New Owner In Need Of Advice Scared Guinea Pigs And Teeth Chattering

Status
Not open for further replies.
Vicky4573

Vicky4573

New Born Pup
Joined
Jan 9, 2016
Messages
5
Reaction score
7
Points
60
Location
Aldershot UK
Hi everyone,

I got two new boar guinea pigs two weeks ago from pets at home they are roughly 10 weeks old. I was told to leave them and let them settle for four days without handling which I did. I just spoke softly and give them their veggies twice a day, fresh hay and pellets.

A week later I followed the advice for taming and I spent time talking to them and hand feeding them, leaving my hand in the cage for a bit. They are happy for me to hand feed them but the moment I try to stroke them they run away and into their hidey houses. They squeak when their veggies are on the way and come up to the bars on the cage and sniff me when I talk so they seem to be getting more comfortable.

When I have tried to pick them up they run away and then chatter their teeth so I back off when they do this. A friend of mine came round to help and ending up chasing them round for 10 minutes as they run so quickly before we managed to get hold of him and they calmed down once held but they were really scared. But I dont know whether I should keep doing this to get them used to me or if it make things worse.

I got the indoor rabbit/guinea pig feraplast casita 120 cage with a stand which pets at home said would be suitable for two guinea pigs but after doing some reading I have realized this was probably not the best cage to get.
So I have an indoor play pen which I let them run around in almost every day for about an hour but to get in there as I cant pick them up I put some veggies in a pet carrier and then when they run in there I put it into the playpen and same to get them back in the cage.

In the playpen I sometimes go in at their level and they sniff me etc but as soon as I try to get near them they chatter their teeth loudly and run. So do I need to keep trying and be more patient? Does the teeth chatter mean they are scared or just upset. I understand all guinea pigs are different and they may just not like to be held but I just wondered if I should continue to try tame them or if they will get stressed out. I know its only been two weeks so I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

Any advice or help will be greatly appreciated.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum!
It very much depends on the personality of the pig, but it sounds like you're doing everything absolutely right. My 6.5 year old boar loves cuddles and will happily stand still while I pick him up, whereas my 4 year old boys still run away and seek shelter if I try to handle them. Piggies are prey animals so their instinct is to hide if they feel threatened. The teeth chattering is probably because they are a little afraid, but it's still very early days yet (teeth chattering amongst pigs is a sign of dominance, so watch out for this as they grow older). They will grow in confidence, and at the moment it sounds completely normal. Encouraging them to go into the carrier to pick them up is also a great idea. You could also use a chew tube or snuggle bed as a way of lifting them without handling them - some nervous piggies prefer this.
 
Hi and welcome!

You may find the tips in this thread here helpful: How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

We have got lots of information on a range of subjects for new owners at the top of our various Care section, but you are always welcome to ask any questions you may have. We have bundled the most often asked for information by new owners into this information bundle: " Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

As we have got members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice to what is available and possible where you are instead of keeping it general. Click on your usernam on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!
 
A lot of guinea pigs dislike the feeling of being 'chased' and don't enjoy being picked up (this doesn't mean they don't like being held once you catch them- a lot of pigs who like lap time still dislike the feeling of being cornered/captured.) This cuts very close to the nature of being a prey animal- in nature, nothing chasing you wants to pat you gently! A lot of people will use a tube or a cozy to pick up a spooked pig with less stress, so that might be an option for you. That said, I think all owners have their own style, and for me, a bit of handling daily is just part of what I do to socialize new animals, and that means I have to catch them! With time they get more accustomed to it and many will stop running. Others will still startle, because it's a very hard instinct for a prey animal to overcome (I still have to chase Sundae a bit, but she is a nervous pig and also is on chronic suppressive antibiotics, so I'm not sure if it's her anxious nature or the fact that she knows that half the time when I pick her up she gets a syringe in her mouth!) A couple of my bolder pigs eventually just let me scoop them up without moving (thought this typically didn't extend to anyone BUT me trying to scoop them up!) So I guess my advice is to keep trying, as they will get more comfortable once they learn that nothing bad is going to happen to them, or to use a cozy or tube or something else to make the process easier for everyone right now.
 
Vicky4573 said:
Thanks everyone, I will try those suggestions!
Click to expand...

Don't worry yourself too much over it, I have yet to be owned by a piggy that doesn't mind being picked up. Even my Peter who loves lap time runs away and starts squealing, he's such a drama queen!
 
I've had guinea pigs for about 6 months now. I take things very slowly and just sit there with them when I feed them and try to hand feed their veges. I just hold them out and let them come up. It does take a long time for them to get used to you but if you have very greedy pigs then they won't be too scared of you as long as you have food. Or maybe a better way to explain it is they don't care much about what's on the other end of the food. They just want the food then and there!
 
I hope the above posters have settled some of your handling worries. I think the 120 pen that you have is ok for two small young piggies. The fact that you have had second thoughts about the pens size is a credit to you and even more so that you have decided to give them floortime to really stretch their legs, crucial for zoomies. When they get bigger, you might look at a bigger pen or move to a C&C pen. Meanwhile, welcome to the forum and piggy life.
 
Thanks, the hand feeding has definitely helped as they are allowing me to stroke them now so we're making progress! Their personalty's are really starting to shine through now too . I will have a look at the C & C pen for when they are little older and make sure they get enough floor time. Thanks again everyone.
 
Thanks for the update! Great news, keep at it you will get there with them. Any chance of some pigtures?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top