Skittish guinea pigs - when to handle

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Alw66

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Hi
We got two 14 week old guinea pigs almost two weeks ago. We left them to settle the first day and then every day after that when I have done the morning cage sweep, I've attempted to pick them up for a cuddle, to try and get them used to it. They tend to be very wriggly in the blanket when I pick them up, and clearly don't enjoy being held. They are still almost as skittish as when we first got them, though they no longer run at the sound of my voice if I'm sitting near the cage. I am also attempting to hand feed them every day but so far, if my hand is in the cage, they stay in their hideys. I know they will take a long time to get used to us, and I know they may never get to the point where they won't run when we try to pick them up, but I'd appreciate any advice/thoughts on whether we are going too fast, or whether we are going too slow in terms of taming. Their cage is in our office room, and when we are in there in the week, they are always out and about, but if we approach the cage, they run. Should I not attempt to pick them up until they are comfortable taking food from my hand, or should I keep up with the once a day holding to get them used to it?

Thank you!
 
Welcome to the forum

You will need to be able to handle them as they need to be weighed every week as part of routine care, and also they need to be handleable for any medication, nail clipping etc.
But if they don’t want to be cuddled then it’s often a case of do what you need to get done and then put them down!

Being picked up by hand is very a scary for them So we advise herding them into a box and then picking them up from there.

Getting them eating from your hand is often the big step though but for some it may never go any further than that.

sport_billy

Thread 'How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)'

1 Picking up your guinea pigs without chasing or touching (video and pictures)
2 Weighing (video and pictures)


1 Picking up your guinea pigs without chasing or touching

This video shows you what you can train your guinea pig to do for a stress-free pick up.


Alternatively, you can use a small walk-in cardboard box for pick-up and transport. Please make sure that you cover the opening with your hand! If necessary, please cut finger holes into the cardboard box and face the opening...
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Welcome to the forum. Males or females and what are their names? Once they settle a bit more, watching their antics and interactions will be brilliant. My boys are 2(ish) and I still find myself watching them for ages.
 
Thanks, that's all really helpful
Piggies&buns said:
Welcome to the forum

You will need to be able to handle them as they need to be weighed every week as part of routine care, and also they need to be handleable for any medication, nail clipping etc.
But if they don’t want to be cuddled then it’s often a case of do what you need to get done and then put them down!

Being picked up by hand is very a scary for them So we advise herding them into a box and then picking them up from there.

Getting them eating from your hand is often the big step though but for some it may never go any further than that.

sport_billy

Thread 'How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)'

1 Picking up your guinea pigs without chasing or touching (video and pictures)
2 Weighing (video and pictures)


1 Picking up your guinea pigs without chasing or touching

This video shows you what you can train your guinea pig to do for a stress-free pick up.


Alternatively, you can use a small walk-in cardboard box for pick-up and transport. Please make sure that you cover the opening with your hand! If necessary, please cut finger holes into the cardboard box and face the opening...
  • Like
  • Excellent
  • Love
Click to expand...
 
fluffysal said:
Welcome to the forum. Males or females and what are their names? Once they settle a bit more, watching their antics and interactions will be brilliant. My boys are 2(ish) and I still find myself watching them for ages.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Two females - Rita and Janet (after the Grannies from Bluey :D). That's lovely about your boys :) , they have started coming out when we're sitting near the cage and watching them potter around is so fun. I just want to build trust with them and I feel like every time I go in trying to pick them up, it scares the life out of them and un-does any good bonding work we've done before! But I'll try the tube/cardboard box trick and see if that helps. Also wondering about floor time. I've cleaned their cage out three times so far and every time, I've put them in the carrier but then put the carrier in a play pen, with tunnels, hay etc. So far, they have not ventured out of the carrier, just sat hunched up in the carrier waiting to be transferred back to their cage. Is this the right thing to be doing? I don't just want to put them in the playpen without the carrier as I think it'll be too scary for them, but also they're not venturing out or getting much exercise at the moment.
 
Alw66 said:
Thanks! Two females - Rita and Janet (after the Grannies from Bluey :D). That's lovely about your boys :) , they have started coming out when we're sitting near the cage and watching them potter around is so fun. I just want to build trust with them and I feel like every time I go in trying to pick them up, it scares the life out of them and un-does any good bonding work we've done before! But I'll try the tube/cardboard box trick and see if that helps. Also wondering about floor time. I've cleaned their cage out three times so far and every time, I've put them in the carrier but then put the carrier in a play pen, with tunnels, hay etc. So far, they have not ventured out of the carrier, just sat hunched up in the carrier waiting to be transferred back to their cage. Is this the right thing to be doing? I don't just want to put them in the playpen without the carrier as I think it'll be too scary for them, but also they're not venturing out or getting much exercise at the moment.
Click to expand...

You can either clean the cage with them still in the cage (which may scare them more) or transfer them to a playpen.

Every new environment is scary for them so the fact they aren’t coming out of the carrier is not really a surprise at this point. Just keep doing what you are doing and they will settle.

If their cage is a decent size (150x60cm is the recommended for two sows but 120x60cm at a minimum) then they are able to exercise in the cage and probably are doing so when you aren’t watching!
 
I rescued 2 very skittish, scared piggies a few weeks ago.
It’s taken until now for them not to run and hide every time I go near them.
Patience is the key to helping scared piggies.
I use a tunnel to pick them up and then transfer them to a snuggle pouch for weighing and checking.
 
Guinea pigs tend to stay in familiar surroundings and are reluctant to explore until a nominated pathfinder in the herd takes the lead. Their social structure is quite complex and interesting. Once they have been somewhere once, they are more confident about visiting it again. They may be waiting for somepig to come along and say, come on, it's safe. I built a new wing on my cage for each of my piggies (they are boars kept as neighbours as they don't get on anymore). Polo, who is less dominant, hopped into his new extension after scanning it cautiously, and inspected it approvingly, then had a snooze on the bed there. Truffle, who is more strongly dominant, stood at the threshold for a while, but went no further. I gently put him into the wing and he was happy to take occupation after that. ❤️🏡
 
Taking flight seems to be inherent in cavies. Some wild species feed for a while and then dart back into cover before re-emerging to feed again. Some guinea pigs don't stampede, which is nice. It is worrying seeing them take flight in alarm, but possibly it isn't entirely as a result of being terrified. It may be partly an instinctive behaviour.
 
I think food is really important when getting to know your piggies. Grass (introduced just a little at a time in case it gives them bloat) is usually one of their favourites.
 
i have 4 new skittish piggies, (1 was a rescue from an unknown background and the other 3 were from a breeder 😕) and i have noticed they are getting better, I have a cage large enough to be able to sit in there and they still have enough room. i don't pressure them into cuddles more than necessary and it can be a bit of a nightmare to catch them... but just let them slowly warm up to you, sit next to them, be quiet or talk in a soft voice, hand feed them or place food near you.
i know with my old boys they were happy to cuddle when they settled but catching them was a 2 person job. they definitely warmed up and became easier to catch and more content during cuddle time after they turned 3, same with my other current girls. that could just be a coincidence though.
good luck, and either way you get rewarded with adorable piggies.
 
Thanks all, that's all really helpful ☺️ they have both taken a piece of lettuce out of my hand today, so I feel like we are making some progress! I've managed to open the cage and sit quietly with my hand in the cage and they've come up and sniffed and taken nibbles of the lettuce - I'm so proud of them!
 
My two have never enjoyed cuddle time, and catching them for weighing and nail clipping isn't quick. We herd them into a cavy cosy and lift them up. Even though they don't like much human touch (they sometimes tolerate strokes, sometimes back away from them) they aren't scared of us, for hoomans are their food-givers.
 
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