Struggling to get female guinea pigs to accept and trust people.

[Gemstar]

I've had my two female guinea pigs for about 6 months now and at first everything seemed to be going well. I got them as babies and started doing lots of trust building exercises. For a while it seemed to work.
But then for some reason they gradually retreated back into themselves.
Need some advice please. Don't know, hmmm

 

[Piggies&buns]

What are you seeing now compared to when you say things seemed to be going well.

Do they take food from your hand? If they take food from you then that is fantastic as it means they trust you and know you arent a threat to them.
However, it is also as far as some piggies will go. Most piggies don’t like being held - for most it’s a case of tolerating it.

 

[Gemstar]

What are you seeing now compared to when you say things seemed to be going well.

Do they take food from your hand? If they take food from you then that is fantastic as it means they trust you and know you arent a threat to them.
However, it is also as far as some piggies will go. Most piggies don’t like being held - for most it’s a case of tolerating it.

They've gone back to running away everytime I or a family member approaches them. They now refuse to eat whilst anyone is nearby and hand feeding is a big no.
In December they were taking food from my hand and even rubbing their noses against my hand.
I don't know whether something has scared them?

 

[Wiebke]

They've gone back to running away everytime I or a family member approaches them. They now refuse to eat whilst anyone is nearby and hand feeding is a big no.
In December they were taking food from my hand and even rubbing their noses against my hand.
I don't know whether something has scared them?

Hi and welcome

Has the change been sudden or gradual? if it has been sudden, then chances are that something has spooked them but that you can eventually cajole them out of it again.

You may find our piggy whispering tips helpful; so you can avoid any predatory behaviours and communicate important concepts in their own language and social context, which will hopefully help to rebuild your bond and speed up the process. Guinea pigs are prey animals, and they can go back to living on their automatic prey animal instincts alone if something really triggers them - that is the part you need to work past first by avoiding triggering them again as much as possible so they can settle down.
But it is generally much easier to get them off them with a little patience and persistance if they have trusted you before.

Here the links with lots of practical how-to tips:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos)

 

[Josie_lg]

When we first got the girls we would have them out on the floor in an enclosed space with plenty of hides, enrichment and areas to feel cosy and safe and me and my sister would just sit in there and do some studying and occasionally rustle a bag and get them used to hand feeding. I truly believe that due to lockdown having all the extra time it allowed us to work on the trust between them. We also had the radio on etc to get them used to noises.
But even one of my girls now still runs away when we approach and then when she realises we have a snack or mean no harm she’ll slowly come back out.
It takes time xx

 

[Josie_lg]

When we first got the girls we would have them out on the floor in an enclosed space with plenty of hides, enrichment and areas to feel cosy and safe and me and my sister would just sit in there and do some studying and occasionally rustle a bag and get them used to hand feeding. I truly believe that due to lockdown having all the extra time it allowed us to work on the trust between them. We also had the radio on etc to get them used to noises.
But even one of my girls now still runs away when we approach and then when she realises we have a snack or mean no harm she’ll slowly come back out.
It takes time xx

I may add their enclosure was where we would spend a lot of our day so they were used to us coming and going. They learned to enjoy floor time after they became tamer and it really helped us in the bonding process because they would come out to see us in their own time and because we would sit there doing work on our laptops for example it made them realise we meant no harm XX

 

[WWDrew]

I have three Guinea Pig girls and they all associate me with food and treats. First they are used to me talking to them before I attempt petting them in the cage. This is so they’re not startled and they know being petting is coming.

Even now I pet them with on finger before giving them a full pet. I always have a pea flake for them after or during pets.

I always pet my bravest Guinea pig first so the other ladies see it all okay and let me pet them too.

You can crinkle some veggies so they know veggies are coming. I have my own sound of whistling that lets them know it’s food time. This usually primes most Guinea pigs for being petted.

I hold my Guinea pigs like they’re babies. Their body is held against mine and their feet are supported in my hands. They get a small veggie for being held.

I feel for you because my ladies don’t like me for a few days after a bath. Good luck.