Climbing While Being Held?

[MichelleM]

I've been trying to get the little chubbies to be more comfortable with being held. Lately when I have them out in their playpen they've been doing what I call "meerkating" where they stand on their hind legs looking and sniffing out over the sides. The sides are vertical bars so they can already see out (It's the multicolored playpen from Amazon a lot of people on this forum have.) So I figured they're curious and want to explore more.

Ganon seems fairly okay with being held these days (both are roughly 17 weeks old.) He scurries away at first when I go to pick him up but he always comes right back and doesn't squirm much now when I nab him.

Anyway, he'll be all chill in my lap for a few minutes, but then he has a habit of climbing up my shirt, then he'll either nibble my hair or try to burrow down my shirtfront!

If he gets too squirmy I put him back for fear of him getting out of my grip and getting loose in my room. Is the climbing a sign of distress or is Ganon just trying to explore? He doesn't squeal when he does this, and he has zero problem being up in my face.

 

[Veggies Galore]

My Bess does that . She's just trying to find somewhere where she feels safe .

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Yes my piggies prefer to be on my chest/under my chin and with Bella especially if I put her on my lap she'll just climb right back up again! When they were all young they would try to get round the back of my neck, but they grew out of that phase thankfully!

Nibbling clothes and being wriggly is a sign that my piggies want to go to the toilet and are letting me know, could it be that for your little one?

 

[MichelleM]

I'm not sure. Wheb he he did it last he scurried a bit around the pen and came right back up so I'm wondering if he just wants to explore the rest of the room. He also nibbles everything trying to see what's edible and what's not. He still thinks my fingers and nose might be treats.

 

[ChloeCee98]

If I put Noodle on my lap she climbs back up to my chest/neck. She loves looking at me when I speak to her ❤

 

[Lorcan]

Comet will climb up on my chest when he's being handled, and if he's scared and wants to escape something (and he's climbed up people who were standing up, never underestimate a piggy's ability to find safety) but he's only ever pulled at my clothes once and that's because he needed to potty.

Blitzen has tried to eat every hoodie and jacket I have and he's a constant wriggler. But he just doesn't like being handled in general. He will only stay somewhat calm if he's looking over my right shoulder. I know it isn't me personally, he just doesn't like being held, and I guess that position feels less like he's being carried?

Maybe he's just trying to find somewhere that he's really comfortable? Or again it could possibly be a "toilet!" sign.

He still thinks my fingers and nose might be treats.

Heheheh I had a certain piggy try nibbling on my septum ring once. I'm kind of thankful it's not a ball closure ring or a horseshoe anymore, I'd be terrified of them accidentally swallowing the ball

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

He's just like a little toddler then!

 

[Kylie80]

Patchy likes to climb up and bury her head in the crook of my neck but she's likes to nibble my skin and I'm paranoid she will nick my jugular vein. Don't judge me she's got super long teeth lol.

 

[Betsy]

When Meg was a few weeks old she would ways run up to my son's shoulder and sit there quite happily and Tom would call her his parrot!

 

[JVia]

when I first got my guinea pig at a pet store he was in a cage alone because he was bigger than the others his name is gizmo he’s still young I’m sure he’s an Abyssinian guinea pig and he’s the only guinea pig I have currently I first noticed he started climbing on me if he’s on the floor for a good ammout of time or he’s on my bed and I’m down on my knees watching him he climbs on to my shoulder I noticed that he often does this when he wants to go back in his cage or he has to pee a few times before I figured this out he would climb on my shoulder and I’d just put him down or let him stay there I noticed he would use the restroom on me or the floor he’s very intelligent at letting me know when he has to go