Still No Progress?! :(

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Curly2412

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Hi so I posted a week and a half ago about my piggies Liam and Noel! At the time they weren't getting on but I'm pretty sure that all the behaviour is dominance and they have no established a hierarchy!
Problem is my piggies still are not fond at all of me let's say. Noel the dominant male is more skittish towards me than Liam but when I even try to give him veggies he chatters his teeth which I know is him saying back off to me and can be upsetting and frustrating when I know I'm just trying to be nice to him!
Liam although he's more bold and is confident if I have food when I go to pick him up or pet him on my lap he squeals like I'm murdering him!
I don't know their past and they are already 8 months old so their past very much so will have affected them. I'm just struggling as I've been talking to them outside the cage,letting them sniff my hand, hand feeding them, giving them floor time to let off any pent up energys and I always feed them when they're on my lap but as soon as they've finished I have to put them back as they're trying to do anything to get away from me! I pet them gently with one finger on their nose and top of their head when they're eating which they let me but as soon as they've eaten that's it!
I feel like now they know I get them out for floor time and lap time they are even worse than nearer the beginning of me having them but obviously I can't just leave them in their cage as they need floor time and will never be tame if they are left in it!
 
I'm not sure how long you've had your piggies but if it's only a couple of weeks then it's still early days. The fact that they will let you touch them when they are eating is a hugely good sign. Very few piggies actually like being picked up, some tolerate it and others just run. It's just their prey instinct and nothing you are doing wrong. It will take a while for them to feel comfortable with you, especially so if they've had previous bad experiences or indeed, little human contact. Stick with it and keep the picking up to a minimum. If they don't like it, and you pick them up a lot, they will take longer to trust you. Some never really enjoy being handled, and some get to be real cuddle monkeys so it's hard to say what they will turn out like. I've a couple who don't like being picked up, so I keep a lot of my interaction with them to hand feeding, and now they jump on my knee. They're still off like a shot if I go to lift them though. Good luck with your guys x
 
Hi, all piggies I had were rescues with skittish personalities. However, it really just takes time. My foster boys used to do the same, screaming and running away. Now they're so relaxed and happy I have to be careful where Iam stepping as they're under my feet following me! I've been fostering them for over a year.
There's great advice on here (unsure if you've read the advice) so keep it up, just accept it can take months. Some are just quicker to settle than others.
Most importantly, don't get frustrated. Animals can sense it and pick up on your nerves. Just take every positive interaction as little victory :wub:
 
It takes time, my first 2 were rescues and they took a good few months. Jet is now my smooshy bear -but still at times runs away. Biscuit was a rescue but has more front than Brighton so it inky took a few weeks with her, she is the most tame of all of mine, just looks at me as if to say sod off rather than running. The babies I’ve had since September and it’s really hit and miss with them. Zig adores daddy, comes to see him, she will sometimes come to me sometimes not, Binks is more skittish, if she is in a hut or bed I can stroke her but otherwise it’s a no. They are getting better though. You just need patience and it’s a slow process but worth it.
 
Echoing what's been said above - you need to be really patient with guinea pigs, and accept that some of them will never be especially 'cuddly'. As prey animals, their instincts will be telling them that you're a big scary predator. Having the radio on in their room can help them get used to human voices, and hand feeding is a really good start.

This compilation of links is probably worth a quick read: Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide
 
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