Gaining your guinea pigs trust

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hailey.katherine126

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Hello! I’m new to this forum and am curious about gaining my guinea pigs trust. My boyfriend and I rescued two boars from a shelter about mid January. They had been together since babies and came from a pet store that no longer had the room/time for them. Since then, their personalities have really come out and are so much more comfortable with my boyfriend and I. We pig proofed our house and leave their cage door open all the time allowing them to move freely in our living room. We even built them carpeted stairs since their cage is pretty tall. They are both barely a year old. Although they are way more trustworthy of us than the day we brought them home, they still run away when we try to pick them up. Even when we get them in our laps, it never lasts long and they almost immediately jump off and run away to hide. I know they are skiddish creatures and it’s in their nature to be in flight mode, I’m just curious if over time they will be more comfortable and willing to stay on our laps? Is their anything we can do to help make them more comfortable? Thanks in advance!
 
Hello, I'm no expert by any means but I have been having same issues I've just found that lots of hand feeding and talking to them helps.
Also getting them out at least once a day for veggies and cuddles.
I hope someone else will have more ideas to help us.
 
With many years of having boars here's my experience - when they are young and still doing the zoomies and popcorn they will very rarely want to sit still on your lap. They may stay for the time it takes to eat their treats but after that, forget it. After about three years old most of them start to settle and will be happy enough to hang around after the treats are gone. By the time they are old men the snuggles, warmth and treats are very much appreciated.
This is an average - I've had pigs who would try to climb my legs if they weren't getting attention from a young age, and pigs who just never warmed to lap time. Same with picking up. Some will run to be picked up, some will never quite get used to it. If you are handling them every day, and not forcing them to stay on your lap after the treats/their interest has gone, they will learn quicker to appreciate and not fear being petted or held. In the meantime, you can wrap them up in a small fleece or towel in your lap which will make them more secure, and instead of just picking them up could gently encourage them into a tunnel or hide you can pick up with them in it. This will be less stressful until they are more used to being handled.
Good luck with them and pics please! :D
 
I have always talked to my guinea pigs, like i talk to people, that way they know my voice all the time, seems to work, rather than the cute baby voice that some people do👍
 
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