New Guinea Pigs Really Nervous - Advice Please

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mummyyoudan

mummyyoudan

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We have adopted 2 female guinea pigs who are about 12 weeks old now. We have had them for nearly 3 weekd/.
Our piggies live outside in a hutch and everyday I go out a talk to them a few times and put them in their large outside run for a few hours. The trouble is they are very timid. I have a few hides in their run and they just tend to sit under one of them the whole time - they do not 'run' at all. I even watch them from indoors and they don't venture out when we are not even in the garden - is this normal?

Also I handle them a couple of times a day but they are difficult to catch and absolutely desperate to get away. My children can't really handle them yet as they just run off their laps (they sit on the floor with a towel on their knees).

Also they have constant access to hay, a bowl of guinea pig food and I put fresh veggies in every night. They don't really seem to like the veggies though. They like celery and cucumber but nothing else (tried pepper, sweet corn, lettuce, spinache, broccoli, grapes, swede, carrots etc etc) thus I can't try to bribe them with treats as they are not interested - is this normal?

I hope I'm just being impatient - I want them to be happy and love us because we love them
 
Hello. Welcome to the forum. Guinea pigs are prey animals which means they are really timid. The behaviour you describe is perfectly normal piggy behaviour. It takes a while to build up a bond. With guinea pigs you need to be very patient and gentle. I have a very nervous guinea pig and it took almost two years for her to trust me. Everyday I held her for five minutes just talking softly to her. After a while I started to stroke her and get her used to being touched. I never held her for more then five minutes so she was not upset. Slowly she got used to me. It helped when I offered her vegetables too. Once she took them I knew she trusted me. In time your girls will trust you.

Guinea pigs can be fussy with fresh food. You can introduce a new food slowly so as not to overwhelm them. Mine get one green bean, coriander, celery, cucumber and piece of greens.
 
Congratulations on your new piggies.
New timid baby piggies need time, patience and love. It takes time for them to get used to you, their surroundings, just about everything. They are prey animals, afraid of sounds, shadows, you name it. Take your time, establish a routine, talk gently to them at all times, move slowly. Some piggies never like being handled. Others come round to you much more easily. One of my sows who is 4 1/2 still legs it away when she sees me coming! It's just her personality. Two of the others are all over me like a rash!
In their run they probably feel vulnerable and exposed. Try covering a side or 2 up with a blanket or sheet to make then feel less exposed. Put plenty of hideys and tunnels as that's where they feel safest. My own tend to move from hidey to hidey except one who is very confident in the open.
At lap time, take it slowly, try holding them in a hidey or snuggle sack if they feel safer that way. Or just sit on the floor in their run and let them come to you and get used to you in that way.
Patience, love, kindness and calmness will usually win piggies over, but it can take a long time to build that bond.
 
Hi :wel:to the forum..

As it has already been said, Piggies are prey animals and it will take time for them to trust you. Have a look at these threads which will help you to settle in your piggies..

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/

Also have a look at our various care guides in the form of stickies from everything from posting pigtures ( Hint Hint ) to a piggies diet..

In the meantime can you please add your location to your profile as it helps fellow members give any answers to questions you may have that may be area/country specific. This can be done by clicking on your username, then personal details, then add location......

Lisa & Ali..
 
Thank you for your replies. I know they are prey animals and need time but was wondering how to go about taming them.
I am not sure whether I should not pick them up for a while, just talk to them and near them lots and move slowly etc till they get a bit more relaxed. Or should I hold them a couple of times a day for a few minutes each time?
I don't think I'll be able to hand feed them as they are not interested in veggies - do you think they will become interested or do some piggies sometimes not bother? I do think I may be over facing them with choice a bit and I'll stick to perhaps just their favourite s celery and cucumber and maybe one other thing for a few days. I don't want to stop the celery and cucumber as they don't seem to drink from their water bottle at all. I checked with their breeder and she said they did with her??
 
Hi! give them time to settle and build up their confidence. Place a big fleece or towel over the run to make it feel secure; guinea pigs hate open spaces where they are exposed to predators. Make sure that their run is secured against birds of prey, cats, dogs and foxes. It sometimes takes new piggies of mine nearly all summer to become confident on the lawn.

You also may find these links here helpful:
For pick-up video: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/videos/
This thread here will help you with your piggy diet: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/
 
Don't worry about the water too much. Cucumber and celery are high water content. My piggies don't drink much either. Stick with what they like and add a little of something new at a time. Like children, too much choice and they leave it. Just giving small amounts prevents it going off and also encourages them to try. Piggies do have differing tastes, I have 2 pairs of piggies. One pair go wild for broccoli. The other pair will leave it unless there is nothing else. One pair adore a cherry tomato. The other pair will push their tomato around and I find it in their poo corner! Both pairs love celery and cucumber, peppers and romaine lettuce. All piggies enjoy veg and over time they will show you their enjoyment and appreciation more and more.

It just all takes time and patience. But boy, it's worth it in the end.:D
 
Don't worry about the water too much. Cucumber and celery are high water content. My piggies don't drink much either. Stick with what they like and add a little of something new at a time. Like children, too much choice and they leave it. Just giving small amounts prevents it going off and also encourages them to try. Piggies do have differing tastes, I have 2 pairs of piggies. One pair go wild for broccoli. The other pair will leave it unless there is nothing else. One pair adore a cherry tomato. The other pair will push their tomato around and I find it in their poo corner! Both pairs love celery and cucumber, peppers and romaine lettuce. All piggies enjoy veg and over time they will show you their enjoyment and appreciation more and more.

It just all takes time and patience. But boy, it's worth it in the end.:D
 
Thank you for your replies - I'll go with the flow more. Their run has a net over it to stop birds and cats but I'll put a tarp over as well to give them more seclusion.
One of my children was outside skipping today and I was amazed to see through the window, a little piggy coming in and out of its hide. It didn't venture far but I'm accepting it as progress. Unfortunate ly my little girl noticed too and promptly ran to it to congratulate it and it scampered off. Lol

Also the piggies nails are getting very long, I was going to hold off clipping them till they got more tame but that's going to take too long. Does anyone know if they do it at pets at home?
 
Hey,

I'd recommend trying coriander if you haven't yet with piggies. My four go insane over it. It's like a mix of pirahnas with how they attack it. It's gone in seconds. Savoy cabbage also seems to be a big hit with my lot.

As for them being nervous, it will take ages but what I did with my nervous guinea pig was hold his favourite vegetable in my hand and wait ages for him to sneak out and take it from my hand. I tried this every day and you develop a dead arm if you hold it too long but when they take it it feels amazing. I'll never forget when Gilbert, my nervous one slowly snuck forward, grabbed it and backed up in the pigloo. I kept it at the pigloo entrance so he didn't actually need to leave the safety of it.
 
Hi, I've found a routine helps and also for lap time maybe get a cosy for the piggies to hide in so they feel more secure :) hand feeding is good for developing a bond, talking to them too helps.
Give it a couple weeks they'll soon associate certain sounds to food and they'll be squeaking and running around in no time.
 
Thanks, I hope so. My children are just so enthusiastic they want to hold them and pet them. If its me doing all the taming, which I don't mind at all, but will they only then sit on me? It seems like a lot of effort for small children to go through and I have tried to explain to them but after 3 weeks they are already disheartened.
I know I am responsible for them, and I don't mind doing the leg work so to speak but just hope my children will be able to enjoy them too.
I'll let you know how we get on :)
As for routine, this will be easier once the children are at school I suppose :)
 
VickiA said:
Congratulations on your new piggies.
New timid baby piggies need time, patience and love. It takes time for them to get used to you, their surroundings, just about everything. They are prey animals, afraid of sounds, shadows, you name it. Take your time, establish a routine, talk gently to them at all times, move slowly. Some piggies never like being handled. Others come round to you much more easily. One of my sows who is 4 1/2 still legs it away when she sees me coming! It's just her personality. Two of the others are all over me like a rash!
In their run they probably feel vulnerable and exposed. Try covering a side or 2 up with a blanket or sheet to make then feel less exposed. Put plenty of hideys and tunnels as that's where they feel safest. My own tend to move from hidey to hidey except one who is very confident in the open.
At lap time, take it slowly, try holding them in a hidey or snuggle sack if they feel safer that way. Or just sit on the floor in their run and let them come to you and get used to you in that way.
Patience, love, kindness and calmness will usually win piggies over, but it can take a long time to build that bond.
Click to expand...
lol lol lol! Like a rash! I like that one. :D
 
mummyyoudan said:
Thanks, I hope so. My children are just so enthusiastic they want to hold them and pet them. If its me doing all the taming, which I don't mind at all, but will they only then sit on me? It seems like a lot of effort for small children to go through and I have tried to explain to them but after 3 weeks they are already disheartened.
I know I am responsible for them, and I don't mind doing the leg work so to speak but just hope my children will be able to enjoy them too.
I'll let you know how we get on :)
As for routine, this will be easier once the children are at school I suppose :)
Click to expand...
I totally understand! It's so hard for kids to be patient. May I ask how old they are? I have an 11 year old daughter and a 13 year old son.

Don't worry they'll come around. I sometimes think it's harder for outside pigs as they don't get to hear you all the time, blah blah blahing away. Is there anyway they could be inside? Where are you going to keep them over the winter? Or do you have them in an insulated shed or something? I didn't read all the posts sorry. :(

Angela
 
My girls are only 6 and 4, oh and 9 months but she's not aloud anywhere near cause she'd eat them lol.

There is no way my husband will allow them inside - he doesn't even think a dog should be indoors never mind a rodent. (Hence we don't have a dog!)

I am going to move them into our utility room in the winter - its not heated but they will be out of the worst of the frost, wind and rain, will also give extra bedding so they should be OK. Am also going to get a pop up run in there for exercise and for the children to hold them. At the moment the children get into the run and sit on the floor so when they handle them they aren't worried about dropping them or anything.
We have had a break through though. I was a bit late putting the guinea pigs to bed tonight and it was getting dark. When I went out they were running around even when I stood next to their run. They had their hides in the run but I was able to get in and sit down with them still popping in and out. Fingers crossed
 
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