Bonding

Sqiggleypig

Sqiggleypig

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
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Location
Staffordshire
I have had my guinea pigs for a couple of months now for the first month they spent their time in the house. I handled them every day. Now they are outside in a large run. I tried to stroke them every day when I can catch them. They don’t seem to like being held And cuddled.They come to me for food though 🙄.. Is this just how things are going to be or will they learn to be loved and cuddled by me.. I do so want to sit there petting them but they just want to go down! 😳
 
Piggies don’t always like to be handled- they would rather be playing and doing piggy things.
It does sound as if they love you in their own way.
They come to you for food and perhaps will accept being stroked while you feed them.
I have two 3 year olds who do not like cuddles but will let me pet them in the cage and will happily take food from me. My older girl is 5 and is less bothered by being picked up and cuddled but she’s blind and slow.
Even so she’s soon wriggling to get down.
That’s just piggies and we have to love them and accept them for who they are.

Welcome to the forum and please let us see pics of your piggies.
 
Sqiggleypig said:
I have had my guinea pigs for a couple of months now for the first month they spent their time in the house. I handled them every day. Now they are outside in a large run. I tried to stroke them every day when I can catch them. They don’t seem to like being held And cuddled.They come to me for food though 🙄.. Is this just how things are going to be or will they learn to be loved and cuddled by me.. I do so want to sit there petting them but they just want to go down! 😳
Click to expand...

Sadly many new owners have wrong expectations from seeing all those cuddling and petting videos on social media.
Guinea pigs are prey animals, they are not born as living cuddly toys. By far not all piggies will ever enjy being cuddled, especially not when they are free ranging!

Take hope from the fact that your piggies trust you (they take food from you). To get more, takes much longer and requires patience and persistence. Never push a piggy any further than it wants to go and respect it when it tells you that it doesn't like something. In the end, you will get a lot further, develop a much deeper bond and gain absolute trust by respecting your piggies as their own personalities with their own needs and wishes rather than just a living extension of your own preconceptions and desires.
Trying to see things from a guinea pig perspective and not just a human perspective will open your mind and make you a much more understanding person in the long term. ;)

You may find these guides here helpful:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
 
A couple of months is still very early days, so don’t loose hope yet.
When you hold them do you just put them straight in your lap? I have found with scared piggies, wrapping them gently in a towel and placing that on my lap helps them to feel secure. They can bury their head if they like but at the same time you can talk softly and stoke their heads. Good luck.
 
T
Merab's Slave said:
Piggies don’t always like to be handled- they would rather be playing and doing piggy things.
It does sound as if they love you in their own way.
They come to you for food and perhaps will accept being stroked while you feed them.
I have two 3 year olds who do not like cuddles but will let me pet them in the cage and will happily take food from me. My older girl is 5 and is less bothered by being picked up and cuddled but she’s blind and slow.
Even so she’s soon wriggling to get down.
That’s just piggies and we have to love them and accept them for who they are.
Click to expand...
 
Wiebke said:
Sadly many new owners have wrong expectations from seeing all those cuddling and petting videos on social media.
Guinea pigs are prey animals, they are not born as living cuddly toys. By far not all piggies will ever enjy being cuddled, especially not when they are free ranging!

Take hope from the fact that your piggies trust you (they take food from you). To get more, takes much longer and requires patience and persistence. Never push a piggy any further than it wants to go and respect it when it tells you that it doesn't like something. In the end, you will get a lot further, develop a much deeper bond and gain absolute trust by respecting your piggies as their own personalities with their own needs and wishes rather than just a living extension of your own preconceptions and desires.
Trying to see things from a guinea pig perspective and not just a human perspective will open your mind and make you a much more understanding person in the long term. ;)

You may find these guides here helpful:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, yes I was seeing nothing but cuddle guineas on laps being petted, but if they’re happier doing there own thing, I’m happy that their happy! 😊
 
Guineautopia said:
A couple of months is still very early days, so don’t loose hope yet.
When you hold them do you just put them straight in your lap? I have found with scared piggies, wrapping them gently in a towel and placing that on my lap helps them to feel secure. They can bury their head if they like but at the same time you can talk softly and stoke their heads. Good luck.
Click to expand...
I will try that, it’s quite hard now they’re in the garden as when I get them out of the pen I worry incase they wiggle free n get loose, so I’ve been climbing in the pen just letting them run around me. Thanks 😊
 
I've had my piggies for 4-5 months and I'm still gaining their trust. It's only been a week or two since Pickle has (more or less) stopped hiding and is happy to stay while I put my hand in the cage to give them dindins. :)
 
HeatherW said:
I've had my piggies for 4-5 months and I'm still gaining their trust. It's only been a week or two since Pickle has (more or less) stopped hiding and is happy to stay while I put my hand in the cage to give them dindins. :)
Click to expand...
I'm pleased I'm not the only one who calls veg time dindins!
 
HeatherW said:
I've had my piggies for 4-5 months and I'm still gaining their trust. It's only been a week or two since Pickle has (more or less) stopped hiding and is happy to stay while I put my hand in the cage to give them dindins. :)
Click to expand...
😊thanks for replying
 
Sqiggleypig said:
I will try that, it’s quite hard now they’re in the garden as when I get them out of the pen I worry incase they wiggle free n get loose, so I’ve been climbing in the pen just letting them run around me. Thanks 😊
Click to expand...
To catch my rescue piggies I climb in with them also and wrap them in a towel before I lift them out :)
 
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