Aha.....gosh that makes me feel better! So do they not necessarily want cuddles time? Should we not pick her up maybe? ?
Hi!
Handling is necessary for grooming and medication, so it is important that your piggies are being handled regularly to be OK with that. Reassure them that they are part of your herd (fondling their ears gently means that you want them to be part of the herd you are leading and tell them in piggy language that you love them (stroking around the eyes). This gives them a herd identity but also establishes you as the dominant 'super-pig' that can demand compliance when it comes to care like nail or haircutting or medicating. Praise lavishly (piggies react to the emotion in your voice much more than to the words) and give more eye strokes to express your delight in their tolerance. It is surprisingly effective.
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?
With the piggies that really don't like being petted even shortly (most piggies will tolerate 5-15 minutes before they have enough), I mostly keep it to a grooming and a quick piggy whispering session and keep the cuddling sessions to those piggies that enjoy it. They have all got their individual quirks as to where they like or dislike being touched; take heed where they don't, and they will like you for taking them seriously.
There are lots of other ways in which you can interact with and build up a friendship with your guinea pigs. Our enrichment guide will give you some ideas. To be honest, they are often a lot more fun than a human-centric petting session as the piggies are the actors (instead of objects) and you are their mate:
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
Unfortunately, social media are entirely driven by what humans find interesting and cute and are in no way a realistic representation of what life with guinea pigs is like. In fact, they reinforce outdated stereotypes rather than break it down to enjoy cavies as a fascinating species in their own right instead of being born animated cuddly toys.
All these helpful and practical guides are part of our much larger New Owners Guides Collection, which you may find very useful for bookmarking, browsing, reading and re-reading at need. It is currently one of the most comprehensive information resources around. 15 years on this lively forum plus long term owner practical experience have all gone into this collection, so we know what level practical detail new owners are looking for when they grapple with all little issues that many other places often gloss over. You will also find some rather surprising but hopefully equally fascinating stuff in there!
Here is the link:
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
