Advise on introducing lap time

[Lizzieejoyce]

Hello all, hope everyone is well?

Any advice on how to introduce lap time/cuddles to two older sows?

I rescued two sows (sisters) 8 weeks ago with no knowledge of their background, other than them being at the rescue centre for 4 months beforehand.

To start with, they wouldn't let me touch them although would take food from my hand very early on. Nowadays occasionally I can stroke their noses two or three times but they bat away pretty quickly. They desperately need their nails clipping too and I don't want their first experience of being handled to effectively being grabbed and held down.

They are naturally very curious, visibly happy, they always come up to their pen when I'm near and smell my hand but that's about it.

So any advice is welcome, other than persuading with food as I do that daily. Perhaps there are guides already on here that I haven't come across?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Sounds like they have bonded with you well!
Some piggies simply will not like being handled, no matter how friendly they are in the cage! My own two boys are like this so their handling is just for health checks etc, they simply don’t like being handled otherwise. It is stressful for me and for them but over time you get better at getting the jobs done without upsetting them. They may even come round to liking it in time!

You can use this guide How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely to help you catch them. Wrap them in a towel and clip the nails. It may that you can only get a couple done, perhaps just one foot - it may take several goes to do every nail. Clip a little off at a time, its much easier than trying to take everything off in one go.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all, hope everyone is well?

Any advice on how to introduce lap time/cuddles to two older sows?

I rescued two sows (sisters) 8 weeks ago with no knowledge of their background, other than them being at the rescue centre for 4 months beforehand.

To start with, they wouldn't let me touch them although would take food from my hand very early on. Nowadays occasionally I can stroke their noses two or three times but they bat away pretty quickly. They desperately need their nails clipping too and I don't want their first experience of being handled to effectively being grabbed and held down.

They are naturally very curious, visibly happy, they always come up to their pen when I'm near and smell my hand but that's about it.

So any advice is welcome, other than persuading with food as I do that daily. Perhaps there are guides already on here that I haven't come across?

Hi!

You may also find this guide here helpful for introducing lap time.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Please respect that guinea pigs are not naturally born snugglers. If you give them the freedom to trust you enough to say no to you and tell you what they like and what not, you are making them a much more precious present that will lead to a much more interactive relationship and not just a human centric one. Keep in mind that what you see on social media is driven by human preferences and is by no means a realistic depiction of guinea pig owning. Who wants to see a video with piggies not interested in cuddling?

Please also be aware that interaction with guinea pigs is not just via lap time; in fact you are missing out on the real fun time when you play with your piggies in other ways and allow them to adopt you as their playmate and friend.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[JimmythePig]

I am so relieved to read this, thank you for posting. Jimmy isn't crazy about lap time either, and yes I did watch videos and truly felt I was letting him down. But I love just sitting on the floor with him, experiencing his world. He climbs on my lap, checks out everything I do, and I check out everything he does too. To watch him eat his hay, shuffle through to get the best bits, watch as he pushes toys aside to get them out of the way, watch him run from me back to his pen and then back to me when I call him, I laugh out loud so many times. And I really believe he enjoys it too. He accepts lots of pets on the head and now on the cheek too.
I would love to get in more lap time, but now dont feel like Jimmy is missing out if we are just not there yet.

 

[Lizzieejoyce]

Sounds like they have bonded with you well!
Some piggies simply will not like being handled, no matter how friendly they are in the cage! My own two boys are like this so their handling is just for health checks etc, they simply don’t like being handled otherwise. It is stressful for me and for them but over time you get better at getting the jobs done without upsetting them. They may even come round to liking it in time!

You can use this guide How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely to help you catch them. Wrap them in a towel and clip the nails. It may that you can only get a couple done, perhaps just one foot - it may take several goes to do every nail. Clip a little off at a time, its much easier than trying to take everything off in one go.

Thank you so much for your comment, useful stuff! The day after posting this I ended up sitting on the edge of their pen, got them in a tunnel, plonked them on my lap with some lettuce and held them close until they calmed down then slowly petted them. They loved it! Eyes were closing, chirping none stop and one let her legs go all floppy. They still won’t let me pet them otherwise though but we’ve definitely made progress.

I tried clipping their nails today, what a nightmare that is! I got the two long nails that needed doing after a while and the rest can wait. Will check out that guide you’ve shared. Thank you again x

 

[Lizzieejoyce]

Hi!

You may also find this guide here helpful for introducing lap time.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Please respect that guinea pigs are not naturally born snugglers. If you give them the freedom to trust you enough to say no to you and tell you what they like and what not, you are making them a much more precious present that will lead to a much more interactive relationship and not just a human centric one. Keep in mind that what you see on social media is driven by human preferences and is by no means a realistic depiction of guinea pig owning. Who wants to see a video with piggies not interested in cuddling?

Please also be aware that interaction with guinea pigs is not just via lap time; in fact you are missing out on the real fun time when you play with your piggies in other ways and allow them to adopt you as their playmate and friend.
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Thank you I’m aware cuddling isn’t always primarily for the guinea pig and I would never inflict it upon them if they genuinely didn’t like it. I just wanted to get lap time in to see if they did or not, if the didn’t I’d respect that, but if they did then we could enjoy the experience together.

I’ve read the enrichment post and followed that comprehensively which has been great, there’s definitely so much to guinea pigs other than giving them a stroke.

The day after I posted this I just went for it, sat on the edge of their pen with a towel and lettuce and transported them in a tunnel and got them out on my lap, held them securely and waited to see their response. They calmed and I went in for a tentative pet and they loved it, closing their eyes and making their little happy noises, one let her back leg go all limp. Still no closer to petting a side from that and picking them up as a dramatic nightmare but understand that’s prey instincts and I should expect nothing less.

thank you again!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you I’m aware cuddling isn’t always primarily for the guinea pig and I would never inflict it upon them if they genuinely didn’t like it. I just wanted to get lap time in to see if they did or not, if the didn’t I’d respect that, but if they did then we could enjoy the experience together.

I’ve read the enrichment post and followed that comprehensively which has been great, there’s definitely so much to guinea pigs other than giving them a stroke.

The day after I posted this I just went for it, sat on the edge of their pen with a towel and lettuce and transported them in a tunnel and got them out on my lap, held them securely and waited to see their response. They calmed and I went in for a tentative pet and they loved it, closing their eyes and making their little happy noises, one let her back leg go all limp. Still no closer to petting a side from that and picking them up as a dramatic nightmare but understand that’s prey instincts and I should expect nothing less.

thank you again!

Picking up is always the sticking point, but the fact that they loved being petted and were very relaxed on your lap means that they are trusting you intrinsically. The rest is a matter of practice. Try to connect a pick up with different melodies in your call so they can brace for what is at the other end and create a melodic phrase for taking them back home to their cage again as well (whether that is from your lap, the scales or the vet). also fix an appropriate image in your head and connect that with the feeling and thought that you are keeping them safe and sound and are here to protect them.

This gives them time to brace for what is to come and they will eventually learn that there are no horrors at the other end... it is a process that is slow and takes time and practice, but you are very much on the right path and should be proud of yourself just how far you have already come (actually you have taken pretty much nearly all the big hurdles) and how much your piggies trust you!

 

[Lizzieejoyce]

Picking up is always the sticking point, but the fact that they loved being petted and were very relaxed on your lap means that they are trusting you intrinsically. The rest is a matter of practice. Try to connect a pick up with different melodies in your call so they can brace for what is at the other end and create a melodic phrase for taking them back home to their cage again as well (whether that is from your lap, the scales or the vet). also fix an appropriate image in your head and connect that with the feeling and thought that you are keeping them safe and sound and are here to protect them.

This gives them time to brace for what is to come and they will eventually learn that there are no horrors at the other end... it is a process that is slow and takes time and practice, but you are very much on the right path and should be proud of yourself just how far you have already come (actually you have taken pretty much nearly all the big hurdles) and how much your piggies trust you!

I do that too, I say the same phrases in the same ways and that’s been hugely useful. It’s odd though, they clearly trust me and like to be pet but only when they’re in my arms. If they’re in their pen they will run up, smell my hand and squeak a load but they’ll run a mile if I try to gently touch them.

I’m glad I’m making progress, feels like it’s taken a lifetime!

 

[Lizzieejoyce]

That’s so sweet, sounds like you’ve both bonded very strongly. How long have you had him for? & have you had him on your lap for cuddles yet?

 

[Lizzieejoyce]

I am so relieved to read this, thank you for posting. Jimmy isn't crazy about lap time either, and yes I did watch videos and truly felt I was letting him down. But I love just sitting on the floor with him, experiencing his world. He climbs on my lap, checks out everything I do, and I check out everything he does too. To watch him eat his hay, shuffle through to get the best bits, watch as he pushes toys aside to get them out of the way, watch him run from me back to his pen and then back to me when I call him, I laugh out loud so many times. And I really believe he enjoys it too. He accepts lots of pets on the head and now on the cheek too.
I would love to get in more lap time, but now dont feel like Jimmy is missing out if we are just not there yet.

That’s so sweet, sounds like you’ve both bonded very strongly. How long have you had him for? & have you had him on your lap for cuddles yet?

 

[Wiebke]

I do that too, I say the same phrases in the same ways and that’s been hugely useful. It’s odd though, they clearly trust me and like to be pet but only when they’re in my arms. If they’re in their pen they will run up, smell my hand and squeak a load but they’ll run a mile if I try to gently touch them.

I’m glad I’m making progress, feels like it’s taken a lifetime!

Hi!

Only a very few of my piggies will actually tolerate a cuddle when in their pen or free roaming and they have the choice to say no. It is mostly my neutered boars but not many sows that will a allow a little pet although a goodly number of them are perfectly fine with a cuddle at laptime and they definitely trust me.
Some just don't like to have much to do with humans, and they get as hands-off a life as I can give them with the necessary health monitoring and grooming. I take great care to see that they are happy and stable with a companion or a group and live as happy a piggy life as I can give them.

This obsession with breathing living toy pets is sadly fuelled by humans wanting to watch 'cute' videos... What you are dealing with is a species in their own right that you have given the wonderful gift of being themselves and of being allowed to express themselves fully as they are. There is nothing wrong with your love and with your piggies - just a need to adjust to a less glamorous but ultimately more satisfying reality in which you can be assured that you have given your piggies the happiest life of their own choice and that whatever they give you is entirely freely given by small prey animals that have not been trained to be a perfect cuddly toy for a human - but nothing more.

 

[JimmythePig]

So impressed, especially with nail trim! I have had Jimmy for couple of months now. He is a single boar I am fostering from a shelter while it's closed for the pandemic. When he first arrived, I did have him out for cuddles and he seemed to enjoy them. He had a health scare (bladder stones) and went back to the shelter for 3 weeks. Maybe from all the poking and prodding, but he doesn't seem so keen on cuddles since he's been back. But he does enjoy head strokes and cheek strokes. He is a real cutie. It sound like your two have found themselves a wonderful home!