Getting So Frustrated...don't Know What I'm Doing...

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Jthomp26

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Hello... so in case you're reading this and you didn't see my last thread... I took over care for a guinea pig that was really being mistreated. I have never had a guinea pig, or even known anyone with a guinea pig, so I'm completely new to guinea pig care. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I'm getting so frustrated with her. She never comes out of her pigloo unless it's to eat. When I came in the room this morning she was wheeking and biting the cage. I put fresh hay in there (high quality timothy), filled her pellets (oxbow adult), put a couple things of lettuce in there with a piece of pepper and a piece of apple. I went to pet her and she did what she does every single time, she sprinted back into her pigloo.

The frustrating part is that when I leave her alone and sit down on the couch, she ignores all the food and comes over and starts biting the cage again. If I put my hand in front of her she comes over, finds out there's no food, and sprints back into her pigloo. Someone recommended taking the pigloo out to make her more social, but when I do that and come over and put my hand in to say hi, she does the same thing; realizes there's no food, THEN realizes her pigloo isn't there, and starts grinding her teeth (like the bad grinding).

If I chase her around the cage for a second and pick her up (against her will for sure), she will hang out with me and let me pet her. If I leave her in the cage without her pigloo, she literally just sits there and does't move. Like, for hours. I put a giant pile of hay in there because people said their guinea pigs liked playing in the hay and burrowing etc. She ignores it. I got her a cozy cavy, a timber hide house, a chewable tube, and her pigloo. The only thing she ever does is sit in her pigloo and very occasionally sits in the wooden hide house. She does't chew anything.
 
Don't worry, she sounds like a pretty normal piggy to me!

Piggies are a prey species so they tend to hide and should always have somewhere to hide so they can feel safe. This is why they don't tend to like being picked up much... The best thing to build their trust is to spend time just sitting by the cage, talking to her. Get her used to the sound of your voice and your presence. Get down on her level so you are not towering over her, that helps you appear less scary. If she is keen on food then try feeding her from your hand, it won't happen straight away but she will gain confidence and eventually come and take food from you. Treats at lap time are helpful to to make it a pleasant experience. It always takes time and some piggies are always more skittish than others. It will also depend what's happened to her in the past, that can make her more nervous and take longer to get used to you.

They also learn pretty quick how to attract your attention (cage biting) so try ignoring things like that and she'll eventually get the message that it doesn't work as a way to get your attention.

Piggies are also a social species and usually live in groups so living alone is not natural for them. I realise that getting her a friend may not be an option for you but it can help a piggy be more confident and settled. If there is a rescue within a reasonable distance from you, you may be able to consider take her 'dating' to find a buddy who can keep her company and help teach her more about being a calm, confident piggy.

Don't worry though, it's early days, just keep taking care of her and spending time with her, she will settle with time.
 
And relax....! You are both new to each other, she has a new environment( which sounds fantastic!) and new smells to get used to. Piggies are natural "hiders" as that makes them feel safe and secure. Company of her own kind would give her more confidence, but appreciate that might not be possible for you. Chat to her, spend time sitting near the cage. Sometimes leaving a radio on quietly when you are not there will acclimatise her to sounds. Patience is needed when dealing with guinea pgs, progress is sometimes slower than you would like; but be reassured that the rewards are amazing when a trusting bond is established between you. :)
 
Cant add to the fantastic posts above

This is a great way to take the stress out of picking up piggies
 
Wow what an introduction to the wonderful world of guinea pigs you are getting by taking on this poor little girl. So not only do you both need to learn what she wants and needs but you have the added issue of her being mistreated.

Imagine a child who had been mistreated who has the ability to understand what you are saying when you tell them that they are safe now and that no-one will hurt them. It can take years before that child really believes that this is the case.

Now think about this poor little girl who does not understand any of the why's and only that these humans hurt her in some way. It is frustrating but you need to have extra patience with her and she will eventually learn to love and trust you in her own way.

Every piggy has a different personality and like us humans we need to accept that and come to love that about them. My first boy Jasper who is on my avatar I have had for over 12 months and he still chatters when I go to pick him up until I put my hand to his nose and say to him 'It's Mummy you silly boy' at which point he stops chattering & will be picked up and is happy to be cuddled and kissed.
I don't seriously know who he thinks it is before he smells me and I laugh at him every time we go through this ritual. But I love him totally for all his quirks :lol!:

When we first had him & his cage mate we used to take them out onto our laps and feed them their veges. They then started to realise that it was a good thing to be picked up cause they got fed and eventually we stopped with the veges and they were ok to be picked up.

Depending on their mood though sometimes they are still not that thrilled but are fine once they are sitting with you.

Just keep trying and I am sure you will learn to love each in your own time and way.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of piggies :nod:
 
Two things to remember is that guinea pigs are naturally prey animals in the wild and thus tend to be skittish. Even though they have been domesticated for a long time, that survival trait remains hardwired. In the wild, nothing picks you up because it wants to cuddle you. It wants to eat you. Hence, a lot of pigs have an exaggerated reaction to being picked up even under the best of circumstances, and the natural tendency is to run and hide. Secondly, the pig you have has been neglected. She very likely had either very limited or negative contact with human beings in the past. Therefore, having a big new human around is very likely intimidating to her and she figures the safest course to take is simply to hide until she feels secure in the situation. Both her personal experiences and her genetic wiring is telling her to do this. So you're going to have to be patient and expect this to take time. You understand what the situation is and that she is safe and you are not going to hurt her, but she doesn't know that yet.

Everyone has made good suggestions above, and I don't have a lot more to add than the advice they have already given. I will say that the two pigs I have now were absolutely TERRIFIED of me when I got them. I didn't even see them out of the pigloo for a week. They ate and drank at night and then spent the rest of the day hiding. Very occasionally they could be lured out if I gave them a treat and then sat WAY back so they didn't know I was there, and then I might catch them sneaking out to grab the treat and dash back into the pigloo with it. Fast-forward, and they are now the two boldest, moochiest, most social animals you can imagine. I have three kids and thus it's a busy house and they are fine with it, they perk up to our voices, they sit on our laps, and today they let my youngest try Halloween costumes on them. Sundae has had a difficult life as far as health goes, and I've had to give her medicine regularly, do regular abscess care (which probably didn't tickle), give antifungal baths and creams, etc. None of which she particularly enjoys. But she is still the first to squeak at me when I walk by and is happy to sit on my lap and 'chat' to me and like my hands in spite of all that. It takes time, but trust earned is very worthwhile, so hang in there!
 
I also completely agree with everybody else. Your piggy is completely normal! One suggestion I can give is to always give your baby pig a treat when you pick her up. My piggy STILL hates to be picked up, and when he was in his teething stage, it was not even an option unless you wanted to lose a finger. However, giving him treats every time I picked him up in the beginning made him more likely to be okay with it. Also, I can't stress enough how much piggies like to eat. Giving them food can get them to do almost anything! Like most, my piggy was terrified when I first got him. Now he is the sweetest guy. He even sleeps with his eyes closed sometimes on my lap! Hang in there, its totally worth it!
 
Wow what great advice you've been given in the posts above!

Good luck, it will be totally worth it in the end :-)
 
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