Taming New Guinea Pig

[Guanchy]

Hello Everyone,

As i mentioned before i bought a guinea pig a few months ago. (Lucas) and he is a great little guy, it was very easy to tame him i can put my hand in the cage and he comes to me i can pet him, pick him up etc... super sweet kid. Reading online i found out that it was not good to have just one guinea pig so i went out and got another boy around the same age, they are young just a few months old. In fact, Lucas was with this new guinea pig i got in the same cage when i first bought him. I didnt want to get a girl because i didnt want them breeding etc.. so now that i have the new one they got along pretty well since the beginning but Lucas is the dominant one since it was his cage first.

The new one (Elvis) is a nice boy too but he is very shy and I'm having a really hard time taming him, he hides every time someone comes in the room, if i try to pick him up he just runs all around the cage etc... when I'm able to pick him up and put him on my lap he is fine, he will eat from my hands, i can pet him with no problem, brush his hair etc... but when he is in the cage is a different story. He is not aggressive at all but just very shy. and idk what to do to get him used to me like Lucas

Maybe thats just his personality and just have to accept it but i feel like he is not happy. Lucas is so hyper that little boy is always running around the cage, popcorning etc.. gets so excited when its time to eat his veggies but Elvis just looks sad to me, so I'm worried. When i put vegetables in the cage, he comes out of his little house grab a piece of lettuce and runs really quick back into his little house to eat it, while Lucas is just by the vegetables plate being a little piggy lol

Maybe I'm over thinking it since its my first time owning guinea pigs. I have had Elvis for about 2 weeks now.

sorry for the long essay lolol

 

[Wiebke]

Hello Everyone,

As i mentioned before i bought a guinea pig a few months ago. (Lucas) and he is a great little guy, it was very easy to tame him i can put my hand in the cage and he comes to me i can pet him, pick him up etc... super sweet kid. Reading online i found out that it was not good to have just one guinea pig so i went out and got another boy around the same age, they are young just a few months old. In fact, Lucas was with this new guinea pig i got in the same cage when i first bought him. I didnt want to get a girl because i didnt want them breeding etc.. so now that i have the new one they got along pretty well since the beginning but Lucas is the dominant one since it was his cage first.

The new one (Elvis) is a nice boy too but he is very shy and I'm having a really hard time taming him, he hides every time someone comes in the room, if i try to pick him up he just runs all around the cage etc... when I'm able to pick him up and put him on my lap he is fine, he will eat from my hands, i can pet him with no problem, brush his hair etc... but when he is in the cage is a different story. He is not aggressive at all but just very shy. and idk what to do to get him used to me like Lucas

Maybe thats just his personality and just have to accept it but i feel like he is not happy. Lucas is so hyper that little boy is always running around the cage, popcorning etc.. gets so excited when its time to eat his veggies but Elvis just looks sad to me, so I'm worried. When i put vegetables in the cage, he comes out of his little house grab a piece of lettuce and runs really quick back into his little house to eat it, while Lucas is just by the vegetables plate being a little piggy lol

Maybe I'm over thinking it since its my first time owning guinea pigs. I have had Elvis for about 2 weeks now.

sorry for the long essay lolol

Piggies are prey animals. Many have not had any human interaction before they are sold. it can take time and patience, but you have got one big advantage in that Lucas' example is going to help speed up that process to some extent. You have been very lucky with Lucas. Elvis is more what you normally get.

Please take time to read these guides. They help you avoid predator behaviours, understanding prey animal reflexes and social guinea pig behaviours, and how to use these social behaviours for a spot of "piggy whispering" to make friends with Elvis in ways that he instinctively understands. Be patient and give Elvis time to settle in.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

More helpful information for new owners via our up-to-date "online booklet":
New Owners' " How To" Starter Kit

 

[sport_billy]

Really early days yet, don't worry we have all been in this position

It may be worth offering food to your piggy while he is in her cage and hopefully after time they will take it off you - Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we lap times for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

You seem to have a tame piggy in Elvis so that will help. We have the same with Widget and Chickpea, Widge is really tame, but little chickpea even after 5 months wont let us touch her in cage and will run away when we feeding her so it is taking time to gain her trust, I know from experience it could be months but we'll keep going and will get there in the end. Prey reflexes are very strong in some pigs