I feel like a terrible Guinea pig owner

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Olive_piggies

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I feel very guilty about my Guinea pigs and even though I’m trying my best I feel like I could do more . To give you some context when I first got my rehomed Guinea pigs about 5 months ago I was extremely busy (comp dance, job, internship, Rec dance, school, and business) I have finally opened up my schedule but I feel as if I am still not doing enough

1) space: I have my 2 Guinea pigs in a midwestern cage and I wanted to double up but I don’t have enough space in my house. The room that they are in is pretty difficult to have floor time. I wish I could give them more space to run around though

2) holding: this is the biggest issue. I have tried for so long to have a bond with my Guinea pigs but I think they hate me. Since they are prey animals I knew it would be difficult to hold them but I think they’ve been getting worse. Every video I’ve seen online about holding Guinea pigs, they put their arms near the Guinea pigs before picking them up. My Guinea pigs won’t let me do that. If I even touch them slightly under their belly to get a grip on them, they go crazy and run away. The only way for me to pick them up is to risk hurting them and I don’t want to do that. When I finally pick them up, they are super stressed and probably uncomfortable which only reinforces them to run when I try and pick them up. Because of this I struggle to allow them to have time out and give them what they need

3) nail clipping: because of the previous problem of holding, I struggle to get their nails clipped. I can’t pay 50 dollars every month to bring then to the vet and my parents won’t take me. I have gotten close a couple times but they are very squirmy and I’m ver close to giving up

I feel like my Guinea pigs hate me and I am failing them by not doing enough to keep them happy and make sure the area around them is clean. I clean their cage 3x a day and yet it is still a hot mess. I try to give them toys and they just fight over them. It seems impossible.

Any advice?
 
Your guinea pigs don't hate you, and you're not a bad owner.

For picking up, have you tried herding the piggy into a cozy/hide/box that you can pick up piggy and all? That may be a good place to start if they're not comfortable being scooped. Some piggies don't mind being scooped; many piggies will scamper and squirm. Having the latter doesn't make you any worse of a piggy owner than having the former.

Nail clipping is a challenging skill. I find it is easiest with two people ... one to hold and one to clip. Would one of your parents be willing to give you a hand with nail clips? The other thing that helps is a treat distraction. You may only be able to do a couple nails in a sitting, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Guinea pigs poo a lot ... it's just what they do. Very few of them are tidy about it. I'm sure you're doing a fine job with the spot cleaning.
Piggy theory goes as such: The best food is whatever is in the other piggy's mouth, the best bed/hide is the one with a piggy already in it, and the best toy is the one in use. The only thing you can do is make sure there's enough hides and whatnot for each pig to have one ... you can't prevent them from still wanting the same one; that's the best one. Seemingly identical ones are inferior, and we'll never know why because we're not piggies.
 
I’m sorry to hear you feel like this.

Rest assured, they do not hate you.

You don’t say what sex your piggies are but 8 square feet meets the minimum welfare size. It is better for two sows than for two boars though who do better with a bit more room.
Either way, if you are piggies are boars and they are not struggling with a smaller cage, then try not to worry.

This is a very common thing new owners find themselves struggling with but it is not something you are doing wrong. Most piggies do not like to be held. What you are seeing in YouTube videos gives an unrealistic expectation - watching videos of the realities of piggy keeping and being held would not attract viewers.

Picking up a guinea pig with bare hands cuts very close to their prey instinct - they think they are going to be eaten. It is better to herd them into a box first and then pick them up from there.
I have four guinea pigs. All of them hate the act of being picked up.
The two younger ones don’t mind a cuddle but as they are getting older - they are 8 months old now - they are getting more wriggly, disliking being picked up a bit more and are more willing to tell me when they’ve had enough.
The older two are 5 years old and don’t like to be cuddled. I had a hard time with one of them to even get him to take food from me - that took a year and a half. Now they are older they are tolerating handling much better than when they were young.
I actually only handle all my piggies only for their routine weight and health checks otherwise my relationship with them comes from sitting in their shed and having them come to me (which they all do). There is no point in sitting there making them be held when they don’t want to.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

Nail clipping is obviously going to be tricky while you can’t handle them but only aiming to do a couple of nails or one feet at a time can help make the process easier. Don’t go in with the expectation to do everything.
Using a tasty snack can help as well as having somebody to help you - one person to hold the piggy and the other to do the clipping.
Handling them for the weekly weight and health checks is important though. The weight checks are the only way to know they are eating enough hay and any weight loss can be the first sign of an illness brewing before any other symptoms.

Toys and the cage being messy. This is normal but the smaller the cage the harder it is to keep it clean. They will pee and poop everywhere - it’s normal. You don’t need to be cleaning three times a day though - remove wet hay and any areas I’d wet bedding once a day is enough.
Toys - if you mean you are buying commercial toys for them then usually that is a waste of money. The best enrichment comes from living as a pair and interacting with each other. A great form is having big piles is hay in the cage floor to play on, sleep in etc. Provide foraging opportunities for them in the hay ie don’t use bowls for veg and pellets and instead scatter their portions (one cup of veg per pig per day and one tablespoon of pellets per pig per day are the recommended feeding amounts) in the hay so they have to search for it. Cardboard boxes with two door holes cut in etc.

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

The green links I’ve added in will provide further information on everything

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection
 
I think your pigs are probably perfectly happy, to be honest. It sounds like you are actually doing a decent job, and guinea pigs are generally contented creatures. They are not judging you on the details of your guinea pig care. As long as they don't have anything to be really miserable about, they'll be happy, because they have each other and they have food to eat.

The handling and nail clipping thing is a challenge a lot of us struggle with. They look like potatoes but they are super quick! I've had guinea pigs all my life but I still have days when I can't catch them without a couple of laps around the cage and the pig burring at me in annoyance when I finally catch him because it was such a hassle.

There is lots of good advice on this, some of it you're already getting and I'm sure you'll get more, but just know that this isn't you being uniquely bad at it. Guinea pigs are just difficult to catch. They're like little slippery bars of soap and they move like lightning.

You seem very anxious indeed, and in particular, you seem to be seeing mess where there is none. Two guinea pigs in a cage that size will not be getting it in a mess if they're being cleaned out 3x a day. Guinea pigs don't need or want their cage to be immaculate, and they poop constantly. So you seem to be holding the cage to a standard of cleanness that just isn't possible.

Guinea pigs aren't like us. They're happy living among their poops, they enjoy bickering with each other, they often look like they're arguing when actually they're enjoying themselves, they run away even if they would be quite happy to be held. They are funny, happy little creatures, and given the basics of a good life (which you are giving them) they live their lives in joy.
 
Just to add, on the nail clipping thing, is there someone else who can help you? It really is much easier with one to hold and one to clip. In particular, if there's anyone with really big hands who can hold the pig, it's a lot easier. They are very wriggly and bigger hands makes it much easier to hold them still. My husband has big hands, so he's the pig restrainer and I'm the manicurist.
 
Just to add to all of that amazing info above, a pig can seem like they are getting more scared of you rather than less. The biggest trick a pig has is to play dead. Hold as still as possible and the predator might leave you alone. If they are showing you they’re unhappy then that says they feel safe enough to do that. It is progress!
 
I cant really add to what has been said but sounds like you are doing a great job.

Just a tip for once you’ve got the pigs out, hold them in something, either a towel or a blanket.
As you can imagine this new space with likely a lot of noises can be very scary so if you are wanting a cuddle give them some place to feel safe. Assuming they were in a cuddle sack etc already.

I have a 4 and a 1/2 year old boar who was basically never handled unless for health checks and was very skittish and nervous anyway so hated anything other than the safety of his cage.
Last month he lost his lifelong buddy so I made it my job to help him come out of his shell a bit and get him out for a cuddle a couple times a day.
Over this past month and a bit we have became best friends, being held and taken from his home still isn’t his favourite thing, but I now know where he loves to be pet and we sit and watch tv together sometimes.

You need to understand the basics really are the best way to go but you have to be persistent, but not too much as you do want to upset your piggie.
Speak to them through their cage and hand feed them, let them know your voice and enjoy being around you.

Please don’t be hard on yourself, owning piggies is one big learning curve, that I feel you never really get off of.
 
Some excellent replies and advice have been given. Your piggies really do not hate you. The majority of piggies don’t like being handled and some really won’t tolerate it unless it’s absolutely necessary. I can’t do nail clipping alone so I ask my OH to hold the piggy while I clip the nails. I find it’s safer. But even after clipping nails for well over 20:years I still find it stressful.
Just continue to engage with your piggies daily on a level that they are happy with. It takes a long time to build up a bond and earn their trust. Keep talking to them calmly, give them a routine they know and love. And bribery with herbs usually will win them over.
 
Also try to concentrate on enjoying them. Just sit by the cage and watch them for a while. They are such lovely little creatures, try to let them bring you joy rather than stress.
 
Don't worry about not being able to pick them up. My Finn is 7 year old this year, and he still runs away from me. I have had him since he was a baby of 2 months old.
As far as space, have you considered building up, like 2 stories where they can climb upstairs for hay?
 
you have had great advice.ive piggies that like being picked up,but some do not .i use a tunnel to herd them in.my 4 and 5 year old piggies are the ones that do not run away when i talk to them or give a corriander treat.so it can take a few years before they get really used to you,and some piggies will never be comfortable .you are doing a great job.
 
Thank you so much to everyone who gave awesome replies. For those of you wondering I do have a squish hideout to transport them in, and I will probably be using it more! I have a picture of it down below lol. I tried for the first time to clip their nails with my sister and I actually kind of got one nail. I just need a better pair of clippers since mine weren’t big enough (if anyone has any recommendations that would be appreciated). I am realizing that I should probably not feel as guilty and it makes total sense why my Guinea pigs might not ever be comfortable being picked up (especially since I’m their third owner). I am going to try some enrichment strategies!
 

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I use these ones:
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I got them at a local pet shop ... I think they were in the small animal section, but they might have been in the cat department. I've never had any trouble with size. Make sure you have a scissor type rather than ones that look like human nail clippers.

No promises on the pricing ... I've had these for years, :lol!: .
 
I use those kids of nail clippers too... I find them the easiest to use. It may also help to make it a two-person job, one to hold the piggie and one to clip.
 
hi! I'm a relatively new guinea pig keeper myself (just a few months now)... and the nail clipping felt like the greatest achievement the times i've gotten it done.

I watched videos to see exactly how it could be done... the squeek dreams video was very helpful for me.

I sit at a table and hold Simon/Gir against my chest, use one hand to hold the target paw and the other to operate the clipper. I'm using a human nail clipper, nothing fancy.

I think it helps to be ready to quit if they're overly stressed out after just getting a few nails done (I keep notes to help me remember which got done when), and to cycle through a few paws each week.

You've got this!
 
@OneDaySale I recommend investing in some small animal clippers. The lopping action is more suited to round guinea pig nails than human nail clippers (which are designed for our flat nails). It's also much easier to maneuver and easier to see where on the nail you're clipping, since you can see both sides of the blade. I think you'll find it easier and less stressful.
 
Princess Dustmop said:
@OneDaySale I recommend investing in some small animal clippers. The lopping action is more suited to round guinea pig nails than human nail clippers (which are designed for our flat nails). It's also much easier to maneuver and easier to see where on the nail you're clipping, since you can see both sides of the blade. I think you'll find it easier and less stressful.
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i'll look into it - i feel like I've been going cross eyed trying to see their little nails as it is! :blink:

(i also need to pick up a scale... the boys are growing quickly, definitely have some backside to them...)

(and thank you for the advice!)
 
Cheekypigs said:
Good for you!

I use a clipper like this. I got it at a pet store.
Click to expand...

Okay I have a clipper similar to this but whenever I try to use it I always go up to high. Idk if it’s just me but it’s so difficult to get a grip on the nail without getting the quick? I’ll try again though!
 
If you're getting the quick, you're going too high on the nail. It's okay to just take off a little bit at a go, especially when you're first getting the hang of it. You can always nip off some more if the nail is still long.

You don't need to grip the nail. It should be a quick nipping action ... like cutting flower stems.

Here's Latte's tootsies (sorry for the image quality ... she wasn't holding still, and it's quite zoomed). You can easily see the nail and quick on the white foot. These don't need to be clipped, but they're not freshly clipped either. The nail doesn't have to be clipped all the way back to the pink (quick); the white beyond it just shouldn't be super long. It's not as easy to see on her brown foot (made worse by the image quality), but if you look carefully, you can see the quick there, too. I always do that foot last ...
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I get how you feel. When I had my hamster Layla, it was really stressful for me to juggle school, fish tank cleanings, and hamster cage cleanings. I felt like a horrible owner even if I was trying my best. Good pet owners are always trying to improve and comparing them selves to others. A truly bad pet owner realizes that their doing something wrong, but do no effort to fix it. You clearly care about your piggies which is all that matters. And I promise your pigs absolutely do NOT hate you. This kind of response is normal. Try spending some lap time with them and hand feeding. My advise is to take it one step at a time. Make a list, and this forum can really help with anything your struggling with.

You are not a bad owner!
 
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