scruffy&midnight
New Born Pup
hi! i recently got 2 male piggies for 2019 Christmas i have not been able to gain there trust and bond with them they let me pick them up though
can you help me with this
can you help me with this
Bonding with new pigs
- Thread starter scruffy&midnight
- Start date
I’ve asked for your post to be moved to its own thread to enable you to get more replies.
Do you mean you got them the Christmas just gone, so you’ve only had them for a couple of weeks, or that you got them for 2019 Christmas so you’ve had them a year?
Piggies who don’t trust you will not let you pick them up....in fact piggies who do trust their owner usually don’t let them pick them up!
If you’ve only had them for a few weeks, then being skittish and nervous is entirely normal. Piggies are prey animals and generally don’t like being handled or loomed over. Are they letting you actually pick them up from the cage without being herded into a carrier? How do they react when you’ve got hold of them? Often that can be a tell tale sign - sometimes piggies who sit still when held are simply frozen with fear rather than enjoying it but we would need further information from you to determine further your relationship with them - some piggies do enjoy being handled
Will they take food from your hand? This is one of the first steps in gaining trust. Simply sit by the cage and offer food to them. they will gradually learn you aren’t a threat and will not be scared to take food from you. it took one of mine six weeks to do this but but took the other 18 months to be brave enough. Neither of mine like being handled (they struggle and try to get away - which is actually a good thing as it shows they are confident enough with me to tell me they don’t like it) they certainly cannot be picked up directly from the cage (have to be herded into a carrier first). Both trust me though and are happy to be around me as long as I don’t try to touch them!
The guides below can help with further information.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs