stool and overall well being

Question
We got a 3 year old male guinea pig about 5 weeks ago. Very sweet and calm. Just curious about a few things as we are learning to care for him.
1st question - sometimes his stool is soft and sometimes hard. I know it is supposed to be hard. What in his diet could we be giving him to make it harder? He gets hay in the am, lettuce, oranges, and a few grape tomatoes in the pm.

2nd question - When handling our pig, he seems contented and doesn't try to run away. However, when we first reach in his cage to get him, he runs under his igloo. Does this mean he does not want us to handle him? Sometimes it hurts my little girls feelings.

And last...when we take him outside to play he just sits there and nibbles. He's not one to run or walk around. I'm concerned he's not getting enough exercise. Please advise. Thanks

Answer
Hi Heidi

1) As you say the poo should be firm bean-like pieces, but not neccesarily hard, just firm. Nothing on the list particularly strikes me as something that would make the poo hard, but there is no need to worry unless it really is HARD.

2) You must remember that your pig may interpret someone reaching down to pick him up as a predator, especially if your hand seems to come from up above. Try bending down to as close to his level as possible. Also, he has only been with you for 5 weeks, so he may still be settling in.

3) My 3 boys are exactly the same. Rabbits need excersize, piggies dont as a rule, he will mainly enjoy nibbling and hiding under things for his entertainment so dont worry. I will tell you one funny thing though, I saw, in a pet store recently, a piggy harness that can be used to take them for walks like dogs lol!!!

andy