Do I keep handling them?

Mama Squeak

Mama Squeak

New Born Pup
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
18
Reaction score
13
Points
140
Location
Nottinghamshire
Hello to the Forum. I have had my two girls for 3 months now. I have been really good at sitting with them, getting to know them, letting them get used to me and this has been brilliant. At the start they got so used to me they would come out of their hidey holes, play, eat and sleep whilst I was there. About a month ago, I started handling them. Small amounts of time. So every day I have lap time with each piggy for 15 mins. I feed them treats and talk quietly to them. Whilst they are on my lap they seems to like the experience. But I have started to notice that they now run off from me and hide when I am around. They still come out eventually, but it seems the more I handle them, the more wary of me they become. Will they get over this, or should I stop handling them. I dont want to cause them stress, but I do love my 15mins piggy time together. Any advice? I have a large inside enclosure in my spare room for them both, lots of igloos, hidey holes etc.
 
Before I read your post properly, please change your location to town/county. Having your personal information so readily available online is not a good thing 🙂

Guinea pigs generally don’t like being picked up. It cuts too close to their prey instinct. Perhaps you could teach them to walk into a carrier or cuddle cup etc and take them out that way. I would also take them both out at the same time. It may be they’re hiding because they think you’re going to pick them up.

Having said all that, if they don’t appear to like lap time then I would leave them to it. Their sitting still is prey behaviour. Once they become more confident, they may walk off, struggle or stay put. That will tell you whether they truly like it.

Are they taking veg/things to eat from your hands while in their cage?
 
Last edited:
Maisie's Mum said:
Hello to the Forum. I have had my two girls for 3 months now. I have been really good at sitting with them, getting to know them, letting them get used to me and this has been brilliant. At the start they got so used to me they would come out of their hidey holes, play, eat and sleep whilst I was there. About a month ago, I started handling them. Small amounts of time. So every day I have lap time with each piggy for 15 mins. I feed them treats and talk quietly to them. Whilst they are on my lap they seems to like the experience. But I have started to notice that they now run off from me and hide when I am around. They still come out eventually, but it seems the more I handle them, the more wary of me they become. Will they get over this, or should I stop handling them. I dont want to cause them stress, but I do love my 15mins piggy time together. Any advice? I have a large inside enclosure in my spare room for them both, lots of igloos, hidey holes etc.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Please use our piggy whispring tips to communicate in their language and social concepts. And use your daily veg to interact with them - petting is an entirely human concept. There are lots of other ways to allow your piggies to be themselves when you share time. My most special piggy, who was more like little dog and who follwed me around the house and garden (coming back to the run whenever their free roaming time was up and climbing our stairs) would only allow me allow me to stroke her away from the lap (she was a tweaker when she had enough) when she was not well. We still had the closest of bonds.

Most guinea pigs actually don't like being petted and cuddled if they are given the choice. They will tolerate it for grooming and a quick pet but will tell you fairly quickly when they have had enough.
The fact that yours are telling you that they do not like being picked up means actually that they are confident
enough and trust enough to tell you so.
You will need to handle them at least once weekly for their life-long health monitoring weigh-in, body and grooming check. Just either give them a treat (with plenty of praise) on the lap or afterwards.

Please keep in mind that all the videos in social media do not give you a realistic picture as they are entirely driven by what humans find cute or funny - and who wants to post pictures of their piggies running away and wiggling; which is actually what most of them will do if given the choice?

You may find the tips and information in these links here both very helpful and interesting:

Interaction:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)
Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You?

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs (The white and ginger aby in the pictures is my Minx, who is still my all time favourite nearly 20 years on)

Life-long weekly health monitoring:
Weight - Monitoring and Management
Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Early Signs Of Illness

How Soon Should My Guinea Pig See A Vet? - A Quick Guide
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
You can find these guides lots of practical how-to tips that we cannot repeat in ever answer also as a part of our very useful New Owners' Collection: Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
 
My piggies don’t like being handled. They tolerate it for weight and health checks. Nail clipping has got easier over time but in the beginning used to have to be done in a couple of sessions and grooming my long haired boy still is done in a couple of sessions after four years of being with me. I do what I can while they tolerate it but we don’t cuddle as they just don’t like it. My interaction with them is sitting in their shed with them and letting them come to me If they want to , and most of my enjoyment of them is watching them do their own thing!
 
Hey there , I have three female Guinea pigs (ones called Maisie 😂 same as you) I usually find that giving them a little snack while you stroke them helps calm them down and stay, and also if the noise level is high it is a potential scare for them. My youngest Ginny always runs off, you are not the only one so please do not worry
 
An oldie but a goodie from when Flora first learned to be brave. Now she hangs out under the stool when I'm chopping and if I don't notice her she chatters teeth!
She will tolerate being picked up but she doesn't favour it. The funniest thing is when I sit next to her and get a fuzzle of the cheeks and head. She knows it's coming and will stand very still. I never stroke for too long and when I stop she trots away and always, always does a proper little shake of herself!
Flora the Explorer.webp
 
Maisie's Mum said:
Thank you so much for all the advice. Love the piggie whispering information. Thank you very much xx
Click to expand...

It is actually surprising effective because you are taking the communication to your guinea pigs instead of expecting them to adapt to your communication.
I am forever grateful to my Terfel (2010-15), who was such a master diplomat in leading his three strong-natured cataract sows without them really noticing much. Watching him work a fearful new older sow into the group with patience but also firmness was a total revelation as to how psychologically clever and nuanced piggies can be.

If you like to learn more about guinea pig behaviours and interaction, then you will find these guides here interesting:
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Guinea Pig Facts - An Overview
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
 
Free Ranger said:
An oldie but a goodie from when Flora first learned to be brave. Now she hangs out under the stool when I'm chopping and if I don't notice her she chatters teeth!
She will tolerate being picked up but she doesn't favour it. The funniest thing is when I sit next to her and get a fuzzle of the cheeks and head. She knows it's coming and will stand very still. I never stroke for too long and when I stop she trots away and always, always does a proper little shake of herself!
View attachment 205245
Click to expand...

Mine do the shake after every huddling/grooming session as well. Just to make clear that it was only on tolerance...
 
I’ve had mine for about a month now and I got them, looking forward to the day when they would sit on my knee and enjoy cuddles …. Hmmm … turns out they really prefer their wee feetsies on the ground! I actually get more enjoyment now watching them interact and just enjoy their own surroundings, than I do making them sit on my knee when I know they don’t really want to be there. I just get my quick cuddle fix in now for brushing and weighing. After that I just enjoy watching them be happy.
 
Ruth1 said:
I’ve had mine for about a month now and I got them, looking forward to the day when they would sit on my knee and enjoy cuddles …. Hmmm … turns out they really prefer their wee feetsies on the ground! I actually get more enjoyment now watching them interact and just enjoy their own surroundings, than I do making them sit on my knee when I know they don’t really want to be there. I just get my quick cuddle fix in now for brushing and weighing. After that I just enjoy watching them be happy.
Click to expand...

I do the same. Oldies often appreciate a snuggle more... and there are few piggies that love being cuddled and the human attention so I get my cuddle fixes from them.
 
Only the boys and my rainbow sow like(d) cuddles. The boys do prefer to be together though. But I haven’t given them a cuddle since last nail trim. Before that may have been last year. Toffee loves a scratch and I will oblige. But I enjoy watching them more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top