getting used to handling

[piggiemummy03x]

so when its time i can finally handle my girls, how long should each sitting be? i’ve been advised to keep them both together so they aren’t as spooked, on a blanket or maybe even in a snuggle pouch. should i start of with like 5 minutes a day slowly working my way up? should i also keep it to once a day till they are more comfortable? i’ve read the info on the handling tips but it doesn’t seem to say!

 

[Piggies&buns]

There are no hard and fast rules - you need to take it at their pace and to the actions they are comfortable with. Sitting by their cage and talking to them and offering food from your hand is usually a good first step - once they take food from you then that is usually a sign of trust. After that moving onto trying to handle them by herding into a carrier first
But as I say taking it at their pace - sitting by their cage and having them take food from your hand may be as much as they ever want; or they may enjoy a lap time snuggle given time - or anything in between!

I personally prefer to sit in their pen and let them come to me as and when they are ready. My piggies did not like being handled, so I saw no reason in attempting to do so as it was stressful for all of us - so instead sitting with them and allowing them to come to me worked so much better. They learnt to trust me and eventually were happy to be around me - although, like most piggies, they still don’t want to be handled (handling is kept brief and to health and weight checks)

 

[Wiebke]

so when its time i can finally handle my girls, how long should each sitting be? i’ve been advised to keep them both together so they aren’t as spooked, on a blanket or maybe even in a snuggle pouch. should i start of with like 5 minutes a day slowly working my way up? should i also keep it to once a day till they are more comfortable? i’ve read the info on the handling tips but it doesn’t seem to say!

Hi and welcome
There is no given time because you have to take each piggy at their own comfort/stress level. The guides try to give you the handles on being able to spot the more subtle signs of prey instincts at work but there is no fail-safe procedure that works for every piggy the same; you are dealing with individual personalities.

It is always better when your piggies are talking (even just to communicate their apprehension) because that means that their prey animal instincts are not dominating at the time. Keep in mind that lap time is a human concept and not something that a guinea pig would naturally do or choose, and that the majority are actually not all that keen on for long stretches of time if they are allowed to have a say.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

There are no hard and fast rules - you need to take it at their pace and to the actions they are comfortable with. Sitting by their cage and talking to them and offering food from your hand is usually a good first step - once they take food from you then that is usually a sign of trust. After that moving onto trying to handle them by herding into a carrier first
But as I say taking it at their pace - sitting by their cage and having them take food from your hand may be as much as they ever want; or they may enjoy a lap time snuggle given time - or anything in between!

I personally prefer to sit in their pen and let them come to me as and when they are ready. My piggies did not like being handled, so I saw no reason in attempting to do so as it was stressful for all of us - so instead sitting with them and allowing them to come to me worked so much better. They learnt to trust me and eventually were happy to be around me - although, like most piggies, they still don’t want to be handled (handling is kept brief and to health and weight checks)

oh of corse! i’ve actually made some snuggle pouches which i’m hoping to use when handing as something for them to run into for me to pick up out of the cage and sit on my lap until they feel happy to venture out! i do understand there is a chance they may not like cuddles so will see how it goes!

aw yeah thats a lovely idea, once i can handle them and they get used to me picking them up they will have an indoor and outdoor run so i will try the same!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hi and welcome
There is no given time because you have to take each piggy at their own comfort/stress level. The guides try to give you the handles on being able to spot the more subtle signs of prey instincts at work but there is no fail-safe procedure that works for every piggy the same; you are dealing with individual personalities.

It is always better when your piggies are talking (even just to communicate their apprehension) because that means that their prey animal instincts are not dominating at the time. Keep in mind that lap time is a human concept and not something that a guinea pig would naturally do or choose, and that the majority are actually not all that keen on for long stretches of time if they are allowed to have a say.

of corse, thanks for the information! i’m going to re-read the pinned links and helpful info, i suppose its quite scary for them even if they have trust in you, we are huge compared to them and their whole world is the cage/hutch they live in, so being taken out of it must be a weird experience!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

There are no hard and fast rules - you need to take it at their pace and to the actions they are comfortable with. Sitting by their cage and talking to them and offering food from your hand is usually a good first step - once they take food from you then that is usually a sign of trust. After that moving onto trying to handle them by herding into a carrier first
But as I say taking it at their pace - sitting by their cage and having them take food from your hand may be as much as they ever want; or they may enjoy a lap time snuggle given time - or anything in between!

I personally prefer to sit in their pen and let them come to me as and when they are ready. My piggies did not like being handled, so I saw no reason in attempting to do so as it was stressful for all of us - so instead sitting with them and allowing them to come to me worked so much better. They learnt to trust me and eventually were happy to be around me - although, like most piggies, they still don’t want to be handled (handling is kept brief and to health and weight checks)

can i also ask please, is it better to keep lap time/handling to once a day at the beginning when they are still getting used to it? i would have thought trying to catch them and handle multiple times a day when they are not used to it would be too stressful but i don’t know this 100% also, is it best to bring them inside for lap time? or should i keep to outside near the cage at first?

 

[Piggies&buns]

You need to follow their lead. If they don’t like it doing it even once a day, then I definitely wouldnt be trying it more than once a day.
Mine have never liked lap time so I don’t do it - trying to get them to sit on my lap just doesn’t happen, they spend all their time scrabbling to get away and they would rather just walk around me, come and take treats from me etc but otherwise go about their piggy business in my presence.

Do your lap time where they will be safe - most likely indoors
A blind jump when scared will obviously hurt them so stay close to the ground/sitting on the ground ideally.
This leads onto the fact that you may not want to be sitting on the floor outside. But the other risk is if they do try to run off your lap and do so outside then you may not be able to get them back

 

[piggiemummy03x]

You need to follow their lead. If they don’t like it doing it even once a day, then I definitely wouldnt be trying it more than once a day.
Mine have never liked lap time so I don’t do it - trying to get them to sit on my lap just doesn’t happen, they spend all their time scrabbling to get away and they would rather just walk around me, come and take treats from me etc but otherwise go about their piggy business in my presence.

Do your lap time where they will be safe - most likely indoors
A blind jump when scared will obviously hurt them so stay close to the ground/sitting on the ground ideally.
This leads onto the fact that you may not want to be sitting on the floor outside. But the other risk is if they do try to run off your lap and do so outside then you may not be able to get them back

they seem to not mind lap time too much! they like to cuddle into me and do stick their heads out to have a look around, sniffing the air and looking round the garden. della has even had a few nibbles of veg from my hand! aw yes of corse, i will be looking at their body language too see if it seems stressful or as if they aren’t enjoying themselves.

okay ill start bringing them in for lap time then! i didn’t want to do it too soon and spook them with new surroundings but as you say it will be safer inside! i have been sitting inside the garden pen while handling incase of anything like that happening, but its very cold and hard lol!

 

[weepweeps]

I found that my two would sit lovely for the first couple of weeks and then when they got more confident they started to venture about and I was so scared that they would fall off the sofa or bed. They are so quick and would always run in different directions. So I started to use my bathroom and now I sit in there with them and they run around me. They don’t like cuddles much either. Only about 5 mins each and then they are off.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I found that my two would sit lovely for the first couple of weeks and then when they got more confident they started to venture about and I was so scared that they would fall off the sofa or bed. They are so quick and would always run in different directions. So I started to use my bathroom and now I sit in there with them and they run around me. They don’t like cuddles much either. Only about 5 mins each and then they are off.

ah yes of corse that is the only thing! ill see how i get on but now i know i can bring them inside i’m hoping it’ll be more comfortable for them! that’s a good idea!

 

[Wiebke]

ah yes of corse that is the only thing! ill see how i get on but now i know i can bring them inside i’m hoping it’ll be more comfortable for them! that’s a good idea!

Piggies will often be docile the first few times ('unresponsive prey reflex') but then we get all those posts along the lines 'Why do my guinea pigs suddenly hate me?' - They don't, of course; they just have made the step to trust you enough to tell you how they actually feel about lap time and handling. It is a normal step forward in your relationship.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Piggies will often be docile the first few times ('unresponsive prey reflex') but then we get all those posts along the lines 'Why do my guinea pigs suddenly hate me?' - They don't, of course; they just have made the step to trust you enough to tell you how they actually feel about lap time and handling. It is a normal step forward in your relationship.

of corse! its a good thing!