Guinea pigs - won't let us touch them, how to groom?

[dangalf]

Hi, we've hda 2 guinea pigs (1 long haired) for about 4 months now. They are very skittish and will barely interact with us. I can get one to come and take food from my hand. The other will let me drop food near him. Sometimes they let us stroke them but i think they're generally doing this when still through fear. My worry is that the long haired guinea pig needs grooming. His hair looks matted and straw is getting stuck to it. Every time I have tried to pick him up he runs away. How am I meant to do any basic grooming if I cannot get a hold of him? Geting to the point where kids are losing interest and I think we may have to re-home them as thereis no love and am worried we will not even be able to keep them healthy if we cannot groom them.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum.

I am afraid guinea pigs and not cuddly creatures. Most do not like being touched and certainly don’t like being picked up as it cuts too close to their prey instinct.

The fact that one is taking food from your hand is fantastic as that shows some trust is there, but I have to be honest and say that that may be as good as it ever gets. I’ve had my two boys for 18 months. One of them takes food from me, happy to be with me, let’s me stroke him under his chin but he absolutely will not let me pick him up. The other one has only started taking food from my hand in the last few weeks and up until then, still ran off when I approached. He is getting better now and is happy to stay around s bit more but it has taken all this time and he still won’t let me touch him. For me, this is fine, I know they aren’t cuddly and I enjoy watching them interact with each other rather than forcing them to interact with me when that isn’t something that comes naturally to most piggies

In terms of grooming and weekly health checks including weighing and nail trimming, I herd them into a pet carrier or box. From there I can pick them up. They have learnt to associate going in their Carrier with getting treats but it is also the way I transport them out into the lawn run, so they are now happy to hop into the carrier. They don’t like being picked up, they scream and fuss but it is a necessity that I do these things. I just work quickly and carefully while offering them some coriander to make peace!

To add, you specifically mention straw - please don’t bed them on straw, it is far too sharp and poses a serious risk to them. Please bed them on hay instead. Hay needs to make up the largest part of their diet in any event so being surrounded by it as bedding also ensures they are eating enough.

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

 

[Freela]

Most guinea pigs do not enjoy being picked up. As prey animals, that feeling of running from something coming at you is hard-wired into their brain. That said, a lot of pigs who don't enjoy being picked up don't mind being held and handled once you get them. Trying to tempt them into a carrier so that you can catch them without chasing them and causing undue stress is a good idea. Then you can get them acclimatized to sitting on someone's lap and getting petted and routine maintenance done, perhaps while you offer a snack.

Honestly, when socializing my pigs, I have always picked them up (trying to cause as little stress as possible) and let them sit on my knee in a blanket and with a treat for a short time at least once a day. All of my pigs, even those who ran from the big hand in the sky, ended up being perfectly happy sitting on the couch with me, to the point where several of them just would go to sleep on my lap. Right now one of my pigs is very easy to scoop up (she pretty much just stands there) and the other has never loved getting scooped but she is the one who will sleep on my knee, so she's clearly comfortable with people once she's there. I would start trying to pick them up in a carrier, letting them hide in a blanket and have a snack, and see if you can't get them a bit more used to handling because, although not all pigs are lap pigs who just want to sit with you, my experience is that picking them up is the biggest hurdle, but once you've got them as long as you are gentle and give treats most pigs will warm up.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

I fully agree with @Piggies&buns .

Please take the time to carefully read our piggy whispering guide links. They really make a difference!

I adopt quite a lot of very skittish stuck in rescue piggies; being able to talk to them in their own body language which they instantly understand, inviting them into my group and telling them that I love them helps to turn me from a predator into a kind of super-piggy and they have a place and a group identity they can feel safe with in their new home.

Picking up is the one thing that is cutting very close to their prey animal instincts, so most piggies will never come to really like it.
Use our tricks to work around it and make your piggies feel less exposed when on your lap at first until the become more confident.

It is still a gradual and slow process, but it helps to speed up things. when you groom, do so only as much as your piggies can cope with with plenty of piggy whispering and gentle vocal encouragement from you - but do so rather little and often.

 

[Siikibam]

With all that’s been said above. I herd the piggies into a box or pig loo then pick them up from there. The boys I can most times ‘corner’ then pick them up.

As said, it can take a long time for them to trust you, even years. So you have to be patient. Explain to your children about this. They can enjoy watching them interact in the cage and do guinea pig stuff. You can also get them to help you with feeding if they’re old enough. At the time we got the boys, my then four year old used to help with feeding them. More recently she will sometimes ask to feed them, or change the water when one of the older ones is changing the boys’ water.

Did you get them because you wanted them, or because the children did? It’s unfortunate but children can sometimes get bored of pets they desperately wanted in the beginning. Four months is a short time, but it’s up to you whether you’re willing to go the extra mile to get them settled and used to you. And whether you’re willing to give them that time to trust you.

 

[dangalf]

Thanks for all the replies, very useful. My main concern at the moment is how to achieve grooming as I am worried about health risks etc otherwise. I will read some of the reference material mentioned here.

 

[PoptartShop]

I agree with the above posts. Some guinea pigs don't mind being picked up, some don't like being held, some hate being picked up but once you hold them they're fine (my piggy, Maisie, although she's gotten better about it), etc. It takes time. I couldn't even hold mine for like 5-6mos after I got them. Keep working with them. They are all different. Sometimes, it's just fun to sit and watch them!

 

[Darcey15]

Hi there! Everything has been covered above but I have a long haired piggie who is my most difficult customer to pick up out of the 6 I have. I can only advise on what I do in terms of grooming.

She shrieks like a banshee & I've had some real trouble even getting to her she's so fast. But- in a pigloo or a good corner you just have to go for it, kneel in there if you need to & talk calmly to him. Once you've got him in your hands hold him close to your chest & sit with him for a bit stroking him. Have a bit of parsley or spinach close to hand & he will hopefully relax enough to have a munch.

For long haired piggies it needs to be done otherwise the matting will just become more troublesome.

For the grooming bit, I have good scissors bought from the pet shop, a mousse shampoo and a brush. I have a soft cushion I use for grooming, its comfy and she doesnt move much when placed on it (as lomg as i keep stroking). I use the soft side of the brush first (away from matted parts which may get stuck) to brush the hair downwards & whilst doing this check her rear end (head is facing forwards, bum towards me). I use 2 fingers to get the hair between them and snip as far away from her body as I can & work round. You'll feel any matted parts and these can cause a little discomfort if pulled in any way so you can just tease them upwards & get a good angle to snip. Brushing out (for my pig anyway) would never work as it pulls too much. If you do it regularly enough, there should only be one or 2 tricky bits which you'll be able to trim off. You might be surprised that your piggie stays quite calm during grooming (I was!) But they are all different & you just have to give it a go adter reading all the guidence. Some before & after pics on my Darcey's piggies thread if you want some hairstyle ideas ... not sure I'll be getting hairdresser if the year but it'll do!

 

[Sweet Potato]

You have to pick up and handle your piggie regularly not just for grooming but also for weighing, tooth checks health checks etc. Your pig will not like being picked up at first because they are not familiar with what's happening but most pigs will get used to being stroked, sitting on someones lap or sitting on a cushion to be stroked (the best way for piggies to interact with children) as with any training it's easiest if it is started when they are young and have not had any very negative experiences with humans. I made sure to handle my boys daily when they were young and now they love cuddle time and squeak all the way through it unless they are falling asleep on me, but they still run away when I go to pick them up.

I know that some people believe that you should wait for them to approach you and not handle piggies that don't want to be handled from the start but you need to find a taming method that works for you. There are plenty of videos on YouTube about this too so I encourage you to look at different options before giving up.