My guinea pigs hate me

Junipertheguineapig

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, I have three female guinea pigs. One in one years old and the other two are 9 months old. The one year old is the mother to the other two. They don’t like me, I have tried everything and they are still scared of me. They run from me, bite me when I hold them, refuse to let me clip their nails, and would prefer to never be handled. What can I do to make them get used to me? I am also wondering why the mother pig is so much smaller then her baby’s? Thanks
 
This is actually quite normal, and they don’t hate you. Most piggies don’t like being handled. Mine certainly don’t, so it is kept purely for health reasons and even then it is done quickly. Dexter will try to bite me if I don’t put him down quickly enough and clipping his nails is usually a battle of wills. I’ll get one or two feet done if I’m lucky but if he starts to get nippy, I stop and do the rest of the nails the next day.
it’s actually a sign that your piggy is confident enough around you to tell you that they don’t like it though

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
:agr: Unfortunately the myth of them all being cuddly is perpetuated a lot. The reality isn't quite as 'popular'. They are prey animals and despite being domesticated that instinct hasn't been dampened down. There are some that like cuddles but there are also some (perhaps the majority) that don't.

If they don't like being held you will have to take it as it is, and at their pace. They may never like being held. If they wheek when they hear your voice/footsteps, come to the bars when you walk past, allow you to stroke them in their cage or eat from your hand then they do like you. That shows trust, because to them every big thing will eat them. So know that they don't hate you. Try not to put 'human emotions' on them either. They are guinea pigs and show their trust in their way.

I have been lucky in that my four don't mind cuddles or being held. But they don't like being picked up and I never expect them to get used to it, because that's their nature. Having said that, I don't actually cuddle them much. Even when they were inside lap time became a rarity after a year or so. One of the girls prefers to sit alongside me rather than on my lap. SO when I used to take them out, I'd have her on my lap for a few minutes then just put her in a cat bed thing next to me. She prefers to explore and I accept that.

Accept them for their little characters and, as said above, the fact they feel confident enough to tell you they don't like something. That is preferable to freezing in fear/chase the predator away.

With regards weight, if she is still putting on a little weight each week and her heft feels okay then she's fine. Guinea pigs have different shapes and sizes (as with humans). So go by her body rather than her offspring. Was she small when you got her?
 
Thank you so much for that information! Yes, Mama (Lulu) was always on the smaller side but eats just as much as her baby’s who are much bigger then her. I assume it’s just her body type.
 
Yes, it probably is.

PS please can you add your location to your profile. County/state or country will do.
 
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