Want To Share My Experiences, See If They Are Similar To Others, And Things I Can Do To Help Sophie

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Justin

Justin

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This is my second thread on this forum, and I could not be happier with the help and guidance I have received from people. Thank you everyone so far.

I want to share my experiences I have had with Sophie so far after owning her for a week now. I have done a lot of reading on the forums in terms of stickys, however every situation is different so the people who have been on this forum please pardon me if you have see this type of thread for the millionth and 6th time.

My situation with Sophie is...well how I can say very discouraging right now. I work between 6-8 hours a day 5 days a week so I try my hardest to spend time with her. I have noticed a few things from her however that have bothered me.
  • No matter how slow I am to pet her or pick her up she gets scared.
  • Whenever I do have her on my bed or in my lap she either has her bum facing me...or is trying to get away. Other times she will just stand still and not move at all
  • Whenever she is my hand she is always trying to bite my thumbs or index fingers. She will nibble for a second then out of nowhere a massive bite. Two of these have drawn blood.
  • She will headbutt my hand away...it almost reminds me of a young child trying to get away from their parents. Pretty much saying "Leave me alone, you're not the boss of me!"
  • She seems very unresponsive to anything I say to here. I try to be on the same level with her and not act so imposing. I keep a very clam and soft voice when speaking to her. Whenever I say her name or talk to her in general she just seems so dejected. I try to talk to her about my day or things going on in my life. I obviously know she doesn't understand me, however its like she doesn't want to be with me.
My biggest thing that bothers me is I am really really hoping I did not make a mistake buying her. Not just her but any guinea pig. As I said in my first forums post I love animals dearly, and they need to be treated with just as much if not even more respect then people. Our family owns 2 dogs, a bird, and now a guinea pig. I want to make sure Sophie has the best life possible, that's really the only thing on my mind when I am not with her, and when I am with her it's trying to convey to her that I love her very much.

We did however have a good moment while I was writing this post. I started to rub Sophie's hind leg and she almost went on her back. I kept on petting and loving on her and I felt for the first time we had a 'moment' . That feeling however quickly ended, she got on her fours and walked away from me like nothing had just happened.

Like I said before I am sure some people will roll their eyes at this post...but all I want is to share information and get some feedback, nothing more.
 
Hi, if you've only had her for a week she still needs time to adjust. Have you thought about getting her a friend? Guinea pigs really need to have another pig, it makes them feel more secure and happier in general. She will actually probably bond with you sooner and better if she has a friend of her own kind. While we can give them love we can't replace what another pig can give them and when you're at work she won't be all alone.

How big is her cage now?

But just relax she still needs more time.

Angela
 
All guineas are different, my 3 are laid back, they took an absolute age to get used to me, apart from Rebel, who is used to getting handled from the moment he was born. He was a surprise baby, his mam was 3 weeks pregnant when I rescued her. ;) All I can say is persevere with her, she'll slowly come round. :D
 
A week is no time at all, she still needs time to settle... I know it's hard to be patient, we've all been there ;). Have you tried hand feeding? I waited until my two were happy to take food from me before I tried lap time with them. It's good that you talk to her at her level as that helps a lot :). I agree with @KittyandNancy - I'm sure you'll see a difference in her if she has a friend - you will gain more from it too - there's nothing better than watching guinea pigs interact, plus it gives them more confidence too
 
Hi Justin.
Just to reassure you, it took my trio of boys about 3 months before they actively enjoyed my interactions with them. It was weeks before they came to the cage door to be fed and its a slow progress, I would be surprised if you had a friendly guinea pig after.just one week.

She will be happier and more confident if she is bonded with another piggy though.
 
Agree with @katie-elizabeth
A week isn't long at all, I would start all over again an not pick her up. Firstly sit by the cage and talk softly to them for a while, so she'll know you won't hurt her. Then slowly introduce hand feeding, take a carrot etc hold your hand out in the cage until she comes to it. I'd do this for a few days. Then try to gently stroke her whilst in the cage, not forcefully (so she doesn't get the impression you'll pick her up), try this for a few days too. Then the big day, trying to pick her up, do not be too full on with her, just simply sit her on your lap and stroke her and give her treats, if she's still trying to nibble you, then try again!

You say she butts her head up against your hand- this is a sign she wants you to move your hand out the way and she's being irritated by it.
 
Very early days yet, especially with a piggy that is not used to humans and that is scared.

Have you considered getting her company of her own kind? Guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to be on their own. She is feeling a lot more vulnerable for being on her own without the added protection of somebody of their kind, especially in what sounds like a rather lively household.

You may find these threads here helpful:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-companionship.37654/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/

We can provide contacts to good standard rescues in several countries, where Sophie and you will be in safe, experienced hands.
 
I agree with all the excellent advice given. I have had 6 guinea pigs over 3 years. They have all taken time to settle in. Even the most friendly ones were really timid initially. But slowly as you have daily contact they get more used to you and more confident. But they will never respond like a dog. Guinea pigs are prey animals and constantly on the look out for threats So any unusual sound can spook them. Just persevere with Sophie, consider getting her a companion. Sophie will eventually relax when she has lap time with you. She will eventually respond to her name when you call her and she will eventually stop biting you when she knows you are not a threat. Do you have a garden so you can put her in a run and possible sit near the run when you are not at work so she gets more familiar with you inside and outside the house. Don't get too despondent you will find guinea pigs are a wonderful animal to be able to care for.
 
Hey Justin, that was a really well thought out and heartfelt post.

Try not to worry too much matey, you haven't had her long and it can take them a while to settle. One of our Piggies 'Vimto' was extreme in that it took 6 months lol She would snap at me and draw blood several times, but with time and patience on my part she will now happily sit on my lap for a time and have head rubs without trying to savage me....

First of all find a way to collect her that doesn't stress her out, nearly all pigs hate being picked up. We use the techniques in this video below


I would advise taking Sophie out for lap time for a short duration maybe only a minute feed her a treat like some tasty cucumber and pop her home. Slowly build this up to around 5 mins each time with a treat - she will begin associate you with good things.

As regards to petting piggies, they all have their favourite spots that some piggies enjoy but others hate. Try a top of nose rub, or a under the chin tickle (probably not best while she is in the biting phase :)) or side of cheek rub, others enjoy a shoulder rub. Piggies on a whole tend to hate their flanks or back being stroked, I have only had one piggie you enjoy a body stroke, so I would advise trying the others first and only for a short duration to begin with.

I do agree with the excellent advice above and another friend would probably make Sophie feel much more secure, piggies are herd animals. You are doing a great job, just keep at it.
 
Again, I agree with the advice given above. It's still very early days as you have only had her for a week. I have a guinea pig called Puzzle that after 4 years of owning her, she still runs away from my hands when I calmly go to pick her up. However, once she's out or on my lap she is fine. However, when it comes to picking her up she is very skittish, and that is after 4 years of a calm and friendly approach to pick her up. But like I said, she is absolutely fine once she is sitting on my lap and likes a little tickle behind her ears!

Some pigs are just more skittish than others, but I expect in your case, Sophie just hasn't become used to you yet, so give it time. Persevere and calmly approach her, maybe with her favourite veggie in hand and offer it to her. If she doesn't take it, just hold it there for a little while and don't make any sudden movements that might scare her. If she continues to have daily contact with you she should begin to settle in and become more accustomed to you and her surroundings.

Like others have said, consider getting her a companion. Guinea pigs are sociable, group animals who like to live alongside their own kind. She may feel more safe and therefore more calm if she has another guinea pig with her. Once she realises that you are not a threat she should start to stop biting you or going to bite you. Offer her some small amounts of veg or fruit by hand and if she takes it then you are making progress. She may not at first approach your hand, but keep it still and allow her to realise that you are not a threat.

You might find this helpful:

Guinea pig behaviour: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/

Good luck and I'm sure that she will begin to settle in.
 
I work full-time, most of us probably do, but I definitely agree with persistence and time. Every piggie is different, I've had a new one about a month and he's still not my biggest fan. They're also prey animals - even my super-tame 1 year-old runs when I try to pick him up (as soon as I have hold of him though he is fine! :)
 
Totally agree with everyone. Each pig has there own pigsonality and each take time to settle. I have had my fluffy flossie for well over a year and she still pegs it, but is fine on my lap. I am also still settling in Mowgli who was the ultimate wild child and bit by bit were getting there. Still love them and wouldn't change them for the world.
 
I really appreciate all of the information given to me here. Like I've said before I just want to make sure she has the best life possible. After reading all of this I feel as though everything will be fine. Just as everyone said it will take time, it's just good to get some reassurance. I will also be getting her a friend within the next week, I just need to get a bigger cage first.

Thank you all for the information, I feel very confident now. it'll just take more time.
 
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Justin said:
I really appreciate all of the information given to me here. Like I've said before I just want to make sure she has the best life possible. After reading all of this I feel as though everything will be fine. Just as everyone said it will take time, it's just good to get some reassurance. I will also be getting her a friend within the next week, I just need to get a bigger cage first.

Thank you all for the information, I feel very confident now. it'll just take more time.
Click to expand...

@Justin: Please do not rush out and buy her a companion from a dodgy source if you can avoid it, as you would have to quarantine. A good standard rescue is safer re. health (mandatory quarantine), no danger of pregnancies and bonding under expert supervision. Well worth the extra effort! You could consider either sows or neutered boars and look for a companion that can take your little girl under his/her wings; cross gender pairings are the most stable of them all. Rescue piggies would also have the advantage that they are much more used to being handled and can help much better to socialise your little girl.

If you want to do the bonding yourself, please read through our advice first; there are good ways and bad ways (like simply sticking another piggy into the cage.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/importance-of-quarantine.108034/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/
 
So much helpful advice. Could not be happier. To the person who commented above me I plan on getting a piggy that is a girl and from the local animal shelter. I do however want to make sure thing are done correctly. I'll have some reading to do about this and I am sure I'll make another thread to confirm and get some more information.

Again everyone who has replied here I do thank you for your time and patience.
 
Don't rush, but take your time to do your research properly and get things right. Your little new girl will keep until then!

We will support you during the bonding phase while the girls are establishing a hierarchy; you can always ask any questions that you may have along the way.

It is great that you are planning for a companion. I am sure that you will also enjoy the interaction that is making guinea pigs so unique - latest when you see two piggies play and popcorn together.
 
PS: You can continue with this thread and ask any more questions etc.that you may have along the way on here.

It would also be very helpful for us oif you added your country, state or (for the UK) your county or city. it makes it much easier for us to give you tailored advice and recommendations for your part of the world. Please click on your name on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. We have members from all over the world, and as you can imagine, things can differ quite considerably from the availability of good rescues to brands, medication and even vegetable names!
 
Thank you @Wiebke for the information and advice. I added some personal info about me on my page. A update on Sophie. I have noticed the past couple days that whenever I am working on her cage (changing food, water ect) she is coming out more. Normally she would hide in her little hutch. I am really hoping this is a sign that things are slowly turning around.

Also want to thank everyone else who posted here as well. Sophie and I greatly appreciate it :)
 
It sounds like she is slowly settling in and finding her confidence! Patience is the key.

Thank you for adding your general location. It will help us when giving you advice.

Your closest recommended guinea pig rescues are unfortunately all in surrounding states.
(List in cooperation with Guinea Lynx medical website): http://www.guinealynx.info/rescue_organizations.html
 
I have a pair of very nervous piggies, they came from a bad situation where they were not handled or anything with a terrible start in life (as sadly many piggies do) and so were really very skittish and frightened of the world! They were taken in by a rescue and I adopted them soon after, and I've found it very slow to gain any ground with them. I imagine they will always be a bit skittish but they like now to sit and doze on my lap, and daphne sometimes lies down and stretches out! They have benefitted most from being in the living room where I most often am so they get used to me. I also take them out to sit on my lap most days. It seems to be a matter of patience and perseverance to try and convince the piggy that you aren't a threat. They still give me the run around when I try to pick them up though! Good luck with your piggy, you will win her over eventually.
 
I am starting to see signs that Sophie is slowly coming around. Last night we chilled for about 10 mins before bed and she was staying with me more, and letting me pet and scratch her more. Also this morning she came out a lot longer them she normally does. I am one excited piggy parent :)
 
Past few days with Sophie have been better. I'm letting her out more and I can see small changes in her. It is easier to pick her up when she isn't in her cage and her hard bites and turning into nibbles and even licking. So very proud of Sophie.
 
Hi Justin, I am glad that Sophie is coming out of her shell a bit. As piggie parents we have to have patience (not easy I know) but it will be worth it. I have had my two boys since April and its only now that they seem to be relaxed around me.Its a joy to see them zooming and popcorning like mad. I'm sure it won't be doing before Sophie is doing the same.
 
Guinea pigs are prey animals and tend to be nervous/skittish because of it. Especially if not used to human handling, it takes time. If it's any consolation, one of my pigs was extremely skittish when we first brought her home... she a few month old, probably had minimal handling, and would run laps around cage trying to avoid us and would only eat at night when there was pretty much no chance of anyone even looking at her. During the day she pretty much hid in the pigloo. She's now four years old and a totally different animal... she 'talks' to us constantly, is the first at the bars for feeding time, loves to lick our hands and arms, and will stand still in the cage for pats when the kids stick their hands in. Yes, it took some time, but the rewards are well worth it. I've found that once they decide you are not a threat, they are really able to form tight bonds with their owners, but it can take some time to hit that threshold where they determine that you are trustworthy. I also think another pig may help... pigs tend to be more afraid on their own (they are pack animals, after all), and I've noticed that mine seem to learn from each other. If your companion pig were calmer and less skittish, that might help as well.
 
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