Scared guinea pigs

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Eeworkowski

Eeworkowski

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I got my guinea pigs on Craigslist when they were 1 1/2 years old. I have had them for 8 months and they are still very scared of me. What should I do?
 
Guinea pigs being prey animals are naturally scared. There are tips you can try to help them feel more secure, which I’ll link in below, but a lot of piggies never come round to enjoy being handled, they may tolerate it but piggies aren’t always the cuddly creatures people think.
Try some of the tips in the links below and see how you go.
I’ve had my boys for 18 months and while there has been improvement, one of them is very nervous around me (the other one is much more confident)

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
Eeworkowski said:
I got my guinea pigs on Craigslist when they were 1 1/2 years old. I have had them for 8 months and they are still very scared of me. What should I do?
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Hi!

Please try the tips and trick in these guides here. Important is that you avoid triggering the prey animal instincts and make friends with them in ways that they instinctively understand and that make sense to them. Using their own social behaviours on them will also remove you from the category of being a predator. I have found it rather effective in getting farther more quickly with traumatised new arrivals of mine.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

It will still be a slow process where it feels that you are making one step forward and two back at times, but your piggies should come round more quickly every time. They will likely never become cuddle monsters but they will hopefully no longer afraid of you.
 
You are welcome to follow me but please understand that I can't follow every member or I'd be drowned in hundreds of post alerts and very likely to miss a crucial one where my advice or support can really make a difference because it is buried in amongst a lot of chat whenever I come on here.
I have set my own alerts in a way that I can keep an eye on some sensitive and crucial sections, so I can concentrate on being there for those that really need my support as much as possible. It is a very tricky balance for me to strike as I have only got limited time.

If you really want my input on a question, then please tag me in by typing @ and then my username; other experienced members usually call me in if they want to have a look at a specific thread outside my usual area. If I have something extra to contribute, I will do so; but we also have other experienced and knowledgeable members that know more in some areas than me. ;)

Please keep in mind that we are all doing this unpaid in our free time and that apart from holding down a job I also have my own currently 27 piggies to look after, medicate and keep clean. That is not exactly a small task!
 
Eeworkowski said:
Thank you for the feed back. How about follow for a follow?
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A follow for a follow? Why would you say that? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Normally someone follows you (or you follow someone) because you share common interests or opinions. It's not a like for a like, or follow for a follow. There's no obligation to do that here. It's not Facebook for guinea pig owners! 😂 😂
 
Piggylove82 said:
A follow for a follow? Why would you say that? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Normally someone follows you (or you follow someone) because you share common interests or opinions. It's not a like for a like, or follow for a follow. There's no obligation to do that here. It's not Facebook for guinea pig owners! 😂 😂
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😂😂😂😂😂
 
In fact, not speaking for all staff, but in general if a staff member follows you on here it’s not because they want to boost your follower count but to monitor your posts as a precursor to removing your account.
 
VickiA said:
In fact, not speaking for all staff, but in general if a staff member follows you on here it’s not because they want to boost your follower count but to monitor your posts as a precursor to removing your account.
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Thanks for that info. I'm gonna go check my huge (!) list of followers right now 😂😂.

Edit: Seriously though, I'm glad you monitor the forum so thoroughly. It must take a lot of your time to do what you guys do. I have a lot of respect for you all x
 
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