Scared Peppa

Status
Not open for further replies.
Roo3

Roo3

Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
208
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Northampton
We have had Peppa for about 2 months now. She is about 5 months old and lives with her Mum Fifi in our living room! She is still a complete nightmare to catch and the only way we can get hold of her is to cover her in a towel, and keep her wrapped in the towel whilst we hold her, but even then she just wriggles constantly.
Any time you go to pick her up she squeals like she is being murdered even if you're not even touching her.
Has anyone got any suggestions on how we can calm her down so we can give her proper cuddles and spend more time with her.
 
I do sympathise, some piggies are harder work to tame than others! Our babies were terrible when we first got them 4 weeks ago but now they purr away and love their cuddles.

The only advice I can give you is to handle her as much as possible, I got mine out twice a day for at least 30 minutes at a time. Make sure she associates the cuddle with something good like food! It is amazing how a handful of grass will make them settle, or a tit bit she really enjoys like cucumber or romaine lettuce? Also try putting her next to mum on you lap, this may make her feel more secure.

good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
I've just had them out for cleaning and gave them a cuddle each afterwards. Fifi was good as gold and sat on my lap enjoying her cuddle. Peppa was a nightmare and I had to keep her wrapped in a towel so she didn't run away! Everytime I tried to stroke her she squealed really loudly. Now she's back in her hutch she's being really brave!
I'll try to get her and Fifi out together a bit later and give them some lettuce, although I feel I may need 2 pairs of hands to make sure they both don't go running off!
 
Oh no what a shame, I do know how you feel, my two tried disappearing over my shoulders for the first week, the only time they would keep still was if they were eating and then as soon as they had finished they would be off again. I had to get my husband to bring in a constant supply of beans/grass/lettuce etc! Just keep persevering and I am sure that once she realises that no harm is coming to her when she is being cuddled she will eventually settle....Do try with the lettuce, as I said previously food is great bribery! Mine love a cuddle now minus the food, it did take a lot of work though!

Another thought....Have you an area you can let her run around in? I cordoned off part of the kitchen and let them round in there. I climbed in with them and just sat on the floor offering titbits...eventually they came forward and took the food from my hand. It might be an idea to try and do this first to try and gain a bit of trust from her. Oh and dont put in a box or anything she can hide in, this way it will force her to gravitate towards you and the food...good luck
 
Oh, I totally sympathise with you. To be honest, it took over a year for one of my girls to realise that I wouldn't actually murder her when I picked her up. Even to this day (she's nearly 2) - she runs about mad but once I've picked her up she's fine and loves a cuddle.

My other guinea pig will kinda lie still for me to pick her up, although she decided to take a dislike to being picked up recently - though again, once up she enjoys it.

Some guinea pigs will always be skittish and hate the actual being picked up part. Like what has already been said - lots of handling, their favourite veg and keeping calm yourself should all help.
 
It sounds to me that Peppa is by now pretty freaked out with by the whole porcess. Young guinea pigs can have a problem with sitting still on your lap.

I have had great success with the following method and have been grateful for it whenever I had to go after a panicked piggy:

Make Peppa go into an upturned pigloo or a shoebox with one short end cut out. Fill it with some hay and/or treats and let her walk in and out and even have a little nap in it for a few days. Praise her whenever she goes there!

Then start picking the box up. Talk to her gently the whole time, tell her what a good girl she is and give her a little treat when you set her down. Next time you put the box on your lap, just talking. When she is comfortable with being on your lap, start touching or brushing her "accidentially" when you give her a treat and slowly extend it to petting.
If she panics, wait a day and then start one or two levels down. It is a slow process, but I've had really good results with scared pigs.

That way you avoid triggering her flight instinct and you have a good way of picking her up in case she escapes somewhere - she'll be used to go in the pigloo! Be careful to be as encouraging as possible and don't forget her treat.
 
The weird thing is she's brave when she's in her hutch. She'll take food from my hand in the hutch. I guess for her she associates being held with danger. We don't know much about her background before she came to us. I doubt she was held much if at all judging by the way she acts when she is held.
I feel bad for her because our other 3 pigs will sit quite happily and get groomed and cuddles and I don't want Peppa to feel left out.:(
 
If only Peppa could understand that you mean her no harm and only wish to cuddle her. My two girls are very different, Phoebe is very brave in the cage but squeals like mad when I try to get her out for a cuddle, then she loves it! Monica is shy in the cage but keeps still and allows herself to be picked up! Guineas eh?! They say us women are hard to understand.....Whoever said that did not keep guinea pigs!
 
One of my piggies years ago hated being held especially if you were standing up. We used to let her sit next to us on the sofa and gradually with time she became braver and would climb onto my lap with her friends.

We used to make a point of not looking at her or making any sudden movements but would talk quietly to reassure her. It took some time but she became friendlier and eventually stopped freaking out every time she was handled.
 
I've just cleaned Peppa and Fifi out and gave them both a stroke whilst they were in the box I put them in to clean them out. I thought Peppa might calm down a bit if Fifi was there with her. She was fine for a while and let me stroke her nose. I then got Peppa out wrapped in a towel and got her some of her fave romaine lettuce which she ate whilst I was holding her but she then went crazy squeaking and wriggling about so I put her back as she wasn't enjoying herself. :(
I'm going to keep trying with her and hopefully in time she'll calm down and start to trust me.
 
Good sign - she WAS quiet while eating and you COULD hold her for a bit!

Keep at it and try to extend the time slowly. Try to give her the lettuce in small bits, bit by bit, so she has to beg for it. But her down when she starts wiggling.

She'll learn to trust you when she knows that you listen to her wishes as well. It is a slow process and will be only very gradual, and sometimes disheartening - but when they make it, it's so gratifying!

you have made a beginning, that the important part!
 
Sorry if I missed something - but do you cuddle them both together? This can really help to relax a nervous piggie if it's friend is there as well. Both in the towel together for example, cuddled up close.

Apologies if you do this already and I just missed it.

Sarah
 
I've not tried picking them up together yet because Peppa is such a handful I need an extra pair of hands just to keep hold of her! I had them both in the same box together yesterday for a while and Peppa let me stroke her nose but then she totally freaked out after about 5 minutes and was climbing all over Fifi. I was worried that she's hurt Fifi so I got Peppa out of the box, wrapped in a towel and cuddled her for a bit. She was ok for a while, happily eating lettuce and letting me stroke her, but then she went crazy again. It's a wonder someone didn't knock on the door and ask if someone was being murdered in my house she was squeaking that much!
I'll keep on trying as I don't want Peppa or me to miss out on cuddles!
 
My Connie was always difficult to catch. She would run around the hutch and hide but when you actually held her, she loved to be cuddled. The same advise as everyone else really. Just talk to her softly and let her smell your hand. Some piggies will always be difficult to catch. Good luck xx
 
Hey, 5 mins with Peppa are great!

Don't try to rush too much! Put her down whenever she freaks and try later or the next day. The fact that she was OK with her mum for a whole of 5 mins and let herself be cuddled, even if only shortly, means that she IS coming round. Patience is the key - the "good" phases will be longer and longer; but they measure in seconds more than minutes right now.

Keep on praising her and rather give her a favourite treat like a bit of grass or cucumber and "accidentially" touch or lightly cuddle her. She'll be a lot quieter when she's absorbed in stuffing herself. Make a fuss whenever she does something right instead of punishing her for what she's doing wrong.

Try to establish a corner or a routine for picking her up. As soon as she realises that it is not random violence perpetrated on her, Peppa should be noticeably less panicky. But it may take some time - they are not always the bightest, especially when they are in full panic mode.

Good luck and be patient. This isn't a quick fix situation! But you are getting there!
 
We've just had her out again for five minutes. To start with she screamed the house down but she let me stroke her nose and she calmed down eventually.
Thank you everyone for your advice. We've never had a pig like this before so we were at a loss at what to do with her. We'll keep trying little and often and see how we get on.
 
That's the way!

I've had a piggy once that was screaming murder and whimpering torture for the first three months whenever I had her on my lap (not even touching her!).

But in the end she was the only one who'd cuddle me back - so there is all to play for yet!
 
I've just given everyone some carrot and Peppa took it out of my hand! She's very confusing as she's bold as brass in her hutch but try to pick her up and she goes mental!:{
 
The poor girl just panics when she gets out of her comfort zone. Get her to have some food on your lap, and it'll be something to look forward to instead of dreading.

If you can pull it off, you'll have a very cheeky character on your hands! I just saw her pic, and she's absolutely lovely!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top