do guinea pigs miss their babies do guinea pigs miss their babies

If your sow is in a very small enclosure, this could cause her unnecessary stress. Additionally, when her babies are born she may eat them in order to prevent them from taking up the little space she has. RSPCA Knowledgebase Let Australias most trusted animal welfare charity help you answer the big questions. At three weeks of age it was still hard for us to tell the difference between the males and females. Why Guinea Pigs Are Less Likely To Eat Their Babies? When female guinea pigs eat their babies, they can do so because they are excessively hungry and because they are under a lot of stress that they cannot handle. This was the most surprising thing to me! Yes, guinea pigs eat their babies albeit very rarely, mostly by accident. In general, the color of Abyssinian guinea pigs is associated with congenital eye defects and digestive problems. Guinea pig pregnancy seems short to us, but in fact it lasts a remarkably long time for their size. How To Stop Guinea Pigs Chewing On Cage Bars, Baby Chicken What To Expect From Egg To 8 Weeks Old, Effects of early environment on field CA2 pyramidal neurons in the guinea-pig, Cardiovascular and renal disease in the adolescent guinea pig after chronic placental insufficiency, The effect of maternal undernutrition on the growth and development of the guinea pig placenta, Chronic maternal feed restriction impairs growth but increases adiposity of the fetal guinea pig, Guineapig Vocalizations: Their Structure, Causation and Function, Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, An ecologically relevant guinea pig model of fetal behavior, Auditory spatial responses of young guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) during and after ear blocking, The Effects of Diet on Anatomy, Physiology and Health in the Guinea Pig, Guinea Pig and Chinchilla Care and Husbandry. Wanna read something more boring than watching paint dry? Clements, M. and Kelly, J. By doing this you can prevent accidental killings, as well as promptly remove any still born pups from the cage. i am so excited!!! Guinea pigs love to communicate. The average lifespan of the guinea pig is four or five years, but it can live much longer. Here are some things we had to think about when we found out our guinea pig was pregnant: We adhered to the following recommended feeding guidelines for pregnant guinea pigs: RELATED: CLICK HERE to read about our unexpected guinea pig pregnancy and how to tell if your guinea pig is pregnant. Paying lots of brief visits to your litter with mother, and getting them used to gentle handling without worrying them are going to be a vital foundation of good socialization. When they dont respond to her attention, she tries cleaning them more and more vigorously, until eventually she ends up damaging them. You can also give them a comfortable place to sleep, like a bed or hammock. Guinea pigs can be aggressive towards each other if they are not adequately trained. The surprising truth is that it happens more often than youd think. Guinea pigs dont hibernate, but they will slow down their metabolism and activity in order to stay warm, Read More Do Guinea Pigs Hibernate? Hold him against your chest to help him feel secure and safe. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? The sow eating her pups may be starving. Although they are capable of eating almost immediately, baby guineas do still need to nurse and they will seek milk about every two hours. Your guinea pig's individual personality will likely play a big role in this. Regarding animal parents, there is no greater love than that of a mother for her young. i've been keeping this a secret for over a week now!! Watch carefully for signs of stress or discomfort. She checked each one of them and licked them clean immediately following their birth. We placed an additional water bottle in the cage so that it was low enough for the babies to reach it. Guinea pigs are cute and quite intelligent pets. At worst, it can cause her to reject them. Orphans should be fed by an eyedropper or pet nurse within the first 12 to 24 hours of life. Continue to give milk to puppies for 21 days even when they start eating solid food. This can harm the guinea pigs health, as they may become stressed or depressed. Why Do Guinea Pigs Sometimes Eat Their Young? When you touch them be soft and gentle. This article has been extensively revised for 2019. Many living creatures eat other members of their species when necessary for survival. This page is stuffed full of information about how to care for your baby guinea pig. Keeping the father around is a very bad idea and adds to the stress of the female guinea pig about to deliver her litter. She needs more food and more nutrients to prepare her for the process of giving birth and nursing her babies. The size of the pups is often relative to how many pups there are in the litter. If your guinea pig becomes acquainted with someone they don't trust, they may become quiet or hide when that person is nearby. Theres no fixed moment when a guinea pig stops being a pup and becomes an adult. You can take some precautions to lower the risk of a guinea pig baby being eaten. Do everything you can to fulfill the wants and needs of the pregnant female, to make her feel safe and comfortable. Baby guinea pigs typically stay with their mother for about three weeks, but this can vary depending on the situation. My first piggy some years ago did a big dance of joy each time I came back home after some days of being away. New babies are born with teeth, claws, and fur. Secondly, even an experienced guinea pig mom might resort to eating her young if she is severely malnourished. Wanna Give Your Piggies the 5 STAR Treatment? If you want some more information on guinea pig interactions, check out these posts: The Truth About Single Guinea Pigs (Is It Okay To Just Have One?) Yes, female guinea pigs do nurse their young for a few weeks after birth. Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? Many time, the pup gets killed accidentally and the mother eats it because she has a survival instinct. Change the water daily. Coming up with a cute guinea pig name is a lot of fun, but can be tough. Another challenge that people face is that they may not be able to tell if the guinea pig is sick or not. It's often the result of starvation, stress, inexperience, or trauma. The name pup calls to mind baby dogs, but guinea pigs actually belong to a family of rodent species called cavies. The act of cannibalism in guinea pigs is usually the mother trying to protect the rest of her litter from predators. If a guinea pig mother cannot nurse her babies due to illness or death, keep the orphans with as many pet guinea pigs as possible. Not only that, but they also have a full body of fur, and even their little claws are developed. Female cavies are called sows and males are called boars. Donnelly, T. M. and Brown, C. J., Guinea Pig and Chinchilla Care and Husbandry, Veterinary Clinics Exotic Animal Practice, 2004. How do I know when my guinea pig is ready to give birth? How Can I Prevent Guinea Pigs From Eating Their Babies? Once they die, she might eat them. Domestic guinea pigs originated in South America but today these vocal, sociable creatures thrive in households across the globe. Guinea pig babies are born looking like mini versions of their mama. They are basically saying . An inexperienced sow might accidentally damage her young with her teeth whilst trying to clean them up after the birth. Do Guinea Pigs Eat Their Babies? Other factors that make eating (or killing) the pups less likely include: piggies are natural herbivores and they have good maternal instincts (for rodents, anyway). One reason why a guinea pig mother might eat one of her pups is that she is extremely malnourished. Be prepared to assess them quickly, because they wont like to be held in that position for long! It is important to note that guinea pigs can get attached to their owners and may experience signs of separation anxiety when they are not around. A cage with a deep pan will make it more difficult for your guinea pigs to escape, but its not necessary. 15 Best Pet Freshwater Fish For Beginners. Provide a pregnant guinea pig with extra food, water, and nutrients. So it is not good practice by caring breeders. National Geographic. Talk to him with a soft voice and pet his head. On average, baby guinea pigs come in litters of 2-4, and weigh 70-115g. Check out these most popular guinea pig products on the market: Last update on 2023-02-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. If your guinea pig becomes restless or starts to squeak loudly it is a sign that he is ready to go back to his cage. Medical Disclaimer. This is extremely taxing on the body of the female guinea pig and dangerous to her. Giving birth is very stressful for guinea pigs and the mortality rate of pregnant guinea pigs is quite high due to complications that occur during the delivery process. (700 to 1,100 grams), according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW). However, too much calcium is dangerous for an adult guinea pig. Guinea pigs have a good sense of hearing, so they will potentially even be able to hear you coming from down the hall. The advantage of choosing the Midwest Habitat Plus is that it offers up to 8 square feet of space, its very affordable, and you can transfer your male guinea pig to a different section early. Guinea pigs cannot survive alone. They're all grown now, but they keep me busy! This can hurt their health and well-being. The same goes for males. She is also teaching them how to interact with other guinea pigs. The causes are different for each species. Give herenough food as she needs nourishment, so never have her food bowl empty. Whining is typically a noise made by the more passive guinea pig to communicate to a guinea pig that is more pushy or dominant. Keeping your guinea pig healthy and happy is an ongoing process that will require lots of dedication and effort from you. When I'm not writing, I enjoy kickboxing and work as an animal trainer. Lets explain why guinea pigs may eat their babies. From the moment they are born they are unusually mature and capable of looking after themselves. It is rare, but it does happen. It may take some time for him to become comfortable with you. Most experts believe that guinea pigs are relatively emotionally resilient creatures and are unlikely to suffer significant emotional distress due to being separated from their young. This often happens when owners of female guinea pigs discover an unplanned pregnancy and arent able to care for all the babies. Can a Guinea Pig Baby Live Without the Mother? Compared to other rodents, guinea pigs (both in captivity and in the wild) will very rarely choose to eat their offspring. They will continue to nurse from mom for somewhere between three and six weeks. In the next section weve assembled some of the most commonly asked questions our readers have about their baby guinea pigs. Yes, guinea pigs do mourn. You cannot do any harm by touching your adult guinea pig or its babies. As a whole, guinea pigs do not eat their offspring, but it can happen. Home - Guinea Pigs - Do Guinea Pigs Miss Their Owners? You need to be able to provide your guinea pigs with regular ample attention all the time. Let's hear it for the boys. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the water bottle at least once per week. Weve already covered the reproductive cycle of guinea pigs and pregnancy and how to tell if a guinea pig is pregnant, so you can learn much more about these topics in our articles. While it might not be anything to worry about, sometimes it can be a sign of sickness. When they grow up, male guinea pigs are called boars, and females are called sows. After three weeks, baby guinea pigs can be separated from their mother and placed with other guinea pigs or their owner. (And How? It was fascinating to watch our new mom clean up after her newborn baby guinea pigs. They might surprise you with how busy and outgoing they are too. Do guinea pigs get attached to their owners? (n.d.). Female guinea pigs dont intentionally eat their babies nor do they kill them to eat them. To do this, we learned it is best to wean the males by removing them from their mom and sisters cage at three weeks and moving them to a separate cage. A female needs to give birth for the first time before the age of 7 months. Allowing siblings to breed also poses a risk of dangerous congenital disorders to their offspring. This is necessary to prevent pregnancy. Its also the age of the youngest baby guinea pigs in pet stores. Do Guinea Pigs Like Stuffed Animals? And guinea pigs are quite fertile little creatures too! When a guinea pig is malnourished, it means that the guinea pig is not getting enough of the vitamins and nutrients that its body needs. Now, if you have a dog or even a cat, you are sure it misses you when you have to go to work but do guinea pigs miss their owners? Yet, sometimes, guinea pigs can eat their babies. How long does it take for guinea pigs to be born? They are not cannibalistic because they are starving. This website was inspired by our guinea pig pair, Theo and Remmy, and is our familys journey to becoming the best guinea pig parents. Although guinea pigs need the presence of other guinea pigs, attention from human beings is also essential for their well-being. Well chart the milestones of their first days and weeks, and find out what to expect if you discover your female guinea pig is expecting. Lots of small animals (think rats and rabbits) have reputations for being prolific breeders. When can baby guinea pigs be separated from their mother? You might even have witnessed them start to join in with social grooming by this point. Guinea Pig Lifespan How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live? Here are some of our top baby guinea pig name lists to help you feel inspired! In general, most female guinea pigs who survives birth and delivery will and raise her litter without any issues. When you do approach the a baby guinea pig, be careful to move slowly and gently. However, in captivity that shouldnt happen at all because responsible pet owners keep them separate from pregnant and lactating sows and their babies. Although piggies are so cute, you cant always be there to have a staring contest with them. Getting guinea pigs used to handling from an early age is an important part of rearing confident, relaxed pets. View our privacy policy and our disclosure policy for more information. A single guinea pig living by themselves often become gloomy, confused, and spiritless. The bond between a mother and her baby is crucial for the babys development. The Best Pet Health & Care Advice from Real Vets | PetMD. Garner-Richardson, V., Guinea Pig Nutrition, The Veterinary Nurse, 2013. Breeding of guinea pigs is strongly discouraged. male guinea pig staying with the mother and babies, guinea pigs can get attached to their owners. When separated from their parents, they often experience anxiety and depression. (And yes, its one of the more gruesome animal interactions in the wild.). Its just as important that your baby guinea pig also spends most of their time with other guinea pigs. Cute Guinea Pig Names 200 Unique Names To Choose From, Cow Names Over 400 Amazing Names For Your Cattle, Giving your litter the best start begins before your sow is even pregnant make sure she has a clean bill of health from a vet before she is mated, and buy a. No. They will understand. All rights reserved. The average guinea pig gestation is 59 72 days. How To Prevent a New Mother from Eating Her Babies? Yet, the mother guinea pig will take care of them during the first few weeks, so dont separate them from her. Some have lengthy, silky hair, and others have brief, tough coats. Pettijohn, T. F., Attachment and Separation Distress in the Infant Guinea Pig, Developmental Psychobiology, 1979. You will get a kick out of their eagerness to chase each other around and play, and maybe even start popcorning. A pregnant guinea pig requires a lot of extra nutrition. They need supervised time out of their cages each day to run around and exercise. So, pet parents should be cautious and prepared when dealing with pregnant sows. Make sure to feed your guinea pig hay of high quality. Guinea pigs do not share a similar parent-child bond like that of their siblings with their parents. Yes, guinea pigs eat their babies albeit very rarely, mostly by accident.