Confused By German Guinea-pig Forum

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Elitah

Elitah

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I just had a look at a German guinea-pig forum and wish I hadn't. People there are incredibly negative and one of them posted a link to a German website that explained that, besically, guinea-pigs don't want anything to do with humans, are not really that social among each other and hate being on human beings' laps and being stroked

We have had guinea-pigs since 2011 and my bf had guinea pigs years and years before as a teenager. We do our very best to treat them well and when we do take them out of the cage, they tend to cuddle up on our laps and they do look to us like they enjoy being stroked. It is warm and they begin to stretch out feet or might even fall asleep or they climb around on us. They do seem relaxed and seem to be enjoying themselves. Now that German website basically says they hate all of that and one should leave them alone, feed them, look at them once a week to see if they are alright and clean them out, but aside from that, leave them alone. it contradicts everythig we seem to have observed during the past years, plus Germans can have an almost hateful way of expressing themselves.

Am completely confused now. I've seen photos and read stories here of humans bonding with guinea pigs and I would never want to torture ours, but they always seemed like they wanted to be on our laps and liked the interaction with us. It's not like we take them out to cuddle all the time, either, each piggie maybe once a week (they live in pairs and we take them out together).

What do you all think about that? Is it really best to more or less leave them alone, feed them and clean them out, but other than that just watch them like fish in an aquarium?
 
I think its really personally preference and how said people have been brought up. My opinion is: All five of my guinea pigs are extremely social some more then others. Rambo and Maple let me stroke them without even flinching but the others are a bit more skittish. My mum is German and she loved her guinea pigs to bits and always took them out for cuddles.
If they choose to avoid human interaction that is their decision. You care for your guinea pigs your way and don't let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you think is right! In the end of the day - YOUR guinea pig decides whether it wants to be stroked. YOUR guinea pig decides whether it wants to sleep with you around. No one can dictate that or make him or her choose otherwise!
 
This is a common trend in Germany and some other countries. Its down to the individual. I don't feel in any way shape or form does picking your guinea pig up hinder its life in anyway. If its so then I hate to think why when I sit in my boys pens that they come sit on my knee through their own choice. I don't tend to pick mine up only to clean them out and health check, I sit and watch them a lot but when I do pick them up they love cuddles and if they are out or I sit in their cages (I have C&C) they will come and get on my knee for cuddles. They are skittish animals by nature as they are prey animals but they learn to trust and the bond you can gain is priceless.
 
I have had very bad experiences with German people who find out I hold my piggies. One accessed me of Stockholm syndrome and refused to talk to me ever again. If you never handle piggies how do you spot when they are ill? How do you get them used to having their nails cut? It seems pointless having them if you cannot interact with them. I totally understand how upset you are. My pen pal was horrified I bathed my piggies when they had lice and said it will stress them even more. They have such different ideas over there.
 
The Germans are currently going bonkers about (no) interaction with guinea pigs; they tend to overlook that guinea pigs (the species cavia procellus) have been domesticated for thousands of years and are by no means wild anymore.

While it is right that guinea pigs are primarily prey animals and not born as cuddly toys, many are quite happy to interact with humans and some are true cuddle monsters once you take the care and time to win their trust. As usual, the balance lies somewhere in between the extremes!

Sadly, the proponents of a new idea are often so messianic that they shoot themselves in the foot by shooting at any dissenter and very good at driving away any normal person! There are quite a few "beware the unwary" forums out there; when I was looking for a German or Swiss forum a few years ago, I only found one that I felt comfortable enough to join. From my own experiences, it always pays to lurk to get the feel of a place and to read the forum rules before you post!

Handling to check for illness and necessary grooming is essential; it also makes a trip to the vets, hand feeding and medicating far less traumatic - I doubt that they consider that in their wisdom!
 
In general the german standards in animal care are far higher but this one baffles me tbh.
 
I can tell that you are very interested in your GPs welfare and, from what I am reading, I am sure that you would be able to sense (and stop) if you were causing your piggies distress.
My opinion is that it is a good idea to handle your piggies. If they are used to being handled, it is less stressful for them if they NEED to be handled (nail clipping, weekly weigh ins etc).
My advice is that you enjoy spending this time with your GPs - just stop if your GP lets you know the feeling isn't mutual.
 
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There is a point for moving away from single pet piggies in tiny cages and providing the piggies with spacious, hay filled cages and plenty of interaction with their own kind to let them live a happy primarily piggy and not human life.

I am doing that myself in trying to offer my piggies "set dormitories", various hay trays, roaming time etc. I am finding the social interaction between a working piggy group absolutely fascinating, but my piggies are not wild, even though their primary focus is on their group and not me; they are still in a domestic pet setting in the end and rely on us for their health and ultimate wellbeing.

You lose a lot of the joys if you deny yourself piggy-led species interaction. I don't insist on petting with a piggy that truly doesn't enjoy it, but also trusts me enough to tell me so.

Surely I am doing something right?
 
I have four that hate being picked up but four snuggle bunnies that cuddle into my neck.At some point they nrpeed picked up for nails, vets etc.and how do you check their health if they won't let you near them.I sit in their cages and they come to me
 
How sad. I know if I dared deny my guinea pig Matthew any interaction he would be extremely displeased with me. This is the guinea pig that the day I met him, he followed me around the building as I was looking at the guinea pigs. He walked around the whole edge of the cage, following me as far as he could. I was told he utterly adores attention and now as an owner I know he does. He gives the most content pleased face when you sit there stroking his little chin or his nose, mouth open, eyes half shut looking in ecstasy. When you stop stroking to give attention to one of the other piggies, he starts chewing the bars to get your attention back.

I know not all guinea pigs adore being touched/attention etc but to give them none at all is sad, especially if one of your pigs get really ill and from lack of handling and bonding it would stress them out worse.
 
Amanda1801 said:
I went berlin in late November/early December just gone and their dogs are impeccably well behaved!
Click to expand...

I agree this is a positive but would argue that even well disciplined dogs like to be stroked and have their tummy tickled. (please note - I am not advising tummy ticking for guinea pigs)
 
Thanks for all your replies. For a short time yesterday, I was worried we were treating our piggies horribly and making them suffer, but they never looked like they were suffering. When we cuddle with them and stroke them, they stick out cute chicken legs and become very relaxed. The Germans would probably say they're just doing that to make us realize they've given in, but I think I would notice something then.

I myself am German, but I think I grew up a bit differently and my bf is English and we generally have a way of giving pets lots of attention and bonding with them. I used to be on a German hamster forum years ago, when I had a hamster myself, and realized back then how extreme and strict they were, so I stayed away from German pet forums and when we got guinea-pigs, I signed up here because I knew they were extreme. I found that German forum yesterday when I was looking for something completely different and I think I hadn't expected them to be that extreme.

Last night I also talked to my bf and showed him the website. He told me there wasn't just one good way of having guinea-pigs. Our three young ones were born in our sitting room (was an accident, we hadn't intended to breed) and from a few days on, we took them out on our laps, always with their mother Patch so they wouldn't be scared of beind separated from her and Patch seemed quite relaxed because we never ever took her babies away from her. As they grew up, they were very close to us and to this day, they seem to need the cuddling time and don't even mind us taking them out of the cage and then cuddle up immediately. Our Mr. You has his favourite place in my bf's arms and will stay there and sleep for hours if we let him. Little Cotton will first cuddle up and later, she starts wandering around on us. Spotty is like that too and the older one that we got from the animal shelter is learning it from her. Patch and Sparky don't need cuddles as much, but will be very happy when they get it. Once, they were sitting on the settee and Sparky wasn't happy with her for some reason and Patch squeaked like she was scared and disturbed by hom and then walked away from him over to me (I was sitting on the settee), looked up at me and I took her up on my legs where she curled up and calmed down.

I think I'll stay away from the German websites and I will just keep observing our piggies and how they react. But I'm grateful for your replied because I was suddenly very insecure.
Wiebke, I love the photo, those piggies are so adorable!
 
I love that picture, Wiebke :)

I have had piggies that wheek and wheek and come towards me for interaction and practically climb into my arms to be snuggled. My teddy girl, Ripple, is a very friendly cuddle monster. She actually walks on to my hands. Its cupboard love obviously - she knows I have veggies ;)

Her companion, Toffee, does not seem to enjoy that kind of interaction, so though I handle her each day to check her over I dont sit with her on my lap or insist on non-essential contact as she just gives me the sense that she does not enjoy it.

Equally with my boys, Jack and Boo and very human-orientated and socially interact with us (they are especially keen on my daughter who feeds them veggies and their pellets) whereas Pumpkin only tolerates me and I dont let the children handle him as he obviously does not like it.

You know your piggies :) Dont worry. Its just an internet forum trend I am guessing. People are very prone to getting carried away with ideas and taking them to extremes, especially when influened by the internet for some reason! Common sense and evaluating each situation/animal seems to fly out of the window!

What do the Germans think about Rabbits I wonder? I have a lionhead who is constantly under my feet....!
 
I spend time on German hamster forums and i do admire the utter devotion and space they give to their hams and the effort they put into food etc but I'm not convinced they're entirely right in all aspects especially handling
 
Elitah said:
Thanks for all your replies. For a short time yesterday, I was worried we were treating our piggies horribly and making them suffer, but they never looked like they were suffering. When we cuddle with them and stroke them, they stick out cute chicken legs and become very relaxed. The Germans would probably say they're just doing that to make us realize they've given in, but I think I would notice something then.

I myself am German, but I think I grew up a bit differently and my bf is English and we generally have a way of giving pets lots of attention and bonding with them. I used to be on a German hamster forum years ago, when I had a hamster myself, and realized back then how extreme and strict they were, so I stayed away from German pet forums and when we got guinea-pigs, I signed up here because I knew they were extreme. I found that German forum yesterday when I was looking for something completely different and I think I hadn't expected them to be that extreme.

Last night I also talked to my bf and showed him the website. He told me there wasn't just one good way of having guinea-pigs. Our three young ones were born in our sitting room (was an accident, we hadn't intended to breed) and from a few days on, we took them out on our laps, always with their mother Patch so they wouldn't be scared of beind separated from her and Patch seemed quite relaxed because we never ever took her babies away from her. As they grew up, they were very close to us and to this day, they seem to need the cuddling time and don't even mind us taking them out of the cage and then cuddle up immediately. Our Mr. You has his favourite place in my bf's arms and will stay there and sleep for hours if we let him. Little Cotton will first cuddle up and later, she starts wandering around on us. Spotty is like that too and the older one that we got from the animal shelter is learning it from her. Patch and Sparky don't need cuddles as much, but will be very happy when they get it. Once, they were sitting on the settee and Sparky wasn't happy with her for some reason and Patch squeaked like she was scared and disturbed by hom and then walked away from him over to me (I was sitting on the settee), looked up at me and I took her up on my legs where she curled up and calmed down.

I think I'll stay away from the German websites and I will just keep observing our piggies and how they react. But I'm grateful for your replied because I was suddenly very insecure.
Wiebke, I love the photo, those piggies are so adorable!
Click to expand...

I am a Swiss myself (but married to a Welshman, hence the Welsh piggy names); I grew up with piggies back in the seventies and eighties when living conditions and vet care were much more basic - even though we were keeping our piggies to as good a standard as was known then, and they were certainly not unhappy!

While I encourage my piggies to be piggy orientated first and foremost, I have increasingly found the German forums too extreme and narrow-minded and have stopped going there, especially as I used to be a mod on an international forum at the same time where you often had to deal with people in all kinds of places who had not the least concept of guinea pig care nor the possibilities to get hold of even basic things, so you had to wing it as best as you could, for the sake of the piggies!

Guinea pigs are very good at telling you what they want and how they feel; let them be your guide and use your commonsense! ;)
 
I think there is something to be said about pigs who do not like cuddles. Some do some dont. I have a mixed bag. I do tend to interact with the ones who arent happy with being picked up by playing with them during floor time or in their cage these pigs I find will often like a head rub in an enviroment where they know they can escape if they need to.

To say you should not interact with the m at all is crackers after all why do they shout for us to come and give them treats (veggies)if they dont want to interact with us?
 
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