i cant catch them !

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mojosmummy

mojosmummy

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argh help! i cant catch my piggies, when i even touch them they go tense and I'm scared they are going to bite me ! what can i do, i need to get them out so we can cuddle them.....they make a wheeeeking noise too when i touch them, are they scared ? :(
 
take any hidey holes out for ten minutes so they adjust to it, then scoop them into the corner and gently but confidently/firmly lift them out so they wont feel scared. good luck, it does get easier!
 
Sounds like they're scared to me, though, in the off chance they could have mites and sore skin from scratching, so I'd check for that just encase.

HOWEVER guinea pigs do use the pain sound even if they're not in pain, it can be fear but it can also be trying to wheedle out of something they're not keen on, like say, having their nails trimmed(Jack makes the sound before you even touch him with the clippers)

If they're young and new, you will have to cuddle them if you want to make them friendly, theres no real way to stop them fleeing from you excepting getting them use to you, keep picking them up regularly and they'll get over the whole being lifted into the air thing.

Just remember, they are small and the sensation of being picked up high into the air by a much larger mammal which, in times passed would have eaten them, is no doubt pretty terrifying so holding them firmly, but carefully is a must or they may make a bit of a suicidal leap!

Eventually if you do it right you could end up with a sloppy lump of a piggy that will know that it's not going anywhere fast so it might as well have a bit of a snooze, true sign of confidence in you. :)) nothing quite as rewarding when they sleep on you for the first time and show that they know your not going to try and eat them!
 
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I have piggies who will just stand there and also ones who will give me the run around! The last one joined the household over a year ago, so sometimes it's just how they are! Dave is my worst one...3lb of pig but he can't half shift!:)) I tend to corner him and then slide a hand under his chin which he will usually step onto when he realises he isn't going anywhere!
 
MintyAndGarry said:
I have piggies who will just stand there and also ones who will give me the run around! The last one joined the household over a year ago, so sometimes it's just how they are! Dave is my worst one...3lb of pig but he can't half shift!:)) I tend to corner him and then slide a hand under his chin which he will usually step onto when he realises he isn't going anywhere!
Click to expand...

awww bless him,love his name too hehe :))
 
I used this upturned pigloo on Llewelyn, who still ambles for cover first if there is no food involved, and my two new girls with their razor sharp claws. I put a little treat inside, and thus avoid having to handle them during the dreaded pick up.

IMG_2648_edited-1.jpg
 
Hi mine did not like being handled at first but i get them out everyday and they are starting to get use to being handled i gave them each a blanket different coloured now they start to squeak when i go to get them out and come up to the door of the cage until i put my hand and then they do a little run around before coming to the blanket. I have one i nicknamed kung fu Louie as she kicks my with her back feet.She also loves my son and husband Try a blanket or something similar a try
 
i think they prop enjoy seeing us trying to catch them lol. when first had mine freddie used to wheek really loud when use to pick him up . but now i just have the task of trying to get them out of pen .but now its a game i take top off pen they run in tunnel and i lift it out like a lift with sound effects as well (bet neighbours think i am daft ) i get basil out them freddie runs into the lift
 
I have some who flattly refuse to be picked up! Twinks is like that but once we have him (Peter refuses to use the bowl) he looks as if to say! Well it wasn't too bad! He is comical!

We find stroking to reassure and then scooping them up a help! We use towels for our Harvey who is a bunny but he is the calmest rabbit I know! Had his nails done the other day, could of painted them a nice shade of red and he wouldn't have cared! :(|)
 
My girls are not great at being picked up either!

I take out the hidey holes first, and mine generally then try hide in the hay! The trick is to be confident when picking them up, using both hands, scooping from bottom. It may take a while to catch them, because they can be fast when they want to be, but persevere.

They may wheek, but this is generally in protest rather than anything else. It can be a scary experience for the piggies!
 
Some of my piggies hate being picked up - luckily my cages are big enough for me to sit in (I have C&Cs) - when I'm in there they will happily jump onto my knee & I can lift them up that way rolleyes
 
the other guys have given great tips all i can add is not to show fear,just move in quickly but gentle and pick them up before they run,try not to get to frazzeled they will sense it x
 
Just to add - if you can - try to back them into a corner, place your left hand in front of the face to stop them moving away and then slide the right hand underneath them. Talk to them, using the same phrase all the time, as they will associate this sound with being picked up and start to relax after a few goes. Get your right hand fingers between the back legs and gently lift, tucking the piggie into you asap. The back legs will paddle, but the piggie's spine and tummy will be completely supported and they will be safe.

When you put them back, put them back with their face towards you. The panicked jump towards the cage if they can see it is a serious danger point, they can jump right out of your hands and injure themselves. You can simply reverse the movement you used to pick them up.

Hope this helps, Sarah x
 
You have been given some great advise but just to add, try not to hover above them when you pick them up. Try and get down to their level by crouching. My Connie (r.i.p) use to hate being picked up and would run for life. Once caught however, she would be cuddled for hours. Eliza on the other hand is pretty easy to pick up. When I got my new girl, Eleanor. She was scared of me picking her up and would run around the hutch making a squeaking sound as though she was scared. Two months later, she is also pretty easy to pick up and loves cuddles xx
 
Vickyt said:
I used this upturned pigloo on Llewelyn, who still ambles for cover first if there is no food involved, and my two new girls with their razor sharp claws. I put a little treat inside, and thus avoid having to handle them during the dreaded pick up.

IMG_2648_edited-1.jpg
Click to expand...

That pic is so cute :) Aww, little Dizzy in the background :( xx
 
Bullseye said:
you could attach a pair of tights to the pegs and make a baby bouncer
Click to expand...

Why not? I've used it for carrying my pigs on the lawn and back, to the vets, if they're very ill, and it makes a nice napping place as well. It also comes in handy on the odd occasion I had a freaked-out escapee in the garden or the living room, because I don't have to be close by for them to go in. Just ready to pounce once they have boarded!

Actually, quite often it helps, if you go away a bit and pretend that you are not interested at all... and woosh, they're inside in seconds!

Once you have one, it's easier with the second, as they hate beind on their own. I always tell them where they are going, with a little picture in my mind. That way, they are more cooperative and less panicked.

Best luck! Once you have developed a ritual, and it's not "random violence" anymore, they will be a lot easier.
 
in my opinion its the nervous handler that makes it more difficult - i was nervous and struggled

once you get over that and know - they will not bite - not at all

then your confidence grows and it becomes easier

i talk to mine too - and i am sure they understand

so take it from a novice - it does get easier
 
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