Where are we going wrong?!

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Jenjen

Hi all.

I'm hoping for some words of advice/encouragement!

We first got Bertie back in February. A lovely ball of ginger fluff. Within two weeks of having him, he developed a growth under his chin and had to undergo an operation to remove it. I'm happy to say he came through that and it made us love him all the more. However....!

Within the last two weeks, he just doesn't want to be picked up. First of all he starting leading us a merry dance around his run. Well, we took that to mean he was happy in it and didn't want to go back to his cage. Now however he's the same in the cage too, kind of flicking his body to avoid our hands and running away, obviously unhappy.

He seems relatively fine once we have him in our arms (though occasionally he does tend to have a teeny nibble of me. I assume he's not biting as such otherwise I'm damn sure it would be a lot harder and hurt, but it's disconcerting nevertheless).

I wouldn't mind so much except that even from day one he had been fine being handled, and I can't understand what's changed or where we are going wrong. I feel he should know he won't be hurt. Being picked up results in a nice session in his run or a treat or a cuddle. We did give him a bath a couple of weeks ago, which he didn't like much. It's stupid of me but I've even wondered if he's holding a grudge about that or something else!

So I guess my questions are.....

Are we doing something obviously wrong that's stressing him out?
What can we do about it?
Is the slight nibbling thing testing to see if I'm food or a warning to me that he's cheesed off?!
Can we ever hope win him over again?!

Sorry this post is long winded, but it's starting to really get to me and particularly my daughter. It kind of makes us not want to pick him up at all, and yet he's impossibly cute in every other way and we love him!

PLEASE HELP!
 
Well my piggies always run away maybe he is relaxed and can now be a bit cheeky! rolleyes Most my boys nibble and lick, sometimes i smell of food, other times it's for the salt on your skin I think also i think it is a bit of a grooming thing too. But if they are on my lap and start to fidget and nibble it can mean they need a wee or want to go home/explore! Hope this helps
 
Have him checked for mites.

On the other hand, he may just have found the courage and the trust in you to tell you that he doesn't like being picked up; it can take quite long with some piggies to overcome their initial fear where they just let you do whatever you want out of fear.
 
I thought mites as well. It can make skin very sensitive.
I have a nibbler although she seems to have grown out of it mostly- she used to do it every time I tried holding her. She only does it now when she's telling me off for something.

Wiebke's point about guinea pigs learning to trust is a good one. One of my girls used to freeze so picking her up was easy. Now she knows me, she runs round me and leaps over my feet when I go in to pick her up (little ******). :(|)

If Bertie is living on his own he may be getting bored/ lonely. Guinea pigs like their own company and living with a friend could improve his behaviour.
 
i thought mites aswell. maybe the stress of what he has been through may have caused mites. it happens to my maisie whenever she goes to the vets.

he may become more confident if he had a friend. i know ches and maisie run to each other for comfort when scared..

when my two settled and got more confident, they started being cheeky when in the run and decided they didn't want to come in yet and ran away from me! and they knew what they were doing! :))

sometimes ches will nibble my clothes when he has had enough of being cuddled and wants to go back to his cage. :))
 
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