Exercise

[Reggiebooboo]

I’ve now had my piggy girls, Doris and Min, for 4 weeks and they live in my kitchen/living room. I have avoided picking them up but I do sit beside the cage a couple of tunes a day to talk to them. They go absolutely crackers when I put my hand in the cage to stroke them and I only get to do so as they seem frozen in fear in the corner of their cage. They stay in their hidey most of the day and only come out when the kitchen lights are off. I want them to have the freedom for exercise but how can I pick them up when they are so terrified and struggling? Thanks for you advice.

 

[artcasper]

There are guides on here with lots of tips... try hand feeding them as this helps them trust you...

 

[Wiebke]

I’ve now had my piggy girls, Doris and Min, for 4 weeks and they live in my kitchen/living room. I have avoided picking them up but I do sit beside the cage a couple of tunes a day to talk to them. They go absolutely crackers when I put my hand in the cage to stroke them and I only get to do so as they seem frozen in fear in the corner of their cage. They stay in their hidey most of the day and only come out when the kitchen lights are off. I want them to have the freedom for exercise but how can I pick them up when they are so terrified and struggling? Thanks for you advice.

Hi!

Firstly with introducing yet more new open space until they are comfortable and confident in their care. Place a sheet or blanket over the top to give them an added feeling of protection against predators. Keep in mind that pet shop and for sale breeder piggies have rarely had any anything in the way if friendly human interaction and that they feel very, very lost separated from their family, their home and any other mates.

You may find the guides in this link here very helpful and also very interesting. They explain how arrival in a new home looks from their perspective; how guinea pig prey animal instincts work and how you can avoid triggering them; how you can make friends with them by mimicking their own body language and key interactive behaviours (we have included a little course in 'piggy whispering' - by inviting them into your herd, you remove yourself automatically from the predator category and speed up the process) and many other tested tricks and tips to settle them into their new home.
Here is the link: Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide

The guides in the link above are part of our much more extensive New Owners resources collection in which we address all the areas we get the most questions and concerns about; can learn what is normal and what not; understand guinea pig behaviour; care for your piggies well; get ideas for safe and warnings of unsafe enrichment and find resources in case of an mergency emergency and the need of vet vet care. Unlike books, the guides format allows us to update and extend the collection at need. It is worth to bookmark the link, browse, read and re-read at need: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides