of vegetables with vitamin C and hay, since the pellets aren't necessary for guinea pigs, they're just helpful. They need a vitamin C source every day, since they can't make their own vitamin C.

Good sources of vitamin C are belle and red peppers, tomatoes, dandelion greens, and parsley. Make sure that there are no seeds in the peppers, just the flesh of it, since they can't eat the seeds. Strawberries are also good.

Edit: Also, don't give iceburg lettuce ever, if you didn't know that, but romaine lettuce is fine.

Aerozord · 07-25-2011, 02:39 AM

does shaking (like what a dog does when it gets wet) mean anything? Last few days she's been doing that. Also I find her running around the cage for no apparent reason.

07-21-2011, 10:44 AM	#3
Osterbaum The revolution will be memed! Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: FIN Posts: 5,967	Don't leave them out at night. The cold might kill them. __________________ D is for Dirty Commie!

07-21-2011, 02:15 PM	#5
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	Just put some extra hay or newspaper or whatever in the cage (whatever it is you're using), that is the kind of stuff they like to burrow into to keep warm. I doubt temperature in the 60s would hurt them. Osterbaum is probably more referring to people's tendencies to leave rabbits outside in rabbit hutches/pens which when it becomes very cold is often not good enough to keep them from freezing to death because they are so small. Rodents in nature burrow underground to survive freezing temperatures, which isn't possible in many enclosements that people create for them. You have to provide insulation and so on instead. __________________ The Valiant Review

07-24-2011, 10:42 AM	#6
Aerozord So we are clear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Former murder capital of the world Posts: 13,824	what exactly is timothy hay? More importantly where could I get some? Now she doesn't seem to be eating the pelets in her food dish, and starting to worry me abit. Will she eventually eat them when she gets hungry enough or is she being starved? __________________ "don't hate me for being a heterosexual white guy disparaging slacktivism, hate me for all those murders I've done."

07-24-2011, 11:16 AM	#7
rpgdemon Not a Taco Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3,313	Timothy Hay is hay from Timothy grass, which you can pick up at most pet supply places, I believe. It's really important that you give your guinea pig hay to eat/sit in. As for not eating, that could be a problem, it might be that she's picky and doesn't like it, in which case if you mix in something she does like, in smaller and smaller amounts, she'll start to get used to the other pellets, and get used to them. __________________ I did a lot of posting on here as a teenager, and I was pretty awful. Even after I learned, grew up, and came to be on the right side of a lot of important issues, I was still angry, abrasive, and generally increased the amount of hate in the world, in pretty unacceptable ways. On the off chance that someone is taking a trip down memory lane looking through those old threads, I wanted to devote my signature to say directly to you, I'm sorry. Thank you for letting me be better, NPF.

07-24-2011, 12:52 PM	#9
rpgdemon Not a Taco Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3,313	Make sure that it's timothy hay, and not alfalfa, since alfalfa hay is bad for them to have too much of. They can't have an unlimited supply of alfalfa, since it can cause kidney stones and they'll get fat, but timothy hay should always be in the cage, in constant supply. If she's not eating the pellets, just give her a lot of vegetables with vitamin C and hay, since the pellets aren't necessary for guinea pigs, they're just helpful. They need a vitamin C source every day, since they can't make their own vitamin C. Good sources of vitamin C are belle and red peppers, tomatoes, dandelion greens, and parsley. Make sure that there are no seeds in the peppers, just the flesh of it, since they can't eat the seeds. Strawberries are also good. Edit: Also, don't give iceburg lettuce ever, if you didn't know that, but romaine lettuce is fine. __________________ I did a lot of posting on here as a teenager, and I was pretty awful. Even after I learned, grew up, and came to be on the right side of a lot of important issues, I was still angry, abrasive, and generally increased the amount of hate in the world, in pretty unacceptable ways. On the off chance that someone is taking a trip down memory lane looking through those old threads, I wanted to devote my signature to say directly to you, I'm sorry. Thank you for letting me be better, NPF.

07-21-2011, 10:17 PM	#1
McTahr For the right price... Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,268	Timothy Hay is the stuff for most rodents if I remember right. Give it a long time before picking up if you can help it. If you need to get her out of the cage, what I did for my rats was set up a ramp to the cage exit onto a table that was too tall for them to climb off of, and set up some diversions for them to run around on while I cleaned the cage/whatever. Eventually you can con rodents into climbing around on you, it just takes time and familiarity.

07-21-2011, 10:20 AM	#2
CABAL49 Not bad. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Senatus Populusque Americanus Posts: 1,584	First off, guinea pigs are the best of rodent pets. And mine didn't like being picked up at first either. Once they get used to you it won't be to much of a problem. Remember the difference in size between you. You are the most terrifying thing this little rodent has ever seen. Food and petting are the best way to get them used to you. Show them that your hand is not a threat.

07-25-2011, 02:39 AM	#10
Aerozord So we are clear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Former murder capital of the world Posts: 13,824	does shaking (like what a dog does when it gets wet) mean anything? Last few days she's been doing that. Also I find her running around the cage for no apparent reason. __________________ "don't hate me for being a heterosexual white guy disparaging slacktivism, hate me for all those murders I've done."