Slightly Disheartened :(

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carla-1990

carla-1990

Junior Guinea Pig
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Feel a little bit disappointed tonite :( have been hand feeding the piggies everyday twice a day or more and gettin them into the play pen with me.. have been able to pick them up for a quick cuddle and stroke them whilst I feed them.. but tonite I was hand feeding them any bit of movement from my other hand made them dart into their hidey place :( feel like ive gone back tonite :(
 
carla-1990 said:
Feel a little bit disappointed tonite :( have been hand feeding the piggies everyday twice a day or more and gettin them into the play pen with me.. have been able to pick them up for a quick cuddle and stroke them whilst I feed them.. but tonite I was hand feeding them any bit of movement from my other hand made them dart into their hidey place :( feel like ive gone back tonite :(
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It is always a bit of a two steps forward - one step back process. Just continue with the routine, and you will get there. You are doing fine. Trust is a very tender plant and learning to ignore those very strong prey animal instincts takes time. ;)
 
Chief Guinea Pig post: 1736110 said:
Don't worry! They will gain trust again soon x
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Aww I hope so.. I dunno what ive done x
 
VickiA said:
Just take it slowly and don't give up. Some piggies are always rather nervy and scuttle off at the slightest movement. Just don't take it to heart. Patience pays off.
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Thing whats puzzling me Is they were fine with my hand moving before :/
 
Hey, don't worry. This is normal :) Honestly, it is always like this and happens to all piggy owners... Things spook piggies, keep at it. You are doing great.

Ours still do this now, even our 5 year old. But the longer you have them the more the get used to things.
 
carla-1990 said:
Thing whats puzzling me Is they were fine with my hand moving before :/
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Guinea pigs - like many prey animals - don't have clear vision for long distances, but they are primed to notice and instantly react to sudden movements. you have to train yourself to never make any sudden movements with nervous animals. They will eventually get past it.
 
My old girl who's been with me 5 years can still scuttle off at the casting of a shadow, an unexpected rustle or a twitch of my hand. Even my tamest piggies can still suddenly turn on their heels is something spooks them and I may not know what it is that's spooked them. Just be consistent, persistent, calm and kind. And if all else fails bribery with herbs usually works with mine. Please don't stress about it or they will pick up on it too.
 
It sounds very normal. Pigs who are not used to you can startle very easily. Startled pigs tend to either freeze or bolt... what looks like a step back to you may simply be them adapting another behavior to something that was spooking them before anyhow. My experience is that 'freeze' is further up the fear response ladder than 'run' in most cases. I've had some pigs start out extremely spooky... both of my current pigs started out scared of their own shadows. Hadley was so startled by movements when we first got her that my son walked through leaned on the back of the couch when she was on my knee and she took a flying leap off the end of the couch because she was so startled! That said, we've now had her since January and she is no longer scared of anything and in fact is a big baby who likes to have the soles of her feet rubbed when she lays on our lap at night! LOL!
 
We have had Toby & Barney for 2 years and they are very trusting of us. I have just bum bathed them and they are now acting like they have never met us before and as if we are looking at them in an 'I am going to eat you' kind of way. They will be fine again tomorrow!
 
Sometimes it can be another fact that makes them nervous on a particular day. They have a wider hearing range and keener sense of smell than us, and if something 'in the air' is making them a little nervous the slightest thing will set them off. They can seem brave one minute and scared the next. It is normal.

Sometimes if one is nervous the other will pick up on it and will be on high alert too.

Sometimes a piggy can be relaxed and trusting in a few days, usually it takes longer, and sometimes many months. They also settle down more easily as they get older.
And some remain flighty all of their lives.

You're doing all the right things :) xx
 
Do not be disheartened. These things happen. I have had one of my girls for years, she is very laid back and barely ever darts away when she hears strange noises but the other day she bolted from the hay pile into the hidey because I moved off my seat at the breakfast bar. It's the silliest little things than they run from sometimes but I'm sure your piggies will learn to trust you with time :)
 
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