Guineapig freaks out when I pick up her buddy.

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tinyandkayle

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I have had guineapigs for a long time and I've never really seen this behaviour. I have two sisters which are 1 year old and removed from their mother when they were old enough.
They are super sweet, one is more bold and loud and the other one is a little bit more shy but sassy. When I pick up the loud piggy to cuddle with her, my other piggy starts running around like crazy in the cage. She sprints in circles around their houses, maybe because she is looking for her sister? Once I put her back she is calm again. I think next time I'll just pick them up together 😅.
 
Sounds like she doesn’t like to be away from her friend. I would, as you’re now planning, take them both out. If the other doesn’t like a cuddle you can just have her next to you in a cuddle cup or something similar.
 
If we only had one out for some reason then occasionally the other of ours would do this. To be honest I thought it was zoomies and they were enjoying the freedom… I suppose it might depend on the vibe that is coming off the situation. Do they seem distressed?
 
Tigermoth said:
If we only had one out for some reason then occasionally the other of ours would do this. To be honest I thought it was zoomies and they were enjoying the freedom… I suppose it might depend on the vibe that is coming off the situation. Do they seem distressed?
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Yes I was wondering whether it was zoomies or stress. But once I put back my piggy, she makes content noises, so probably stressed in my case.
 
Does she wheek while doing it?
It is likely your girl is distressed and running around looking for her friend, which obviously won’t be a nice experience for her.

I have an old boar and a baby boar, the baby is still quite young so when I remove his older friend for medication he goes crazy, as he is nervous and now fearful as to why he is alone.
He will often wheek which at veg time is a sign of excitement, but when left alone he will wheek to try and find his friend again. Sort of saying i’m here, where are you?

Guinea pigs are social animals, who lived/live in packs/families in the wild, so getting left behind is very scary and confusing for a piggy, especially as in the wild they can cover miles and miles of land in one day.
I think it may be best from now on to remove them at the same time whenever you want to have cuddles.
 
tinyandkayle said:
I have had guineapigs for a long time and I've never really seen this behaviour. I have two sisters which are 1 year old and removed from their mother when they were old enough.
They are super sweet, one is more bold and loud and the other one is a little bit more shy but sassy. When I pick up the loud piggy to cuddle with her, my other piggy starts running around like crazy in the cage. She sprints in circles around their houses, maybe because she is looking for her sister? Once I put her back she is calm again. I think next time I'll just pick them up together 😅.
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Hi and welcome

Some usually younger piggies cannot bear to be separated from their group/being left on their own. Babies have a specific 'lost baby' call that alerts the group elders that they need retrieving. They gradually start to extend their reach during the formative 'school weeks' between weaning and teenage but at this age still rely very much on the guidance and support from their elders as they learn to master their environment. They become increasingly independent during teenage.

In this case, please consider picking up both piggies at the same time and do your cuddling and grooming with them together. It should eventually ease off as they become older (usually as teenagers). If not, then you are likely dealing with an emotional dependency, a high stress default setting or some more specific trauma pre-dating your acquisition - or a combination of these factors.

You can try to create little sing-songs for your various regular activities so your piggies know what is coming up and can brace for it. Picture the activity in your mind as well. Like picking up the sister but keeping her within sight of the cage and then coming back for the problem piggy etc. That can help with gradually extending the length of time the upset piggy can stand to be on her own. But you are looking at weeks or months rather than days. Start with very short gaps.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
 
Wiebke said:
Hi and welcome

Some usually younger piggies cannot bear to be separated from their group/being left on their own. Babies have a specific 'lost baby' call that alerts the group elders that they need retrieving. They gradually start to extend their reach during the formative 'school weeks' between weaning and teenage but at this age still rely very much on the guidance and support from their elders as they learn to master their environment. They become increasingly independent during teenage.

In this case, please consider picking up both piggies at the same time and do your cuddling and grooming with them together. It should eventually ease off as they become older (usually as teenagers). If not, then you are likely dealing with an emotional dependency, a high stress default setting or some more specific trauma pre-dating your acquisition - or a combination of these factors.

You can try to create little sing-songs for your various regular activities so your piggies know what is coming up and can brace for it. Picture the activity in your mind as well. Like picking up the sister but keeping her within sight of the cage and then coming back for the problem piggy etc. That can help with gradually extending the length of time the upset piggy can stand to be on her own. But you are looking at weeks or months rather than days. Start with very short gaps.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice
 
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