Handling Guinea Pigs

[LRG]

I've had a read of lots of really helpful threads about piggy handling, and have been taking things quite slowly with my two girls, but feel that Una is still so so skittish and scared of me

Darcy has been the more dominant piggy from day 1, and she's very bubbly - will quietly wheek and make happy noises, and she popcorns a lot most days. She also has begun to stop running away as much when I go to pet her, and she sat still to let me lift her yesterday & enjoyed wee strikes on my lap.

Una however still seems so terrified! She runs and hides even if I'm across the room & move my arm (not sudden or giant movements or anything), and will not stay still to be lifted so I've tried lifting her in her soft tunnel. Each time we've had lap time though, she escapes and makes a break across the floor so I need to quickly catch her again. Interestingly though, she will hand feed in the cage (usually takes it and runs to her home to eat!) whereas Darcy won't.

I know patience is key, but does it sound like Una will never relax or enjoy contact? (She also poops when you lift her and have her on your lap, whereas Darcy doesn't)

Totally get that it takes time and each piggy is different, which is completely understandable, but I'm just a little concerned we'll struggle to have a good bond

 

[adelhide]

wicca was like that, terrified of handleing, running and hinding at the slightest thing. its now been over a year and she has stopped doing it, sort of, still runs from being picked up, but loves lap time.
turtle was like darcy, more confident and outgoing, took her a whole hour to get calm when we brought her home.
patience is the key, but finding something they like during lap time is also good.
wicca started to like lap time when i let her listen to my music (heavy metal, which is weird for a guinea pig to like) and really started to like lap time, wheeking and whinging to be brought out when we started watching certain shows, eg scrap heap challenge.
but it can take a long LOOOOOOOOONNNGGG time

 

[LRG]

wicca was like that, terrified of handleing, running and hinding at the slightest thing. its now been over a year and she has stopped doing it, sort of, still runs from being picked up, but loves lap time.
turtle was like darcy, more confident and outgoing, took her a whole hour to get calm when we brought her home.
patience is the key, but finding something they like during lap time is also good.
wicca started to like lap time when i let her listen to my music (heavy metal, which is weird for a guinea pig to like) and really started to like lap time, wheeking and whinging to be brought out when we started watching certain shows, eg scrap heap challenge.
but it can take a long LOOOOOOOOONNNGGG time

That is so helpful. I'm glad there are similar stories which give me hope that maybe my little one will come around! I just love the wee piglets, and am trying to give them as much time as possible, but am also adjusting myself - I've always had dogs who take next to no time to be comfortable and confident with you, so it's a big learning curve for me! Thank you

 

[Pippa&Millie]

I think lots of piggies pairs are like that. I had practically the exact situation with my piggies.
Pippa from the start was bold and confident. She would go to any stranger if they gave her food and a cuddle!
Millie was painfully skittish when we got her, we couldn't even pick her up initially as she seemed to really panic.

We just took it really slow, talk to her lots so she could recognise our voice, hand feed her and use a towel to pick her up. We also found she was more at ease if we took them both out together and sat her next to Pippa who acted as reassurance.

She is now a wild little thing! She is still not as confident as Pippa but she sure has her own fiesty personality and is actually twice as loud as Pippa now! Her shrieks are rather impressive.
I like to think she is the more reserved and sensible one but she knows how to get her way.

Keep on going I'm sure you are doing great. At the beginning we were also like oh dear, does she hate us, but some just need a bit more TLC

And don't worry about the pooing, they seem to love poking at inconvenient times. Pippa used to poo a ridiculous amount when we held her, but now she seems to have gathered that lap time does not mean poop time.

 

[LRG]

I think lots of piggies pairs are like that. I had practically the exact situation with my piggies.
Pippa from the start was bold and confident. She would go to any stranger if they gave her food and a cuddle!
Millie was painfully skittish when we got her, we couldn't even pick her up initially as she seemed to really panic.

We just took it really slow, talk to her lots so she could recognise our voice, hand feed her and use a towel to pick her up. We also found she was more at ease if we took them both out together and sat her next to Pippa who acted as reassurance.

She is now a wild little thing! She is still not as confident as Pippa but she sure has her own fiesty personality and is actually twice as loud as Pippa now! Her shrieks are rather impressive.
I like to think she is the more reserved and sensible one but she knows how to get her way.

Keep on going I'm sure you are doing great. At the beginning we were also like oh dear, does she hate us, but some just need a bit more TLC

And don't worry about the pooing, they seem to love poking at inconvenient times. Pippa used to poo a ridiculous amount when we held her, but now she seems to have gathered that lap time does not mean poop time.

That is fab to hear - thank you! I'll try them both out together and keep hand feeding

 

[Sar]

Just keep at it, it will be worth it

Fudge was and is still very skittish. She is a lot better and loves laptime although she doesn't always like being lifted out so I use a towel or a blanket. I do find myself moving slowly arond them sometimes, especially when they're in the pen for floortime, so as to not startle her! I went to get their water bottle for cleaning yesterday and she was asleep, her head lifted up and then she put it down straight away as though she was saying 'oh its you again'.

Biscuit will just climb out. I put my arms ready and she climbs onto them, which does make it a lot easier. She's an escape artist though so probably thinks 'adventure' and constantly keeps me on my toes with her actions!

 

[Wiebke]

Trust is a plant that grows imperceptibly. Youngsters can be very skitish and struggle to sit still, but they will calm down once they get older and used to the routine. Just continue to move only deliberately and talking while you do so, so you don't resemble a predator on the hunt and to give her lots of encouragement. the fact that she is taking food from your hand means that she is already trusting you to a certain degree; the she just feels very much out of her comfort zone when you pick her up and wants to be back with her companion.

Have you considered cuddling her under a second blanket on your lap? I have found that that has often done the trick for very skittish customers of mine. You need an underlay, though, as you'll get christened with a spout of pee when the piggy finally totally relaxed and falls asleep!

 

[sport_billy]

Great stress free way of picking up your piggies here, if you can take the stress out of collecting them it helps settle them at lap time and puts them in a more relaxed frame of mind

 

[piggieminder]

I love that film, used to pick Spike and Peanut up like that, they've caught on now, won't go in anything when I open cage door. The look I get says ha ha, not falling for that one!

 

[sport_billy]

I love that film, used to pick Spike and Peanut up like that, they've caught on now, won't go in anything when I open cage door. The look I get says ha ha, not falling for that one!

Oh! Cleaver Spike and Peanut!