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Handling question

BilingualPiggies

New Born Pup
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We've had our rescue pair of boars for just over a month now and they have settled really well. We are however struggling to "catch" them to take them out for floor or lap time without them running away and one of them getting a bit stressed. Once out, they are perfectly happy and the one that gets the most stressed about being caught is the one who seems to enjoy lap time the most. He will happily sit there quite relaxed for ages whereas the other one eventually gets restless and we usually end up putting him back in their C&C before his mate. What's a good way to get them out with minimal stress? Or a way to get them even tamer so they come to us happily? They do come to the bars of the cage when they hear us and are very friendly generally. I know that a lot of it is prey instinct but am hoping there is a way of overcoming this. Is it a question of handling them daily? We don't always do this at the moment though we try and handle them regularly. Thank you!
 
We've had our rescue pair of boars for just over a month now and they have settled really well. We are however struggling to "catch" them to take them out for floor or lap time without them running away and one of them getting a bit stressed. Once out, they are perfectly happy and the one that gets the most stressed about being caught is the one who seems to enjoy lap time the most. He will happily sit there quite relaxed for ages whereas the other one eventually gets restless and we usually end up putting him back in their C&C before his mate. What's a good way to get them out with minimal stress? Or a way to get them even tamer so they come to us happily? They do come to the bars of the cage when they hear us and are very friendly generally. I know that a lot of it is prey instinct but am hoping there is a way of overcoming this. Is it a question of handling them daily? We don't always do this at the moment though we try and handle them regularly. Thank you!

Hi!

Please have a read of these two guide links here. Picking up cuts extremely close to their prey animal instincts.
You may find the guides very helpful as they explain what is behind your boys' behaviour and how you can work around it:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

You may also find our New Owners Guide Collection very useful, of which these two guides a just a small part of. It is worth bookmarking, browsing, reading and re-reading at need: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
:agr: excellent advice above.


With piggies it just takes time. I've had piggies that wont be anywhere near me, but after a few months of settling in, they are now the first ones over for a gentle scratch behind the ears! None of my pigs particularly like being picked up (I've only ever had one that walked into my hands to be picked up, but he was one I nursed back to health from when he was a baby). I don't mind that they don't like being picked up (they are prey animals after all). It just takes time and patience to build trust. Reward them when they do come to you. The same way we build relationships with our horses (who also have the same prey animal instincts). I only pick mine up a couple of times a week for health checks and to move them into their play pen for a change of scenery. The rest of the time I tend to let them come to me on their own terms for a bit of attention in the morning and evening.

Best of luck with your little guys, just be patient - some can take much longer than others to build that trust :wub:
 
Have you a tunnel or cosy that you can tempt them into then carry to the sofa? Most piggies will run and hide when you go to pick them up, it takes some a long time, they have a strong prey instinct, it’s not personal, they do it as second nature 😁
 
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