Advice On Rebuilding Trust?

[Charlpigs]

Hi everyone! I’m having a bit of trouble with one of my girls, Popcorn. She’s around 7 months old and I’ve had her since she was a baby, and up until about 2 weeks ago she was the most confident out of her and her sister. However, after I clipped their nails for the first time it’s like she’s terrified of me and runs away when I go near the hutch obviously this really upsets me as I love spending time with my girls and I hate to think that she’s scared of me now. I barely even took the tips off their nails as they weren’t too long, just very sharp baby claws, and none of them bled. I’ve tried talking to her more while I’m cleaning the hutch and stroking her softly or rubbing her ears when she lets me, but I’m just wondering if there’s anything else I can do to regain her trust? Thanks for reading

 

[flowerfairy]

What you are doi g sounds good. You could hand feed her some fresh herbs or other treats. Perhaps pick her up for a short lap time and give her some treats then put her back in so you become associated with good things again?

 

[VickiA]

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

When a piggy has had a “trauma” (they are highly strung after all) it’s worth going back to basics and re-reading some of the original guides. The one about understanding prey creatures is always a good read. Given that nail clipping is part of piggy life, piggies do have to get used to it, much as they may dislike it. In between clips, though it’s a good idea to pick them up and handle them regularly with treats so that they associate the being picked up with something nice, rather than fearing a nail clip. They can be a bit stressy at times!

 

[Charlpigs]

What you are doi g sounds good. You could hand feed her some fresh herbs or other treats. Perhaps pick her up for a short lap time and give her some treats then put her back in so you become associated with good things again?

Thank you, I have been doing this but I’ll be sure to carry on

 

[Charlpigs]

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

When a piggy has had a “trauma” (they are highly strung after all) it’s worth going back to basics and re-reading some of the original guides. The one about understanding prey creatures is always a good read. Given that nail clipping is part of piggy life, piggies do have to get used to it, much as they may dislike it. In between clips, though it’s a good idea to pick them up and handle them regularly with treats so that they associate the being picked up with something nice, rather than fearing a nail clip. They can be a bit stressy at times!

Ahh thank you for the link, I’ll have a good look through it!