How to look after guineas who won’t be picked up!

Rosie&Willow

Rosie&Willow

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Hi guys my two piggies just won’t be picked up. Willow will be stroked but Rosie won’t be touched at all and she’s long haired. She looks dirty on the backside (pee not poop) and It’s stressing me out. Think we’ve had them about 10 weeks and I don’t like terrifying them trying to pick them up so I’ve given up. They’re so loved and I just wish they’d be less scared 😟 they come to greet us and they’re given constant attention because their cage is in the kitchen, they eat out of hands but they won’t be held. Any advice or encouragement would be great!
 
This is very normal. Most piggies don’t like the act of being picked up but they can learn to tolerate handling for the essentials - and in reality they have to. They need to be weighed every week and have health checks done.

Best thing is to herd them into a box or carrier and then pick them up from there. Don’t try to do everything at once, once you’ve got hold of one, but take their cue when they’ve had enough, put them down and try again the next day. Lots of praise and a treat.

I would definitely get on with weight checking them, if you haven’t already, as that is very important that it is done once a week.

You will get there but it’s not necessarily a quick thing.

How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
 
Hiya, it take makes weeks or months for piggies to properly settle in, sometimes they settle but still won’t be handled, do you have a cuddle sack something you can encourage piggy into so that you can clean back end? I have a large female whom also gets a dirty bum, head first cuddle sack, trim & wash back end, no stress for piggie and job gets done , good luck 🤞
 
My piggy doesn't like being picked up, so I just get him to jump onto his piggy bed and then just pick the bed up. Which is much comfier for him.
Hope this idea works for you! 😊
 
It’s very hard as they are prey animals. You’ve had fantastic advice and I’d just let the piggies guide you.
It’s very important to weigh them weekly and do a brief health check then.
They will learn to tolerate it and a little treat ( coriander or pea flake) works too sometimes 🥰
 
When I adopted Lexi and Thea, they were scared as it was a new environment for them. I let them settle in for a couple of weeks then encouraged them into a cuddle sack for the weekly weigh in. Lexi was the most terrified and is still very scared 10 months in. To weigh them, I left them in the cuddlesack, noted down the weight, then weighed the cuddle sack and did the maths. I only did a very quick check first of all until they got used to being handled a bit more. The weekly check consists of eyes, ears, teeth, nails any lumpy bumpies that I don't know about but should, girly bits, feet, reflexes and breathing. The first very quick checks just consisted of any lumpy bumpy bits and teeth, if I was allowed to have a look. Now they have the proper check. It took quite a long time for them to let me do a proper check but I always managed to weigh them once a week without fail.

You have to be patient and take it at their pace. You will get there in the end, it just takes a bit of time.
 
Mine have to be encouraged into a tunnel or snuggle pouch to be lifted out.
It can then take a while to persuade them out of the tunnel or pouch!

I tended to do the same softly, softly approach as @Betsy and it did take quite a while before I could do more that the essential checks like weights.
 
Hi guys thank you for the advice …. I did manage to get Rosie out (the ginger one) she had a matted ball on her back end and I tried to bathe her with no joy so I had to put her into a cuddle sack and cut the fur she was traumatised but had to be done! Bless her she was pop corning after some basil as a treat but still won’t be stroked! I’ll just keep trying 😀
 
Might sound like a bad Guinea mum but I’ve never weighed them. I’ve just gone by the pics we take of them and that they’ve both doubled in size since we got them.
 
You don’t sound like a bad piggy mum - not everybody knows to weigh them.
But now you do, ensure you weigh them both every week as routine. It’s the only way to ensure they are eating enough hay. Even the slightest drop in hay intake can cause weight loss which may signify a health issue. The small amount of weight loss which requires you to step in is not something you can tell by physically looking at them, and by the time you noticed they looked smaller and thinner, it could be too late to deal with a health issue.
 
Guineas are masters at hiding their weight loss, illness etc. because in the wild they can't afford to look weak in front of predators that would then target them.
So like @Piggies&buns said, it's good to weigh them too make sure they are well and healthy. :)
 
I have 4 piggies and I'd say only one of them actually likes being stroked, comes up to me, doesn't run off... The other three tolerate me picking them up but run off and hide all the time and I've had them for 8 months.... If I have food they will hand feed and come up to me 🤣
 
Some never learn to like a cuddle, and that's OK, as long as they will tolerate being handled for essential checks. That's definitely worth persisting with. If they really won't sit still for you to check their feet/fur/weight then enlist a helper to hold piggy while you look at things. Cuddle cups are your friend! I weigh mine while they are in the cuddle cup, then deduct the weight of the fabric from the result. Otherwise they would just jump off the scales :lol:
I have bathed many an anxious piggy and here are my top tips if you need to tackle this yourself:
1. Bath with a friend. Two guineas together in the bath is better than one on its own. Even if only one needs a wash you will get less frantic behaviour from the dirty pig.
2. Bath them in the bathtub. Have a bucket with clean water in it, and another bucket to wash the pigs in. They will not be able to jump out of the bath in a panic. You can then tip out dirty water from the washing bucket and just dip some clean in without having to take your attention off the piggies.
3. Have lots of dry towels ready to wrap wet pigs in. They will probably like this part as they will feel safe.
4. Wear old clothes!
5. Have plenty of treats ready to offer once pigs are dry, or they may never speak to you again :nod:
 
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