Not Much Luck With Lap Time :(

[SBilling88]

Hi.
I've had my Guinea pigs for about 5 weeks. They're still skittish and very nervous, but are definitely more comfortable in their hutch and playpen. They are around 14 weeks old.
Whenever I try lap time. They are really nervous and try everything to get away from me! I feel bad so I end up putting them back.
Will this change? Any tips and advice would be appreciated.
Thankyou.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi.
I've had my Guinea pigs for about 5 weeks. They're still skittish and very nervous, but are definitely more comfortable in their hutch and playpen. They are around 14 weeks old.
Whenever I try lap time. They are really nervous and try everything to get away from me! I feel bad so I end up putting them back.
Will this change? Any tips and advice would be appreciated.
Thankyou.

Be patient! You may find the tips in these guides here helpful. Youngsters at that age are not very good at sitting still for long anyway. Trust is a plant that needs time to grow slowly. Yours have not had much in the way of human interaction.
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

 

[Swissgreys]

It can take a while.

Just persist and make lap time pleasant - offer blankets or hideys for them, and reward them with tasty treats (coriander, and small pieces of luxury foods like carrot and apple).
Give them a firm, comfortable place to settle (we use lap pads from Ziggys piggies).
Keep the surrounding environment calm - no loud television or blaring music.

Many of them do eventually learn to love lap time - we are lucky to have 3 really snugly pigs, and I am hoping number 4 will come around eventually!

 

[SBilling88]

Thankyou very much.
Very helpful advice and made me feel better.
Do you think it's best to do lap time when I first put them in their indoor run or before I put them back in their hutch?

 

[Todite88]

I use my toddlers old foot cosy off the pram when I do latime. My older pig just sits there whilst I groom him want sure if it's just because he was so petrified or not but he's started eating off me too so guessing he can't be.. the younger one was just like yours are now for ages but he's getting better ..he'll sit for ages if there's food lol x

 

[flowerfairy]

When I was a child I had guinea pigs and would sit for ages with them on my shoulder under my (long) hair. They would slowly get braver and would happily sit in my lap and eat dandelions (awww). It did take a while for their confidence to grow. I agree that having a place to hide helps them to feel safer.

I look forward to posts from you saying how happy and relaxed your guinea pigs are during lap time!

 

[Dorothy&Coco]

Keep trying, they will get better with time. With our two we got them out every day but for short times (literally a minute at first) and found loosely wrapping them in a towel or blanket helped them feel safer. Like others we also fed treats like herbs. I always encouraged my daughter to constantly talk to them (like you do a baby!) And they are definitely soothed by her voice now. Keep sudden movements and loud noises to an absolute minimum. Good luck, let us know how you are getting on