It can be difficult to interpret an animal’s behavior, especially if he or she is new to your household.
Some guinea pigs freeze and refuse to move outside the cage as a response to stress. The animal could be overwhelmed by the surroundings in general or afraid of something in particular. Common potential stressors include another pet, noise, or recent changes in the environment.
If your guinea pig is new to your home, it might just need time to adjust. If your pet is not new but still does not want to explore, consider potential stressors in the environment and address them.
If Your Guinea Pig Is New To Your Home
Not moving much – inside and outside the cage – could be a very normal reaction to a new environment.
Guinea pigs are often prey animals in their natural habitats, so it is their instinct to become inconspicuous when they are in an unfamiliar place. They either burrow and hide or they just freeze.
If that is the case and your pet is new or if you moved to a new house, you may need to give your guinea pig some time to adjust. Make sure your pet has everything essential, such as water and food, bedding, and a good hiding spot, and let the animal be for a few days. You will know your new pet is ready to interact if it is starting to explore and consume food and water as needed.
A new pet should become accustomed to the cage first before being let out to explore the whole room. Once your guinea pig is comfortable in the cage and is not afraid of you when you reach out to hold your pet, let it walk outside the cage.
If Your Guinea Pig Is Not Moving At All
If your guinea pig is not new to your home and there is a sudden change in its behavior, including refusing to move around, your pet could be ill and/or in pain. Pets will often stop eating at the same time and have decreased urine output.
If you notice sudden or gradual changes that signal distress, you should take your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
COMMON STRESSORS THAT LEAD TO A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR IN GUINEA PIGS
Changes In The Routine
Like most animals, guinea pigs prefer routines when it comes to daily events and the kinds of food and bedding they have.
Any change can become a stressor and lead to a change in behavior, including decreased movement. Sudden changes are especially hard on these pets. Moving to a new place is a very likely culprit to new behaviors, particularly freezing outside the cage as a response to a major change in the surroundings.
Prey Mentality
Guinea pigs are the prey of many carnivorous animals and birds in the wild. They evolved to run away and hide to save themselves. So if you have ruled out an illness and your furry friend just freezes outside the cage, it could be due to feeling exposed and vulnerable.
It is possible that your pet just needs a little time, especially if they have not been outside the cage too many times. If your guinea pig interacts with you and knows you, you could sit with your pet and see if your furry friend relaxes and moves around. If not, let it go back to its habitat.
If the guinea pig resumes normal behavior when returned to the cage, then it probably just needs more time to grow comfortable outside of the cage.
Fear Of Another Pet
If you have another pet (other than another guinea pig), observe their interactions.
Dogs and cats may be aggressive toward smaller pets unless they are brought up together. Even if your other pet ignores the guinea pig and does not think much of it, the guinea pig may still be petrified at the very sight of a larger animal.
Noise
Of course, noise does not get any louder outside the cage but being outside of the comfort of the familiar habitat could make sounds more frightening. Soft familiar sounds are best for the times you try to introduce your pet to the space outside the cage.
Talking to your guinea pig in your regular voice may be helpful to decrease the level of stress. It is also important to note that a guinea pig’s sense of hearing is more acute than that of people, so be mindful of the fact that what may be a comfortable level of noise for you could be overwhelming for your pet.
SIGNS OF STRESS IN GUINEA PIGS
If your guinea pig freezes outside the cage due to stress, it may act normally upon return to the cage. However, usually, you may notice some signs of stress in the animal’s behavior in general, including the following:
- Changes in eating and drinking, as well as voiding patterns
- Hiding or sleeping more than usually
- Chewing on the bars of the cage
- Aggressive behavior
- Restlessness
- Over-grooming or grooming less than normally
HOW TO HELP YOUR GUINEA PIG BECOME COMFORTABLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD
When it comes to helping your guinea pig reduce the level of stress associated with venturing outside the cage, the best bet is to remove the stressor, if you have identified one. Sometimes your pet may need time to get used to it.
There are several things you could try to help your pet:
- A general recommendation is to have at least a couple of guinea pigs so they can keep each other company. Being able to socialize and play together decreases the stress level and allows your pets to venture out more confidently. That said, if you have several of them, their cage needs to be a roomy one.
- Do your best to provide a spacious habitat with some hideout spots and toys to keep your guinea pigs busy and happy in their cage.
- Avoid making any changes suddenly.
- If your guinea pig is new to your home, avoid taking it out of the cage and handling it too much until the animal is comfortable. All introductions should be gradual.
- Speak to your pet in a soft voice when you add food or clean the cage.
- Keep the cage away from high-traffic areas in your home, away from the noise.
- Don’t let your other pets spend much time in the cage, even if they cannot reach the guinea pig.
- If your guinea pig is stressed out and tries to hide, let it be and approach your pet at a later time.
Related Question:
Do Guinea Pigs Have Good Hearing?
Guinea pigs hear very well, especially at high frequencies. They are more sensitive to high-pitched sounds than people. These animals should not be regularly exposed to noise and music so loud that you would need to raise your voice to be heard in a conversation. Guinea pigs also take frequent naps, so they need periods of quiet time to get some rest throughout the day.
