Getting a Bit Disillusioned with Owning Guinea Pigs.... :-( Handling More Often?

[Storm1974]

So, for the last few days, I was getting quite a bit disillusioned/disappointed with owning Guinea Pigs, because for one, our boy Bramble (Who we've had from a baby, since last August) barely even likes being touched, let alone handled, and always runs away from us (though he happily takes food from our hands), and he also sometimes screams when we pick him up too, which isn't nice to hear and is something he has done since we first got him, though he has got quite a bit better over the last few months with that. Then, there's Herbie-Herbert who we got on 2nd March this year (So we've only had him two weeks!) who also doesn't like to be picked up, which is quite understandable considering we've only had him for a very short time! But I have been getting a bit down lately because I just felt like a bad owner, that the boys didn't like us etc. We did have another piggie called Bracken, who was Brambles' brother, who sadly died recently but was quite a bit friendlier and would often sit still for us to stroke him for a while in the cage, but again he never really liked being picked up, or having cuddles that much, but just a 'tiny' bit more than his brother. So, then Herbie-Herbert was No.3 like this and it just made me feel a bit depressed about it all thinking are we doing something wrong? Will they always be this way?.....

So, anyway, we decided today we would start trying to handle Herbie-Herbert a bit more, so he'd be less likely to end up like Bramble (We only ever handled Bramble and his brother Bracken around once or twice a week, once for health checks and the other - more briefly - while we were cleaning out their cage) and also, we needed to carry out his second weighing and trim his nails for the first time! So we were really dreading doing all this, because although Herbie-Herbert is a lot more interactive with us than Bramble, the last time (A few days ago) we took him out of his cage (In his cosy cup), so we could clean it out and I held him for a few moments, he was so squirmy and scared, I had to quite quickly put him into the play pen because he wouldn't keep still and kept trying to burrow down into the bottom of his cozy cup as if he desperately wanted to get away! But today, I managed to quickly grab (Obviously not roughly!) him out of his cage without much fuss and I held him against me, giving him lots of kisses, and he was actually quite calm and it was a lot easier to trim his nails than we expected, which was such a huge relief! Of course feeding him corriander constantly helped a lot with that, but he also did lay on my husbands lap for a few minutes when we had stopped giving him the corriander, and got quite comfortable, so that was really nice and made us happy, and also made me think that perhaps we're not really rubbish owners, that the boys do actually like us, and that with Herbie-Herbert, we 'could' actually have ONE piggie who likes being held and coming out for cuddles sometimes, even if there is a food bribe involved!

Of course, we do realise that piggies are prey animals so being picked up/handled isn't the most comfortable thing for them naturally, but I belong to a few guinea pig groups on FB and they're often posting photos of them cuddling their piggies and saying how they like to be picked up and close to their owners etc. So, maybe handling them a bit more and getting them used to it, rather than just say once a week for essentials, is a good way of helping them to become more comfortable with it all?

 

[Piggies&buns]

You certainly aren't a bad owner! What you are finding is totally normal piggy owning experience - piggies are not cuddly pets and if people get them thinking they will enjoy being held, and you can recreate the pictures and videos you see, then likely you're going to be disappointed. It's not a reflection on any person as an owner, but it is just the way it is. Some will enjoy it, others wont. Some may come round to it after time.

It's so easy for people to say, yes I cuddle my piggies and they love it, look at the pictures. Well, any piggy can look like they enjoy being held in a still photo!
This is also why certain websites and video sharing gives an inaccurate view of piggy keeping - most often those are done for views and give a false representation. Who wants to look at pictures and watch videos of piggies running away (which is what is most likely to happen)!

I dont necessarily agree that being held more often make them feel more comfortable - it can make carrying out the essential tasks easier, but do they necessarily enjoy it any more? I know mine certainly dont - six years down the line with my oldest two boys and I dont see the point in doing something they dont want. It is not in their nature to be held and cuddled - that is a very human concept. Interaction to piggies is something very different than being held and, for me, to provide them with their interests (ie plenty of foraging) and sit and watch them gives me more than enough comfort that they are happy.
I sit on the floor and they come to me when they want to (and usually they do), I dont try to pick them up or touch them if they don’t want it and that is how they trust me - they know I'm not going to grab them!
I have one who doesn’t want me to touch him but he will take food from me and is otherwise curious and friendly. One will tolerate chin strokes on his terms and takes food from me and is much more interested in what I'm doing. One who absolutely adores being stroked, nudges himself under my hand for head scratches, will climb on me, take food. The fourth one, well, he takes food from me, comes to me, climbs on me, makes like he wants me to stroke him but if I hold my hand out to him he runs off! He is so friendly and curious though bit is very much love me from right where you are thank you!
I can quite easily medicate, weigh, handle, nail clip etc all of them without the need to making them be held when they dont want to.

 

[fluffysal]

Sitting and having your piggies climb on you is much better than you think it will be. Part of what makes it so nice is that you know that it's their choice and they do like you.

 

[Storm1974]

Thanks both for the replies.

I do know that the rescues (as well as the general GP owner groups) I follow, do a lot of handling of their piggies to get them tame, but that is understandable, because they want them to go to a home already 'somewhat' used to be handled, so it's easier and nicer for their new owners, especially if they are first time owners, who may get put off by their new pets, otherwise.

Also, part of the reason I do want them both to be easier to handle, is to make it easier and less stressful for them, to carry out their health checks etc.

Unfortunately we cannot let them out for floor time, so they can 'choose' to come to us, so it has to be us going to get them.

I just kind of felt that they didn't like us (I was going through a bit of a depression), especially after looking through all these FB guinea pig groups with their owners cuddling their piggies and 'looking' like the piggies were enjoying being cuddled. But maybe, as you say, I should just accept that most piggies 'aren't' actually like this, though we could be lucky one day and have one who is a bit more like it, or even one of our current boys, as they get older!

I think mostly is that I absolutely hate, and dread, having to try and catch them in the cage, because I know it stresses them out and scares them, but they HAVE to have this twice a week when it's health check and cage clean time, so there is no choice. It seems to be quite a bit easier with Herbie even though we've only had him a couple of weeks, but that is partly because his cage is slightly smaller than Brambles' and Bramble's cage is also behind Herbies', so it's unfortunately much harder to get Bramble out!

 

[Piggies&buns]

How are you trying to catch them?

I dont actually remove my piggies from their cages to clean them but they are on disposable bedding so its easier to sweep around them.

 

[fluffysal]

I don't take mine out when I do either a spot clean or half and half fleece change either. I find that they like to inspect my work anyway. Sir George has always been very calm anyway (I do appreciate that I am very lucky) but getting older has definitely been a factor with Master Boris. When they were young and I was handling them I always checked ears, feet, teeth etc and offered a (bribe) treat to get them used to it. Often I will cover the sofa and let them just chill out next to me too.

 

[Storm1974]

How are you trying to catch them?

I dont actually remove my piggies from their cages to clean them but they are on disposable bedding so its easier to sweep around them.

I sometimes just try to pick them up straight from the cage/their beds, this is what I did with Herbie today. I always let them know by saying their name gently and don't just grab at them or anything. I sometimes try to get them into their cuddle sack, but often they will catch on to what I'm doing and just run around it!

Can't leave them in the cage because and use newspaper and pee pads with fleece on top, so it all needs to come out at once.

 

[piggieminder]

You are not a bad owner.
I don't believe you can train a guinea pig to like being cuddled, they can get used to being picked up and handled when necessary, which is what I aim for. I have had a lot of piggy's over the years. Only one has ever relaxed at lap time, he hates being picked up but once he's on my lap he's okay. I don't do lap time with those that don't like it. I currently have 2 that will have a head scratch in the cage, the others run away. I coax mine into a hidey or box to lift them out of the cage for health checks. In the summer once they realise it's time to start going on the grass again they will happily walk into a pet carrier because they know where they are going. I clean the cage in halves, folding the dirty fleece up and sliding the new one in, unless it's deep clean time when I do pick them up in a hidey and put them in a spare pen. I don't do floor time anymore because my current piggy's don't like being in the open and the space I have for a pen is smaller than their cages.
Most guinea pigs don't like being handled, a few do, some are still and compliant because they are frozen with fear, others will show their displeasure.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I sometimes just try to pick them up straight from the cage/their beds, this is what I did with Herbie today. I always let them know by saying their name gently and don't just grab at them or anything. I sometimes try to get them into their cuddle sack, but often they will catch on to what I'm doing and just run around it!

Can't leave them in the cage because and use newspaper and pee pads with fleece on top, so it all needs to come out at once.

If the most difficult of my two youngest is being particularly difficult, I just put the carrier in the cage and then position his hides to make a wall so he can’t change his mind!

My two eldest are so used to it that as soon as they see the carrier they walk straight in. If they don’t, then I just remove their other hides and they then go to the carrier as the only option available.

 

[brilapiggies]

One thing that has helped us with guinea pig bonding is adding a blanket during floor time - have the blanket on our lap and the guinea pigs like to investigate under and make little tunnels. You can put little treats under there so it's more interesting, like foraging. Then, because it's warm and covered, they may lay down for a bit and it's a nice time to give them pets! We have definitely noticed with our experience that daily interaction (floor time, talking, hand feeding) has helped with overall bonding. The guinea pig bonding process is not as immediately gratifying as it may be with animals like dogs but the investment is worth it in the long run I promise!

Another thing we have also done with our habitats is put them in high traffic areas like the living room. That way they hear our voices, hear kitchen sounds, and we can talk to them pretty frequently. Hope this helps!

 

[fluffysal]

I think it's all the effort we need to put in that makes it more rewarding

 

[Sue and Smartie]

I catch mine twice a week so I can do a full clean out. I use their carry box and load it up with something nice (I have dried dandelions atm) and gradually remove their hideys from the cage. When there's only one hidey left there is room to put in the carry box, so in it goes and I remove the last hidey. They know by now that there will be some nice hay & other things inside so they usually go in before I take out the last hidey but even if I have new pigs who don't know about the treats, they will often jump in as it's the only place to hide by then.
It's much easier to handle them from the carry box as they don't have the space to panic-run. I have done this with all my guinea pigs and it makes handling them less stressful for all.

Some pigs never tame down, some only remain reasonably tame with regular handling, and some love a bit of lap time. I'd say most come more in the middle group, but IMO a lot of the fun of keeping any pets is working out what level of contact they like the best.