advice for a newbie please.

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m246

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hi there, two weeks ago we got two young boars( bonsai and rockstar).they are now 10 weeks old and so cute. i am stumbling across some problems though. i have been reading through alot of posts on this site ( which i love btw ) and i know that they are very timid animals etc, but i just feel like they are still terrified of me after two weeks.the minute the door opens to the garden they go fleeing into their bedroom and then i spend time trying to coax them out with veg ( which i have to say they are now taking from my hand which i feel is progress :) ) it is only through the bars of the cage though because i just cant get near them at all. i cant lift them nor even pet them as they just run a mile. i talk to them constantly as I'm approaching the cage and all the time i am dealing with them ( my neighbours must think i am mad lol) and its just making me a little anxious. i feel like i dont know what i can do.ive been getting ran ragged trying to clean their hutch and today i tried to lift him out and i failed, ihate to think that i am terrifying him and he will keel over or something because i am scaring him so much.i tried and failed to get hold of him because he was darting around so much and then he started chattering his teeth at me so i just had to leave him alone.so basically in the two weeks we have had the boys they havent been lifted at all nor petted because i just cant get near enough. i have tried to lay my hand into their cage with cucumber(which they seem to love) on it but they wont come near unless its with them in the cage and me firmly on the outside. can anyone please give me some advice? i know that they are prey animals and timid,but i just feel like its never going to get better :(
 
Don't feel so down! It's a trial and error process :)
Your piggies by now probably know your smell, and as you say are happy to take food from you. Running away at unknown sounds and situations is natural, and can last till' old age. Particularly in the garden, they'll be more wary of predators, imagine them hearing such loud noise! It's just a common response.
As for picking them up, it's a matter of them getting used to it. Little steps can just help them get used to your presence inside the hutch, such as sitting with them, and keeping your hand close by until you can stroke them.
Then when you can pick them up, just keep them close and do so when you can, i'm sure they'll get used to you. :) Just be wary some pigs just don't like being carried, keep a towl close at hand to try relax them.

Good luck!
x
 
To start with, hello and welcome!

I know it can be frustrating when you want to cuddle your piggies and have them respond to and trust you, but two weeks isn't really all that long. Some piggies never get fully "used to" being picked up by their humans.

I think the key is to make sure they have a hidey hole somewhere that they can go in, but not get out so easily and pick them up quite firmly and confidently. If you seem nervous and hesitant, they will sense this and be even more nervous and hesitant themselves. Try and hold them close to you for several minutes, several times a day. They may shiver and seem tense (make sure you hold them securely in case they try and jump,) but the longer you hold them and stroke them, the more they will become used to you. Put a puppy training pad or towels on your lap to hold them (together preferably) on your lap for a long stretch without worrying if they wee.

Basically, it takes time, sometimes lots of time. My Griff nearly a year old now and it's only been in the past month or so that he is happy to be picked up without running to hide or struggling. If he hears a noise though, he'll still dart into his bedroom. Try and be patient. The end result of a couple warm, soft creatures, singing, licking your hand and dozing off on your lap is just magical and very worth it! Good luck!
 
Like Castaway I have a guinea pig that took a long time to be comfortable with me - it was nine months! I think what worked in the end was having his cage in the living room, with two hidey holes and lots of regular visits with parsley + grass. Parsley is a real favourite for all my guinea pigs and has the added bonus that it can be really long stemmed, so you can feed it to nervous piggies through bars from quite a distance.

Alot of my guineas, including the one I just described, don't like being picked up, even though they know I'm just going to be moving them to a box to be carried out to grass. I just try to gentle and get it over with quickly!

With your very nervous pigs, try using a small box on it's side or an upside down pigloo filled with hay + nice things to eat. Gently shepherd them into it, then carry them out to their run that way. At first, they will panic and run about like mad however gentle you are but when they get the hang of the routine they'll just get into the box/pigloo.
 
Every new piggie owner goes through the same worries and stresses dont worry! Its all part of piggie ownership, I have two boars both eleven weeks old and the bonding process has took a while (I've had them five weeks) Little Arthur my most nervous one hates been picked up, but is happy once he's settled on your knee, Harvey is completely different and doesnt run away when you stroke him in the cage and will lick and eat from your hand :) What I'd suggest is just taking time with your piggies, keep up what your doing at the moment and keep reinforcing the trust bond with them. I'd also suggest picking them up and placing them in a cozy cup/ old hat / blanket whilst stroking them on your lap perhaps with a tasty nibble or treat so they associate being picked up with safety and treats! Dont forget to be confident when picking them up and try not to chase them as much round the cage : )
I’d also suggest putting in a old sock tied at the end or a piece of old fabric with your scent on into the cage so they know your scent doesn’t mean threat.
With my boys I also sat in the run outside with them for an hour, without trying to touch them, they got used to my presence in the run and happily munched around me, as the days/weeks went by I started putting my hand down / near them and slowly worked it up to stroking them!
I’d also suggest keeping the cage not on the floor but on a table/ work top/ at a height so you don’t seem to daunting when you enter the room, it’ll take them a good few months/ even years to get used to household noises smells and sounds, although they’ll always run and hide with loud noises and if they’re feeling a little nervous!

Don’t worry your doing a fantastic job so far, they just need a little more time and encouragement and soon enough you’ll have piggies which will sit on your lap!

Good luck!
 
thank you very much for your replies,i know it is just a time issue and they have to gain your trust i think i just needed to hear that other people have gone through the same thing lol.
 
i cant believe the difference of our boys in a matter of a week. unbelievable.

i now lift them to and from the cage in a pigloo( the enclosed type with the floor),its so easy they are chilled out and so am i.i put a sock in the hutch with themtoo so dont know if this has helped the process too,they are really getting used to me and my son,they come out and eat in front of me,ive stroked them and had them on my knee in a cosybag.
gawd i just cant believe how far we have all come in basically a week.
i feel like a proud new mummy. :))
 
my bonnie boys bonsai and rockstar.


bonsaiandrockstar.jpg
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Your boys are beautiful!

Many people do not realise that the guinea pigs they have bought have had hardly any contact with humans beforehand and that it takes quite a long time for them to lose their natural fear of us big smelly loud monsters! Certainly longer than just two weeks.

Try to turn everything into a routine with the same phrases or sounds made with the same melody. Guinea pig do react more to your tone than the words themselves. Picking up is generally a problem and most guinea pigs will never love the moment of being picked up - it cuts too close to their prey animal instincts. Praise your boys like you would a little dog for everything they are doing right - they will love your encouragement!
 
thank you :)

i have had a rabbit before and i think i just thought they would be similar in nature. i read books before getting the boys and thought i was prepared but i didnt realise they would be so skittish and timid.I'm learning so much from this website though you are all brilliant. i seen the boys popcorn( well at least thats what i think they were doing, kinda jumping round the run as if they have the hiccups ?) today and it was just so good to see, every day i hear new wee noises from them or see them doing something different and its just so cool ( sorry i know I'm gushing but i just feel so happy that they are obviously getting used to me and are visabley more relaxed around me *insert big cheesy grin here )
 
Just give them time; you are doing everything right and by the sound of it, they are settling in - popcorning is a VERY good sign!
 
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