How many times a day and for how long do you hold your guinea pigs?

There is no ‘should’ really. Some piggies will not tolerate handling, some enjoy it, so it comes down entirely to the individual piggy.
Mine don’t enjoy being handled so for them handling is for practical purposes - health checks, weighing etc. I don’t sit and cuddle them as they don’t like it. My interaction with them is me sitting in their shed chatting to them. One of them comes over for head and chin strokes but the other won’t
 
It all depends on the piggy, many dont really like to be held- mine only really get handled twice a week on cage clean days when we move them to their playpen. Some of them will tolerate or enjoy 10 or 15 minutes of lap time in exchange for a few tasty leaves and a few chin rubs and ear tickles, but some just don't like it so we tend to keep handling to a minimum.
Often it is the piggies that sit very still while being held who are enjoying it least, they may look calm but they might be frozen with fear! They all enjoy being hand fed through the bars and will come up and talk to us and let us stroke their ears and sniff us (or scent mark us!) if we are tidying up the cage or putting food in for them, but picking them up often triggers their prey animal instincts!
 
Piggies&buns said:
There is no ‘should’ really. Some piggies will not tolerate handling, some enjoy it, so it comes down entirely to the individual piggy.
Mine don’t enjoy being handled so for them handling is for practical purposes - health checks, weighing etc. I don’t sit and cuddle them as they don’t like it. My interaction with them is me sitting in their shed chatting to them. One of them comes over for head and chin strokes but the other won’t
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Same. My piggies are tame (ish) in that they squeak like crazy when I go near them in the garden and come bounding up (for food!) But apart from that my interaction is limited to grooming and sitting in the shed with them every evening to feed each a little by hand before leaving them be. I like to give them as wild an existence as is possible for domesticated animals.
Only 1 of my pigs will let me tickle her under the chin in the shed....the rest absolutely no chance although they do sometimes sit on my feet 😂.
There's no right or wrong as long as you are all happy 😊.
 
When I first got Eddie and Elvis I thought Eddie liked cuddles because he sat sat nicely in my lap but as I got to know him more it turns out he was sitting still waiting to be put down.
Eddie is white happy to have his head stroked while in the ground so I stick with that.
Elvis doesn't like being touched at all really so I accept that and enjoy whatching him annoying his brother and do crazy zoomies!
 
Eddie & Elvis said:
When I first got Eddie and Elvis I thought Eddie liked cuddles because he sat sat nicely in my lap but as I got to know him more it turns out he was sitting still waiting to be put down.
Eddie is white happy to have his head stroked while in the ground so I stick with that.
Elvis doesn't like being touched at all really so I accept that and enjoy whatching him annoying his brother and do crazy zoomies!
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I definitely find my boys interaction with each other more rewarding to watch than them having interaction with me
 
I agree. Their silly antics are hilarious! The other day they were both trying to eat the same but of food and kept running off with it and getting a bite only to have it snatched away. This kept happening until the leaf was finished 🤣🤣 The best bit is I had an identical leaf in my head that neither wanted 🤣
 
Darcey15 said:
Same. My piggies are tame (ish) in that they squeak like crazy when I go near them in the garden and come bounding up (for food!) But apart from that my interaction is limited to grooming and sitting in the shed with them every evening to feed each a little by hand before leaving them be. I like to give them as wild an existence as is possible for domesticated animals.
Only 1 of my pigs will let me tickle her under the chin in the shed....the rest absolutely no chance although they do sometimes sit on my feet 😂.
There's no right or wrong as long as you are all happy 😊.
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Mine sit on my feet too, to poop scoop the back corner of the big C&C I have to climb in with them! I usually try block them in the hayroom with a big wooden castle house while I do that but they can jump it if they are in a hooman foot sniffing mood, one memorable day Piggle sat down on one of my feet and did a giant wee, while little boar Theo mounted and humped my other foot at the same time! Then there was the day skinny pig Tallulah went up my pyjama leg... but none of them really like cuddles, just harassing the hoomans on their terms!
 
Balder loves getting cuddles and licking my chin and finger. (and getting a little treat after) whereas Aegir doesn't like to as much. i usually hold Balder for about 30 minutes to an Hour (to long?) but i think he likes it.
 
i only really pick mine up when i do their weekly weigh in... They go to the floor run each night but they get transferred in a fleece house.. odd times they get an impromptu cuddle!
 
My piggies hate lap time and long cuddles. I can only cuddle them long during their weekly weighing time. I take advantage of that time. But I do pick them up once or twice a day during poop cleaning of the cage and they won't move. Just give them a few kisses and short cuddles and off they go again roaming on the floor. 😁
 
Eddie & Elvis said:
I agree. Their silly antics are hilarious! The other day they were both trying to eat the same but of food and kept running off with it and getting a bite only to have it snatched away. This kept happening until the leaf was finished 🤣🤣 The best bit is I had an identical leaf in my head that neither wanted 🤣
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Mine are like that too! Sometimes tug-of-war between two of them flips the leaf up in the air and both of them look round saying "where'd it go 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️"
 
One of mine loves cuddles - yesterday he was talking to me continuously for at least an hour sitting on my right shoulder. Silly boy only feels safe on my right shoulder - won't sit still on my left shoulder :doh:. The other one isn't so keen on cuddles.

You just have to do what your piggies like.
 
Betsy said:
I keep handling my piggies to the minimum. They don't like being caught but enjoy a quick cuddle or chin rub. Betsy loves a good old cheek rub but ONLY on her left cheek.
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It must be a thing. Toffee likes a good chin rub but always ends up turning and proffering his right cheek.
I used to have the boys out for lap time maybe once every month. The kids used to handle them more than me. But in the last year or so it's gone down to maybe twice a year. I generally only get them out for weigh in/health check/nail trimming or to go in the run. They actually don't mind lap time though I think they like to be together for it - Toffee always gravitates towards Fudge when they're out.

One of my girls is a lap piggy but I don't do it often with the either. The other prefers to sit by my side in her hide or exploring the chair. So I don't make her anymore...except maybe 2mins worth.

I'm okay with that and actually really enjoy watching them in their cages. They always come up to the bars for some attention/chat/greeting.
 
I don’t really hold mine either, but I do sit on the carpet during floor time and they come up to me for treats and chin rubs.
 
Mine get handled once or twice a week for short stints though if I just want piggy cuddles then Daisy will come out for more as she quite likes it. Most of the time I just prefer to chat to them and watch them interacting with each other
 
Lady Kelly said:
Mine get handled once or twice a week for short stints though if I just want piggy cuddles then Daisy will come out for more as she quite likes it. Most of the time I just prefer to chat to them and watch them interacting with each other
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Sorry slight diversion but I love your piggy's name. Coincidentally my friend's baby daughter is called Daisy :luv:

PS do you have a thread for your piggies? Don't recall seeing one. Hope you're well.
 
Siikibam said:
Sorry slight diversion but I love your piggy's name. Coincidentally my friend's baby daughter is called Daisy :luv:

PS do you have a thread for your piggies? Don't recall seeing one. Hope you're well.
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I don't believe I do have a thread for them, there have been many piggies over my time on the forum but I think I have always just posted snippets and individual threads
 
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