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Frightened new arrivals

Beryl

New Born Pup
Joined
May 20, 2020
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I would appreciate some advice please. We bought 2 female Guinea pigs about a month ago from pets at home. They are about 6 months old and have never been handled. In the shop apparently since babies. If I am able to catch them they squeal, scratch, bite, chatter their teeth and struggle. I have had piggies before but always handled from an early age. I appreciate their claws will soon need trimming and as one has quite long fur, she may need a trim. They will come to the bars for food but will not be handled. What is the best course of action please.
 
I would appreciate some advice please. We bought 2 female Guinea pigs about a month ago from pets at home. They are about 6 months old and have never been handled. In the shop apparently since babies. If I am able to catch them they squeal, scratch, bite, chatter their teeth and struggle. I have had piggies before but always handled from an early age. I appreciate their claws will soon need trimming and as one has quite long fur, she may need a trim. They will come to the bars for food but will not be handled. What is the best course of action please.

Hi and welcome

Please use our piggy whispering tips to make friends with them in their own language and social frame. Invite them into the group you are leading and tell them the way a piggy does that they are loved and cherished. This will remove you from the category of 'predator' and gives them an identity and a place/hierarchy which connects you and helps them to feel safer. With you as the leader, you can then assert your authority but intermingle it with plenty of assurances that they are loved and welcome (always follow the example of a 'husboar' master diplomat dealing with his fractious wives who has taught me this very effective trick). It is not an instant success, but it is surprisingly effective and works in all kinds of scenarios from grooming to medicating.
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you? (this is about dealing with problems in a piggy way that makes sense to them; it is the follow up from the piggy whispering guide)

Avoid any predatory behaviours that can set off their prey animal instincts which are set on high. You can find the links to our information of how you whisper and how you can work around the various issues in the links that @Piggies&buns has posted. They are well worth reading!

This is how arrival in a pet home looks from a guinea pig perspective: Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

All these guides are part of our pretty comprehensive New Owners guide collection, which you may find interesting and helpful even if you have had piggies before as there is always something that you haven't come across. there have been so many changes in the piggy world in recent years, and our understanding has deepened and changed a lot in all kinds of areas, from diet to housing, understanding social behaviours to daily care etc. The collection also contains our hair cutting guide (both with scissors and clippers with pictures and videos) and a nailcutting guide. The full and even wider information resource can be accessed via the guides shortcut on the top bar.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

All the best.,
 
Welcome to the forum.
Settling frightened piggies takes lots of patience.
The advice already given is very helpful.
Please ask more questions if you need to - there’s always someone with an answer
 
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