Questions about my new pair of guinea pigs

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tinamoo

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Hi All,

I got my 6 month old guinea pigs on Friday. After some advice on here I left them alone, until last night when I could not resist getting them out for a bit of a run and a cuddle.

I keep going out talking to them to try and get them used to me but they seem to just run and hide anytime I am near the hutch. Even if I am doing other things.

Cinderella who is a Agouti I was told was the dominant one and Tinkerbell a tricolored abyssian the more submissive(they are both female). Cinderella hides a lot more than Tinkerbell. If Cinderella is more dominant should it not be her that is the braver one and comes out more?

Also, yesterday when I had Cinderella on my knee she was nibbling at my finger. Is this a sign she is unhappy?

So, do I need to be more patient and leave them alone until they are used to me? Is it okay to stroke them in their hutch or do I not touch them at all? I just wanted to make sure that they got out of their hutch everyday but if I am supposed to leave them I will.

Thanks in advance.
 
It's natural for guinea pigs to run and hide. Some will always do it, no matter how well they know you. It's instinct to hide. Given time, you'll probably find that they run to hide then come out again when they know it's you. If it makes you feel any better, my guinea pigs will run for shelter if I scratch my nose, lol. At the same time I can lay on the floor with them and they will come up and sniff my face. It's all about things being on their terms. After all, we're the big scary ones in the relationship. :)
I would keep handling them, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. It's important that they get used to it, and for you get used to what they feel like so you can monitor their condition. I have a nibbler who has mostly grown out of it but it is usually her way of her telling me she's had enough.

Good luck. x
 
Nibbling fingers is natural - it is their way of exploring!

There is no right or wrong way; I would recommend establishing a daily routine, so that your girls can learn what to expect.

It is not unusual that a dominant girl s hsyer with humans. Running away is pretty normal - guinea pigs are prey animals and their instincts run deep; it takes time and trust to overcome that.
 
When I pet one of my guinea pigs he'll lick your arm but if he needs to go to the bathroom he'll nip my finger, that could be the reason or maybe it's just an inquisitive tasting she's giving you :)
 
I have begun to try to establish a routine. Although, I had Cinderella on my knee this morning just stroking her, (She, I was told is the more dominant one) I swear she went to bite me, luckily I took my hand away quickly. This has worried me a little as I do not want to be frightened of her and I do not want her to be unhappy.:(

I know that guinea pigs biting is quite rare which makes me feel like a rubbish owner.
 
Try not to put your fingers under the piggies chin they tend to have a nibble out of curiosity.It might be a carrot . Whenever you go to see them take a plastic carrier bag and a little bit of something tasty.Then if you rustle the bag and call them they will come out to see what you have brought. It is hard to catch piggies if they are in hay or a hidey hole so try to have a bit of clear space ,then one hand in front and scoop her up with the other. It is a bit of a knack and some piggies always try to run away,but they should calm down once you have them on your knee.
 
tinamoo said:
I have begun to try to establish a routine. Although, I had Cinderella on my knee this morning just stroking her, (She, I was told is the more dominant one) I swear she went to bite me, luckily I took my hand away quickly. This has worried me a little as I do not want to be frightened of her and I do not want her to be unhappy.

I know that guinea pigs biting is quite rare which makes me feel like a rubbish owner.
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Don't feel bad. Guinea pig biting is not that rare. Quite a lot of people have posted about it on the forum. Flumpet has drawn blood on me on more than one occasion.
I got a cozy to make it easier for me to handle my pigs. This is Flumpet when she was a little pigling. If she's cross and wants to go back in her cage she throws a hissy fit- she does a kind of angry popcorn and bites the hem of the cozy (silly nilly). It's much better than her biting me! She rarely does it now. :x
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A quick question about getting them out. When I go out to them they run into what I would call the bedroom area. This is where I have to pick them up from or they would stay in there all day.

Is the fact that I am picking them up from where they feel safe annoying them do you think?
 
It's probably annoying them, but if you got to pick up your pigs you've got to. At least it's mostly safe! Heck, cornering them in a hidey is the only way I will get my girls out of the cage....
 
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