Help please

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I got two new guinea pigs last week and I really want to bond with them so they will want to come out and great me etc and to make it the best I can with interaction between me and them, but I don't know where to start! Help please :) Also should I bond with them individually or together.. they are bonded they are sisters and never fight always cuddling so they are bonded its just my bond with them I want. Thanks for your time !
 
Hello and welcome :)

OK. Let's start with some basics. Piggies are naturally extremely timid creatures and it will take some considerable time for them to trust you. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the fact that they are prey animals. Their ancestors were pretty much on the menu for everything in the wild and their only defence is to run and hide.

So, with this in mind, please be patient with your sows. You cannot force them to bond with you and you cannot rush the bonding stage. It will pay off, believe me, because when they do bond with you it will be a very strong and loving bond and they will depend on you for everything :)

OK. They are new to their surroundings and this is important for piggies. They have a great memory, especially for places. They need to know how to get around and how to run for cover if they get scared. You will need a lot of places for them to hid bith in their cage and out in their play area or wherever you let them out.

Everytime they hear, see or smell something new, they will instinctively run away until they realise it's not going to eat them. This, unfortunately, includes you at the moment.

When they're in their cage,try to act normally. Make normal sounds and do normal things (hoovering etc.) to ge them used to these sounds. This will help them get accustomed to their new home.

You need to talk to them frequently too. When you feed them, when you watch them etc. They will associate your voice with positive things like food. Once they begin to settle (and this may take up to three or sometimes four weeks) you can try to feed them by hand. Try one or two veggies (don't rush the veg) like spring greens or romain lettuce, that are quite long. This way you can hold it out to them and they can eat it. After a few days of this, try very slowly to stroke/pet them as they eat. They may flinch or even run away but just stick to this until they let you pet them.

Again, try this for a few days until you a sure they're comfortable with you. Now you can try to pick them up. There are a few posts about how to pick up a piggy so please read them. When you do pick them up, give them a small veggy treat. Again, this will help them associate being picked up to something positive. Do this for some time. Months even. Then they will just like to be picked up because of you and not just food - eventually. Then you can pick them up more and more frequently and they will just enjoy a cuddle and your company.

I know it looks like a slow process but the bonds between owner and piggy, once built are exceptionally strong because they are built around trust. This is an animal that is usually eaten learning to be friends with an animal that eats everything (us) which is quite an unusual relationship. :)
 
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