how to settle my piggies?

[kat04kt]

So, I think I'm doing ok with my two boys. I've had them exactly a week now. But I feel there's a long way to go.

Manny is the larger Rex guinea - 9 weeks old, and Floyd, is a tiny tri-colour - 7 weeks.

Couple of things I'm concerned about - Manny has the monopoly on the fresh food, and I worry about Floyd as he's so small.

They are very skittish around me and run away to hide whenever I get up and move. They are kept indoors and around me a lot. When I'm sat down and not moving they venture out a bit more often as soon as I move they run for cover. Manny is deffinitely the braver one. He will take food from me as long as he's in his igloo and I hold it near the entrance. He will also venture up to the top floor of his c&c cage, Floyd won't.

Floyd - even when I know he's really hungry still won't budge an inch even for a piece of cucumber.

I've refrained from picking them up (I did at first pick them up but they didn't like it, I thought it would be ok as I spent time with them at the breeders and Manny would happily sit on my lap and munch away on food and even purr!) so it knocked me back a bit as they spent two days hiding after that. I haven't held them for four days now.

- What's the next step?

- Should I continue with hand feeding Manny and refrain from picking him up?

- How do I settle Floyd more with me?

- How do I know when the right time is to move it up a gear? I don't want them to go back to hiding all the time. Today I've seen them run around their newly cleaned cage and popping and playing which is nice.

I know this can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, but I want happy piggies who enjoy lap time so want to make sure I get these steps exactly right to faciliate that.

Thanks so much!

 

[Connie]

I would just like to say, it sounds like your doing fine! I have tried milions of methods and have had my piggies 7 months. They still run from cover when i enter the room! Try holding the piggies in a cuddle sack so they feel protected.

Make sure there are a few hours a day where the piggies have nothing to desturb them and can munch to there hearts content

 

[sunnyxmuffins]

I've refrained from picking them up (I did at first pick them up but they didn't like it, I thought it would be ok as I spent time with them at the breeders and Manny would happily sit on my lap and munch away on food and even purr!) so it knocked me back a bit as they spent two days hiding after that. I haven't held them for four days now.

Pick them up! Pick them up up up UP! lol, handle them as often as you can for short periods of time. Let's say, hold them for 10 minutes every half hour. Thats the only way they will really get used to being handled. Be very gentle and remember to support their bum when you pick them up (and some piggies who have been tame for years still scramble away when you put your hand in the cage to fetch them, so don't worry about them running from you, it doesn't mean anything) but yeah, just handle them as much as possible! They will probably wriggle and put up a fuss for a second but they should calm down. sit down on a couch or the floor with them, don't just hold them in the ait. They will start to relax and enjoy being held. But again keep it short and sweet at first, 10 min. maximum. That's what I did with my girls who sound very similar in personality to your boys (and they are coming around). Pepper sound like manny. She is bigger and braver, while mooshi is a sensitive soul... mooshi sounds like floyd she is verrry small compared to her big sis and very skittish/ quiet. She is just starting to take grass from my hand unlike Pepper who chomps down on it from day one! You'll get there it takes time and hard work~!

 

[kat04kt]

Pick them up! Pick them up up up UP! lol, handle them as often as you can for short periods of time. Let's say, hold them for 10 minutes every half hour. Thats the only way they will really get used to being handled. Be very gentle and remember to support their bum when you pick them up (and some piggies who have been tame for years still scramble away when you put your hand in the cage to fetch them, so don't worry about them running from you, it doesn't mean anything) but yeah, just handle them as much as possible! They will probably wriggle and put up a fuss for a second but they should calm down. sit down on a couch or the floor with them, don't just hold them in the ait. They will start to relax and enjoy being held. But again keep it short and sweet at first, 10 min. maximum. That's what I did with my girls who sound very similar in personality to your boys (and they are coming around). Pepper sound like manny. She is bigger and braver, while mooshi is a sensitive soul... mooshi sounds like floyd she is verrry small compared to her big sis and very skittish/ quiet. She is just starting to take grass from my hand unlike Pepper who chomps down on it from day one! You'll get there it takes time and hard work~!

It's bizarre in the last couple of days I've found that Floyd is the one that's better at being handled than Manny. Manny really scrambles to get away and often does! He's a bit fiesty to control and even in a cosy will jump out of it. I haven't been picking them up often at all as I didn't want to stress them, but I think you're right, they've had two weeks to get settled in now, so it's time to make a start. I just have to find a way to control Manny a little better mallethead

 

[sunnyxmuffins]

I haven't been picking them up often at all as I didn't want to stress them, but I think you're right, they've had two weeks to get settled in now, so it's time to make a start. I just have to find a way to control Manny a little better mallethead

Don't worry about stressing them out, they will be fine! The more you pick them up and handle them the more comfortable they will be with you! And yes, it will still take a lot of time even when you start handling them often it will not be an over night difference. It is always good to give new animals a few days to adjust to their now cage/surroundings before handling them but now is the time to start if you want tame piggies and when you start don't stop, be consistent and they will eventually come around!