How Often Should U Hold Your Guinea Pigs?

guineapigs03

guineapigs03

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Ive had my guinea pigs for almost 2 months I've only had them out for lap time once or twice because it seemes to stress them out( I do give them floor time often though) I was wondering if I should be holding them more often to help with bonding some people say every day, will this help bonding with my guinea pigs or just make them hate me.
 
I don't know the answer to this, but I try to handle mine every day. I do worry that the catching part is making them hate me. :O They seem to like the lap sitting bit, but one in particular is very good at dodging when I try to pick her up.
 
It depends, some people have piggies on their lap more than others.... I probably have our girls out once very two weeks, but interact a lot with them in the cage. Widget is very tame and loves a fuss, but gets distracted at laptimes and wanders off. i know on the forum we have ours out less than a lot of people on here, i do need to get them out more.

To get them tamer and used to lap times start off after a few days by trying to hand feed a few veggy treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... after a while try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you.
Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

Are you okay catching them?
 
One is good in the cage and will let me give him a scratch if I move slowly and will come out when I come in the room the other one is not so good and is very skittish he runs into his hindey any time I move an inch! But both freez up when I took them out of the cage for lap time though.

I will definetly try the tips with the more skittish one in the cage and get him comfortable with that before I try take them out the cage more often.

Just another thing is it better to take them out together or separately, which way will they be more comfortable?

Thank you :)
 
guineapigs03 said:
Ive had my guinea pigs for almost 2 months I've only had them out for lap time once or twice because it seemes to stress them out( I do give them floor time often though) I was wondering if I should be holding them more often to help with bonding some people say every day, will this help bonding with my guinea pigs or just make them hate me.
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It depends on what kind of relationship you want - an interactive one where your guinea pig is free to tell you what they want and you do play and adventure stuff with them or whether you mainly want the stereotypical cuddly pet.
Most guinea pigs don't like being handled and cuddled at first. I have piggies that emphatically never will; and those I let be as much as the necessary weekly health checks and grooming allow. My aim is to get them to accept handling and not freak out. Other piggies come to quite enjoy lap time and cuddles. I treasure my own "cuddle piggies", but I am admittedly an interactive person that wants her piggies to have a happy piggy life with their group mates first and foremost and not be a human's pet as a priority.

The important bit is that you listen to your piggies and accept when they have had enough. They will learn to trust in turn and often be much more relaxed with you and your handling them. It is a slow process with constantly shifting limits.

You may want to make use of these tips here:
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
 
I can catch them usually after o few seconds if them trying to run away but I'm sure they will get more used to it as the moths go on
 
I think a lot also depends on their individual personalities.
We have 4 guinea pigs, and all of them have been handled a lot from a very young age.

Ruby rushes to the front of the cage and asks to be picked up several times a day. Once she is out of the cage she settles immediately, but only on DD1's lap. If anyone else tries to hold her for more than a few minutes she gets very restless and eventually bites. So Ruby is handled daily, but only by DD1.

Oreo is also very friendly and will happily take food from us, but doesn't like to be held. She will tolerate it for a few minutes, but then gets restless and makes it clear she wold prefer to be in her cage. So Oreo is handled once or twice a week.

Eddi is friendly and laid back, and will happily be cuddled by pretty much anyone, although he definitely prefers DD2. He likes it if you reward him with food and compliments. So Eddi is handled 4 - 5 times a week.

Lucy is hard to catch but loves everyone. She will sprawl o your lap within minutes and lay there for up to an hour. So Lucy is handled daily.

I have to also add that my children (aged 10 and 12) do most of the handling.
They come home from school at 11.30am every day, and will usually hold at least one piggy each over the lunch break (they go back to school around 13.00 so have plenty of time).
In the evening they also will often have a guinea pig out while they do their homework, hence the large amount of handling in our home.
 
I don't handle mine much. They were very skitty when younger and just were not interested and I got anxious and they got stressed!
I pet them in their cage (with food incentive) and when they come downstairs at weekends they are caught in a tube and I give them a quick cuddle, after I tip them out as I put them in their travel box. They also get a cuddle after I've weighed them. The most handleing thhey get is to cut their claws.

I have had them all out together on my lap and they just go everywhere! and get cross if I try to stop them walking off the edge of the sofa! I do on occasion get Rey out for a solo lap time and she's pretty chill. I should try to get them out separately with lettuce but I don't want to stress them or get bitten again!
 
I have floor time with the boys every day, where one will let me pet him lots (he enjoys pets in his cage as well) and the other will walk across my legs as he goes by but doesn't like to be touched at all. The one who enjoys neck rubs will let me pick him up and put him on my lap for a few minutes, and sometimes will even lay down there for a little nap. The other one will very occasionally let me pet him, but that's all. I try to respect that cuddling isn't in his nature, and our way of bonding is hand-feeding herbs which he loves. It took months of slow moving, gentle talking, and lots of hand fed snacks for my boars to be so comfortable with me, and I think the fact that Corduroy likes to be rubbed and sit on my lap is just pure luck.
 
The only one I handle a great deal is Bramble and thats mainly out of necessity, I check her over every day, weigh her, give her whatever medication shes on at the time..at the moment its stuff for fungal, check her bums clean and wipe her if necessary, brush her (shes longhaired) All that is purely because she has neurological problems and can go downhill pretty quickly.

The others get handled a couple of times a week ish? Wednesdays they come out to be weighed, nails checked, tickled and put back then I might give whoever I fancy a cuddle once in a while. I find ushering them into a tube much easier than trying to catch them and freaks them out less. The 4 babies arent there yet but the older 3 will sploot out in their cage and let you stroke them, tickle under the chin etc the 2 older babies are happy to sit and sleep out in the open while I'm talking to them, faffing about in the room doing things. The younger 2 have only been here a day but theyll come out to see whats happening once they hear the others enjoying a fuss.

None of mine really 'love' being handled no matter how often I get them out, they prefer doing their own thing with me reaching in for tickles from time to time! Considering I'm pretty allergic to their hay I'm ok with that :xd::xd:
 
I tend to give cuddle time to those who ask for it so it really varies. I get Tonks and Iggy out a bit more as I have to check them out for illness more than the others but generally they prefer to be in their own element.

I personally prefer to sit with them during floor time and let them climb over me as they please. They can hop on and off my lap should they want to!
 
I get mine out daily for at least a short period of time. I feel like the more they are handled, the more they get used to it and get to like it. Most of my pigs, while some didn't like being 'caught' by the human, have liked lap time. Both the pigs I have now will flop on our laps for extended periods of time. Leela will sit with us for hours unless she has to pee.
 
The babies I held for a few mins every day to get them used to it and now they are quite happy to sit still for a few mins and have some face rubs. The older girls were not used to lap time or cuddles so again I built up the time slowly, a little each day and now they also seem to enjoy a few mins of fusses.

I mainly like to let them do as they please so I do the same as Cavy Kung-Fu and I sit in their run at floor time and let them explore me. A few yummy veggie treats usually helps encourage them.
 
It depends on the piggy - my old Boar (the one in my avatar) was soft, he loved a good cuddle and would happily settle down - but was fussy about in case strokes. My other boar is more touchy feely, he loves head rubs, chin tickles, strokes in cage, he will happily come over to touch noses and at times I look over and see his big black eyes looking at me for a stroke or cuddle. When out he will come over if he needs rescued and climb on me, or just come over for a stroke, he sometimes will do lap time others he has ants in his pants, and fidgets (he prefers under chin).My girl blows hot and cold, on her terms when she wants it (usually when Jet is getting attention) and for how long, I tend to only pick her up if she comes to me (she climbs so will indicate where she wants to be) or if I need to check her over. They get in cage strokes many times a day and every day a quick pick up and health check just in case.
 
It very much depends on the piggy. I have 'cuddle' piggies, which I pet daily and I have several piggies which do not like to be handled at all, and which I only get accustomed to health checks and grooming. Most of my piggies are somwhere in between.
The worst is a traumatised ex-toddler's pet who is slowly learning to trust me, but picking up and handling it still extremely stressful for her even though we have moved past the total freak-outs now and she trusts me as much as she ever will, including treating a bad eye infection with over 6 applications of various drops and lubricants in a day.

If a piggy shows that it doesn't like being handled or cuddled, then I will not push it. My priority is letting my piggies live a happy piggy life and not having living toys; they are fascinating animals in their own right. Watching them interact and enjoy their life gives me pleasure enough. They will generally come to trust me and be relaxed around me anyway.
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I handle them everyday when I put them in the playpen. I have to move them from their cages to their playpen.
After I move them to playpen, I have a chance to clean out their cages also.
Because I have a boy and a girl, they play in their playpen at different times. They can always see each other so physical interaction won't matter I feel. They stay in the same room but in different cages.
 
Wiebke said:
It depends on what kind of relationship you want - an interactive one where your guinea pig is free to tell you what they want and you do play and adventure stuff with them or whether you mainly want the stereotypical cuddly pet.
Most guinea pigs don't like being handled and cuddled at first. I have piggies that emphatically never will; and those I let be as much as the necessary weekly health checks and grooming allow. My aim is to get them to accept handling and not freak out. Other piggies come to quite enjoy lap time and cuddles. I treasure my own "cuddle piggies", but I am admittedly an interactive person that wants her piggies to have a happy piggy life with their group mates first and foremost and not be a human's pet as a priority.

The important bit is that you listen to your piggies and accept when they have had enough. They will learn to trust in turn and often be much more relaxed with you and your handling them. It is a slow process with constantly shifting limits.

You may want to make use of these tips here:
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
Click to expand...
These are the 2 threads I was going to quote. We had ours out for a few minutes a day from day 1 and after a while you can start to see them relax. Now they still run away as though I was a predator at first, but you can see they know it's me really and they relax after I pick them up. One will only sit with me for a few minutes before she starts "tweaking" at my clothes to go back but the other will snuggle down for a long snooze on my lap & only wants to go when she's desperate for a wee!
 
arcticfox34 said:
I don't know the answer to this, but I try to handle mine every day. I do worry that the catching part is making them hate me. :O They seem to like the lap sitting bit, but one in particular is very good at dodging when I try to pick her up.
Click to expand...

The only reason why I don't hold my guinea pigs more than needed, it feels like they'll hate me. >.>
 
I think it very much depends on the piggie. I usually follow their lead and I can tell when they’ve had enough or it’s just a plain No!

I’ve been holding mine twice a day for 10 mins! I always get the boss pig first then she’ll go and tell her mate that she’s ok and come and sniff me. It shows her mate not to be frightened of me. Never the less she still runs when I get the towel! My aim is to get them used to being picked up for health checks and then any cuddles are a bonus. The boss pig is coming round to the idea now. It’s does take much longer than we would like but it’s important to understand them and respect their wishes.
 
guineapigs03 said:
Ive had my guinea pigs for almost 2 months I've only had them out for lap time once or twice because it seemes to stress them out( I do give them floor time often though) I was wondering if I should be holding them more often to help with bonding some people say every day, will this help bonding with my guinea pigs or just make them hate me.
Click to expand...
I’d say it helps with bonding. My 2 (Gizmo and Arlo) are a little over 8 weeks old and I get them out around 3 times a day spaced out of course. 2 times throughout the day and another when I go to bed and they absolutely love cuddles and even give tiny little kisses. At first gizmo was skitty and didn’t like it whereas arlo would just curl up on my shoulder and go to sleep. But after getting him out a few times he realised that he was safe and learned to trust. They’re both little sweethearts and love to run around and come curl up next to me and lick and gently nibble my fingers or face. Every guinea is different in their personalities but once you gain their trait they will love their special time with you.
 
Guineas2 said:
I’d say it helps with bonding. My 2 (Gizmo and Arlo) are a little over 8 weeks old and I get them out around 3 times a day spaced out of course. 2 times throughout the day and another when I go to bed and they absolutely love cuddles and even give tiny little kisses. At first gizmo was skitty and didn’t like it whereas arlo would just curl up on my shoulder and go to sleep. But after getting him out a few times he realised that he was safe and learned to trust. They’re both little sweethearts and love to run around and come curl up next to me and lick and gently nibble my fingers or face. Every guinea is different in their personalities but once you gain their trait they will love their special time with you.
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This isn’t necessarily the case. Some sit still until they trust you enough to tell you they don’t like it. Others don’t like it from the beginning. I don’t think it’s right to ‘force’ them to do something they don’t like.

This is quite an old thread as well. The poster hasn’t been on since 2018 🙂
 
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