My guinea pig sometimes worries me a lot because he doesn’t want to come out of his cage. So I did some research to see and find out the reason for his behavior.
Why does my guinea pig not want to come out of the cage?
When the guinea pig does not want to leave the cage, the reason is usually stress, or it is afraid of something in its environment.
For example, the occurrence of stress can be from other pets, very loud noise or changes in his environment.
In today’s article you will find out why the guinea pig does not want to leave the cage, as well as other questions related to the topic.
Why does my guinea pig not want to come out of the cage?
When a guinea pig does not want to leave the cage, it is usually related to stress and fear of something that surrounds it.
The reasons can be different such as:
- other pets
- change in the environment
- a lot of noise
Therefore, let’s take a closer look at how these and other reasons affect his behavior and what to do in such situations.
When the guinea pig is still new in your home
When the guinea pig is still new in your home, it will not want to leave the cage because it will need time to get used to the new environment.
At first, the guinea pig will hide in the house in its cage and may not come out at all, except when it needs to eat or drink water.
The same can happen if the guinea pig moves to a new home with you, then just like you, it will need time to get used to it.
But this will last for a few days, and then the guinea pig will start to come out more and want to explore inside the cage.
The guinea pig may not want to move at all
When the guinea pig does not want to be seen inside the cage at all, then the reason may be some illness or injury.
This can especially happen if your pet used to move and explore the environment normally and suddenly doesn’t want to move anymore.
In such situations, it is obvious that your pet has a problem, it could be a disease, and it should be taken to a veterinarian to be examined.
The guinea pig is stressed
When guinea pigs are stressed they don’t want to move, they freeze and other similar signs.
Stress can appear as a result of changes in their diet, changes in their environment, fear of other pets, noise, etc.
When guinea pigs are stressed they show the following signs:
- hide in the cage
- behave aggressively
- they bite the bars of the cage
- they dress up too much or too little
That’s why you should pay attention to your pet, to know what could be the cause of stress, so you can help him more easily.
Fear of predators
Guinea pigs are mostly prey animals in nature, so they have a fear of predators such as other pets in your home.
If you keep a cat or a dog, it can be a problem for your guinea pig, and he does not want to leave the cage or his house.
Even though other pets probably won’t do anything to him, and won’t threaten his safety, the guinea pig can still be afraid and hide.
Therefore, it is recommended not to keep a guinea pig and other pets together in the same room.
A loud noise
Guinea pigs are afraid of loud noises such as TVs in your home or loud talking to strangers in their vicinity.
In these situations, your pet will hide in its house or bedding until the noise decreases.
Therefore, make sure that you always speak quietly, and that there is no loud noise or similar things that disturb your pet.
How to help a guinea pig to start getting out of the cage?
When a guinea pig does not want to come out of the cage, you should do everything you can to allow him to overcome the stress, fear, or any reason that is responsible for his behavior.
Here are some things you can do:
- Avoid making frequent changes in your home, or your guinea pig’s cage. Any change can cause stress and fear that will make him not want to leave his cage.
- Other pets should be kept away from the guinea pig because although they will not attack him, they will still frighten and disturb him.
- When the guinea pig is stressed, talk to him gently and quietly until his condition improves.
- In the guinea pig’s cage, there should always be enough toys and other objects that will make him happier and less stressed.
- The guinea pig should be away from loud noise, and traffic near your home, and you should not play loud music or TV.
All these factors affect your pet, the better its living environment, the more it will want to get out of its cage.
Related questions
Why won’t my guinea pig walk?
When a guinea pig cannot walk then there are problems or injuries to its body.
If you notice that the guinea pig is limping or just dragging its legs then it is an injury and you must react immediately.
It is best to immediately take him to a veterinarian to examine him and see what the problem is, what kind of injury it is and to determine the appropriate therapy or treatment to cure him.
How do I know if my guinea pig is unhappy?
When guinea pigs are unhappy they show certain signs of stress and nervousness in their behavior.
They will start to be aggressive, not wanting to socialize, reduce eating and drinking water, and have similar signs.
Therefore, pay attention to his behavior and when you notice that something is wrong, you must help your pet.
Do guinea pigs like to be out of their cage?
Yes, guinea pigs like to be out of their cage, so you should let them out occasionally.
At least once a day you should allow your guinea pig to be outside the cage for at least an hour.
When the guinea pigs are out of the cage they are happy and content, which is good for their health.
When you let the guinea pigs out of the cage they will run which is good for their fitness.
Is it bad to walk a guinea pig?
You can put a harness on it and walk your guinea pig, but it’s still not the best idea.
Because pulling your pet can cause problems for their spine, which is very delicate in these animals.
Another problem is that guinea pigs are not like dogs, they are not used to walking beside you with a leash, so it is best not to try it at all.
Read more: Can A Dirty Cage Kill Guinea Pigs? Answers And Advices
Conclusion
Guinea pigs do not want to come out of the cage when they are under stress, they are scared and can get stressed and have other consequences.
Guinea pigs do not like changes in their environment, loud noise, other pets, and similar factors that affect their behavior.
provide the guinea pig with a better living environment, so that it will be happier and not afraid to escape from its cage.
Read more: Guinea Pig Safety: How to Keep Mice Out of the Cage
