Guinea pig alone, needs training? help pls

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Helenlambert

Hi guys,

I'd like your advise, its been about a year since i've been on this site, so i'm not sure anyone will remember me. I've my little guinea pig spikey now about a year and a half and i love her dearly.... However she is a very nippy little guinea pig and i feel its cos of me she is like this, i dont spend and have not spent enough time with her to train her and have her calm around me. She is a year and a half years old and i was wondering is it too late to start now, or will she always show these signs, the longer i left it the harder it was and the more i was afraid of her biting me. But i've come to realise just how much i love her and how i really should have done this a long time ago. Also i have been thinking of getting another piggy so she won't be on her own anymore, as i believe they're really social, and i feel guilty she's been on her own for this long, however i dont want to get another piggy if she will be agressive to them too. Any help at all on this would be appreciated. thank you so much.
 
Hi Helen

Guineas are social animals and no matter how much time you spend with them it isn't a substitute for their own kind. I would say get her a friend - there are lots and lots of guineas in rescue, either a sow the same age as her or a baby sow or a neutered boar. Why don't you post a 'wanted' on the rescue thread? where abouts are you?

No, it's not too late to get her more tame, just need patience and perseverance. We get older pigs in rescue who haven't had much handling and they do get better - have her out for cuddle time (telly time!) and hand feed her her favourite foods for starters

Sophie
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thank you so much sophie.. i've been fretting over this alot the last while... cos you see i had a guinea pig before her who i got very close to, long story short, i gave her to pet store to look after, they sold her... I was heart broken, and i got Spikey then, but i think i just didnt get close to her for fear of something happening and now i'm payin the price, cos she is very unsocial, well when i say she is unsocial, she doesnt really have a social life to be unsocial. I have tried the last few days, putting my arm in the cage, picking her up,, she still nips at me wen i go to pick her up, and when i put my hand in the cage, but she also licks me too.... I want to get another piggy for her by my Fiance was saying but the smell, so last nite i went out and bought vet bed, and will show him how serious i am to make this work... but i just wish i did this a long time ago... do you think it can be reversed over time?

I'm living in Dublin, Ireland.
 
Yes she should get better with regular handling. Lots of cuddle time needed! And tasty veg as treats so she learns to associate you with good stuff.

They shouldn't smell - vet bed is good. Find a local rescue if you can!

Let us know how you get on

Sophie
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Sows especially are very unhappy on their own so yes, get her a friend! Make sure it is definately a sow...see if there are any guinea pig rescues near you though I have my doubts.

As Sophie says, handle her more and she will become a bit better although maybe not as tame as if you had handled her from scratch!
 
thanks sophie.. i will do. I'll have a chat with the Fiance tonight and see where we stand, i got spikey without telling him and had a few days of silence haha, so want to do it proper this time as its gonna be something he's to live with too. We're in an apt, so cant get a dog and piggys are such lovely pets, very clever too. I can spend loads of time with her over this weekend, i have spent little more time than normal over last few days, with even just popping past and puttin my arm in the cage for a few mins.. even just around the cage etc. I put the vet bed in last nite and she loved it, and it didnt smell slightly even this morning... :-)

how often would you wash vet bed?
 
thanks lavenderjade, i feel so guilty over it, but i suppose i cant go back in time now... but in saying that i've not just left her to it since i got her, i have spent alot of time and money on her, but just have not given her the proper love and attention that the little cutie deserves.
 
As I am sure you know, they have wonderful little characters when you get to know them!
I `adopted` a male guinea 2 years ago and we had a special relationship although it took a while to get there as he had been alone and not treated well :( He passed away last week and although I have been heartbroken I will always cherish his funny little ways and the bond we had.
 
It is never too late Helenlambert. Your sow is still young and has plenty of happy years ahead of her.

Be patient with her if you haven't handled her much recently. Don't try to pick her up for a while, just tempt her out to see you with food. Then gently try stroking her under her chin or if she is brave enough, on top of her head. Keep doing that for a week or so. After you have got some of her trust, then is the time to slowly pop your hand into pick her up. Not from above, cup her from underneath then place your other hand on her back to steady her.

Sorry, if you have already done this with her, but it can be frustrating if they don't seem to response quickly. Some piggies will always be timid even though you have had them for years.

As regards a friend for her ... a baby sow would probably be the best option, or a neutered boar. There are many at rescues at the moment. Have a look.
 
thanks so much, well since i've last posted which was only on friday, i had a lovely weekend with her..... I did as you said, i was popping my arm in the cage, and i was feeding her and petting her on the head as she was eating... Everytime i went past the room i went in even if it was for 2 mins, and popped my arm in the cage and moved it around slowly while she was there. I cut her some lovely fresh grass and fed it to her instead of just leaving it in her cage, then saturday i took her out for 15 mins, and she didnt bite me once.... plus she seemed more relaxed. So again i kept up with the arm in her cage and picked her up again yesterday and fed her while she was in my arms, and I also petted her on top of her head while holding her. she even licked me a few times. (are these kisses?) Anyhow, fed her this morning as usual before heading to work, but hand fed her a bit of the food before putting the rest in her cage for her to munch on.... She didnt wheeek as much this morning for her food, it was as if she trusted i would bring it in to her. I also petted under her chin (which she loves) and she was ok. Its kind of a break through for me too, cos i didnt really have a huge connection with her but now i am gettng excited to get home to play with her ...... and i mean if that is only from doing this for about 5 days, i can imagine how i would be and she would be after a while.
I have decided to get her another friend, but i am going to leave it for about a month until i get to know her first..... do you think that would be better? I will go in the New year and get her a little sow i would say.... I would be so nervous of them saying the male was neutered and he wasnt. Imagine all the babies... oh oh.
 
good luck with it all, you're doing the right things with her :)
 
hey starla.... she's really starting to be alot more relaxed since yesterday. I was cleaning her cage and usually i'd put her in the carry case for half hour while I do that, but decided this time round i'd take the top area off her cage and put it in the sitting room and put a towl on the ground, and she was playing around in there last nite for about 2 hours or more.... she loved it, she even spread out and actually lay compleletely out flat.. she was so relaxed, was very cute to see, i've bought her one of these, so she can play around in a bit of bigger space when she's indoors (its so cold out these days)

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...K:MEWNX:IT&item=380080113598#ebayphotohosting
 
I will deffo get her another sow, but i will have to wait until the new year or just before xmas, want to be able to give her my time at the moment and get to know her without having to give attention to another piggy... it would only be fair at the moment i think.
 
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