Guinea Pig Noises - Help?

[Giarchi]

Hello all,

I have just recently been given 2 rescue guinea-pigs, (28th October) well loved in their old home only they got too expensive. They are used to household noises, other pets and being handled.

One of the piggies will run around and make a squealing noise when trying to be picked up. I know how to hold him, hand supporting his bum and front legs, but if i do manage to catch him he will squiggle and squirm so my hands are around his stomach. I am sure I have not yet hurt him, but I am worried about doing so! Apparently I must visit and hold him once a day so he can 'bond' with me, but this is proving very hard! When i settle him down, he usually poops on me and today he weed - yuck. He will squeal and squirm and generally jump out of my arms and behind the cupboard or shelves etc... and then its a great trauma trying to pull him back out. He also makes a weird 'munching' noise when not eating anything. Its kinda like 'munch munch munch...munch...munch munch munch...munch..' He doesn't seem to be aggressive, and the other piggie responds to this and does the same! Its very confusing.

I have tried the towel and heart trick - wrap him snugly in a towel and lay on your back, pressing him to your chest gently so he can be comforted to your heart beat. Worked a little, and then he jumped back into life. Please help, I look after my piggies really well, have a good set routine, and am trying to be really gentle. Although I understand this one I have described is skittish and scared, I would really appreciate some help with how to make him relaxed and stop running behind things! Its making me feel like a awful person, like he is so scared of ME and I'm a bad person. Feels so guilty! Some insight on noises would be nice too. Sorry for the long post!

Anna

 

[piggyfan]

Hi Anna. Guinea pigs are prey animals and will always run away and be nervous. i have had one of my guinea pigs for four years and she will still run away. Some people coach guinea pigs into a cuddle cup or tunnel and pick them up that way as they can find it less stressful then being held. I would start by having them on a blanket on your lap for five minutes. You can usually tell when a guinea pig needs to wee as they will fidget. As you are learning their signs you can just have them on a blanket so they will not wee on you.

This site is good for explaining guinea pigs noises:
http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/guineapigsounds.html

Feel free to ask anything else

 

[Sarah McGarry]

Aww what lively piggies! They are alway the ones with the most personality! I fostered a piggy who was very scared so was not able to be rehomed stright away. I found that given her something that she really liked to eat when she was with me was a great help. Someting thats a real treat! They will warm to you much quicker that way. Hope this helps! xx

 

[neuroticmum]

I've had my 2 boys for a year now and whilst one is very happy to be picked up and cuddled (he lies full stretch across my lap with legs splayed out - very relaxed) the other it much more timid and barely moves, although compared to how he was 12 months ago he's so much more relaxed with me. Just keep perservering with yours, 5-10 mins per night, sitting him on a towel (with newspaper under) to prevent your legs getting wet from all the little pees... but poo and pee are part of the GP package... :{
Try to make cuddle time as relaxing as possible and offer little treats too, a sprig of corriander goes down well with mine.

Dont give up, its early days for you all yet

 

[Freela]

Guinea pigs are prey animals and their first instinct is to run. Some pigs will still make a dash for it even if they are otherwise fine being handled. It does sound like this pig maybe hasn't been handled that regularly at his last home, or is simply a high-strung piggie. My basic method has always been to pick up the piggie (even if I have to chase them) and the to put them in my lap on a blanket and stroke them- provided I get up off the floor they don't seem to bolt as much. Mine are more mellow if I sit on the couch with them. You can give a snack too, this might help active pigs keep still. As for pees/poops, this may get better when they are more used to you and you learn to figure out their body language. I cant' remember the last time I was peed on... they both give signs that they have to go. One backs up, and the other will get wiggly and will try to walk off my lap.

As for noises, the grinding noise you're talking about is the pig grinding his teeth. Two possibilities: stress (sounds likely if he's nervous) or he still has some food back there that he is wearing down. Pigs hold food and chew it in the back of their mouths for a long time (helps to grind down all those long hay fibres.) HTH a bit!