How To Make Guinea Pigs Less Scared?

[Kevin_Haae]

So I got 2 guinea pigs a bit ago. I'm going to be very honest in this thread. I did a lot of research beforehand, but I didn't know their cage was too small until After I had bought them. I DO plan to get a bigger cage! I actually am going to make my own. But for now, I planned to just give them a lot of out of cage time to compensate.

the problem? they're very scared of me. They've gotten a bit better, and seem very happy regardless of the cage's size. They popcorn a lot and run around and seem to enjoy themselves. They dont run when I enter the room anymore, and one of them (named max) was able to eat hay from my hand yesterday.

They're both girls, named Max and Nikki.

This is max:

And this is Nikki:

I also was told Aspen shavings are okay for them and don't cause as many respiratory issues, but I know now that's not entirely true. I have been told it's BETTER but still not GOOD. So When I get paid I plan to buy the correct bedding for them, as the purple bedding you see I gave them, the bag isn't enough for the entire cage.

Now onto where I need help: I plan to clean their cage tomorrow. But they're still very afraid of me and wont let me touch/hold them. It's been about a week, so their cage needs to be cleaned and I don't want to put it off. But I also don't want to scare them too much. So what'd you guys recommend? I have a play pen area I want to put them in and let them run around in while I clean it. They've never left their cage yet, just because I didn't want to make them MORE scared of me by picking them up forcefully to let them have out of cage time.

Do you recommend I just pick them up regardless to get them used to it and to clean the cage? should I try to clean the cage with them in it? any help is immensely appreciated!

 

[Pigwhisperer]

It's Hard Work Interacting With My Guinea Pigs!

Piggies are always scared when they are new, and their instinct is still to run away even when they are not new due to being prey animals! Lots of your questions are common to new owners so if you look at this thread, you'll find lots of helpful info. I'm not sure if the guide to picking up piggies is on there but if not try a search, or look in the "sticky threads" at the top of the forums.

 

[Kevin_Haae]

It's Hard Work Interacting With My Guinea Pigs!

Piggies are always scared when they are new, and their instinct is still to run away even when they are not new due to being prey animals! Lots of your questions are common to new owners so if you look at this thread, you'll find lots of helpful info. I'm not sure if the guide to picking up piggies is on there but if not try a search, or look in the "sticky threads" at the top of the forums.

Thank you for the recommendation! I just feel so bad cause everything I tried to google for bonding just says to hold them and such but.. I cant really? They just run from me! I was expecting them to be scared the first few days, but due to them being social animals, I honestly sort of expected them to warm up a lot quicker? I just don't want to pick them up to clean the cage and end up making them even more scared of me aha;; Thanks for the help, ill check out the other threads!

 

[Betsy]

Check out these threads they may also help you:-

Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

 

[Wiebke]

So I got 2 guinea pigs a bit ago. I'm going to be very honest in this thread. I did a lot of research beforehand, but I didn't know their cage was too small until After I had bought them. I DO plan to get a bigger cage! I actually am going to make my own. But for now, I planned to just give them a lot of out of cage time to compensate.

the problem? they're very scared of me. They've gotten a bit better, and seem very happy regardless of the cage's size. They popcorn a lot and run around and seem to enjoy themselves. They dont run when I enter the room anymore, and one of them (named max) was able to eat hay from my hand yesterday.

They're both girls, named Max and Nikki.

This is max:

And this is Nikki:

I also was told Aspen shavings are okay for them and don't cause as many respiratory issues, but I know now that's not entirely true. I have been told it's BETTER but still not GOOD. So When I get paid I plan to buy the correct bedding for them, as the purple bedding you see I gave them, the bag isn't enough for the entire cage.

Now onto where I need help: I plan to clean their cage tomorrow. But they're still very afraid of me and wont let me touch/hold them. It's been about a week, so their cage needs to be cleaned and I don't want to put it off. But I also don't want to scare them too much. So what'd you guys recommend? I have a play pen area I want to put them in and let them run around in while I clean it. They've never left their cage yet, just because I didn't want to make them MORE scared of me by picking them up forcefully to let them have out of cage time.

Do you recommend I just pick them up regardless to get them used to it and to clean the cage? should I try to clean the cage with them in it? any help is immensely appreciated!

Hi and welcome

Your experience is very normal for new owners. You are dealing with prey animals that have hardly had any friendly human interaction before they were ripped away from their families at a mass breeders, plonked onto a shop floor and sold into a home where they are expected to be pets and like these smelly giants with their big hands...
The trick is to respect their prey animal instincts, avoid all predatory behaviours and use guinea pig behaviours and body language to make friends with them in ways that they instinctively understand. it is a slow process, so don't expect miracles - trust is a tender plant that only grows slowly, but it makes deep roots.

Your boys have settled in well and are happy, so be proud of that. They have started to take food from your hands; that is a big step forward and the first sign that they have started to trust you.

Please take the time to read through our new Owners guide collection. We have a whole chapter on settling in and making friends with your piggies with some piggy whispering tricks and how you can handle them safely.
It also contains a cage size guide and a bedding overview of the currently available products amongst other information. Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

We have got lots more information, which you can find via our guides shortcut on the top bar, but you are alwats welcome to ask any questions you may have in our various Care sections.

There is one point that is very important for new owners, and that is the need to save up for vet care right from the beginning as part of their weekly or monthly maintenance, so you can afford to see a vet at any time you need to. Guinea pigs are small animals, they cannot wait ages to see a vet. Unfortunately, vet cost are going to make the biggest overall expense for any pet. The freedom from pain and any unnecessary suffering is one of the basic animal rights. Illness and emergencies NEVER happen at a conveinent time, so please prepare right from the start!

Since we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can always tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are straight away; as you can imagine, brands, climate, vet and rescue access vary enormously. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

 

[Kevin_Haae]

Hi and welcome

Your experience is very normal for new owners. You are dealing with prey animals that have hardly had any friendly human interaction before they were ripped away from their families at a mass breeders, plonked onto a shop floor and sold into a home where they are expected to be pets and like these smelly giants with their big hands...
The trick is to respect their prey animal instincts, avoid all predatory behaviours and use guinea pig behaviours and body language to make friends with them in ways that they instinctively understand. it is a slow process, so don't expect miracles - trust is a tender plant that only grows slowly, but it makes deep roots.

Your boys have settled in well and are happy, so be proud of that. They have started to take food from your hands; that is a big step forward and the first sign that they have started to trust you.

Please take the time to read through our new Owners guide collection. We have a whole chapter on settling in and making friends with your piggies with some piggy whispering tricks and how you can handle them safely.
It also contains a cage size guide and a bedding overview of the currently available products amongst other information. Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

We have got lots more information, which you can find via our guides shortcut on the top bar, but you are alwats welcome to ask any questions you may have in our various Care sections.

There is one point that is very important for new owners, and that is the need to save up for vet care right from the beginning as part of their weekly or monthly maintenance, so you can afford to see a vet at any time you need to. Guinea pigs are small animals, they cannot wait ages to see a vet. Unfortunately, vet cost are going to make the biggest overall expense for any pet. The freedom from pain and any unnecessary suffering is one of the basic animal rights. Illness and emergencies NEVER happen at a conveinent time, so please prepare right from the start!

Since we have members from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can always tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are straight away; as you can imagine, brands, climate, vet and rescue access vary enormously. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. Thank you!

Hello! thank you very much, I've already added my location, I did when i first signed up. I really wish I could of adopted my girls from a rescue center, but I didn't actually know guinea pigs really were available at rescue centers sadly. Everything I had looked up was mainly talking about pet shops and such, which is where I got mine. I'm glad they're with me now though, as even though their cage is a bit small, it's much bigger then what they previously had at the petstore. I'll go give the threads a look over!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! thank you very much, I've already added my location, I did when i first signed up. I really wish I could of adopted my girls from a rescue center, but I didn't actually know guinea pigs really were available at rescue centers sadly. Everything I had looked up was mainly talking about pet shops and such, which is where I got mine. I'm glad they're with me now though, as even though their cage is a bit small, it's much bigger then what they previously had at the petstore. I'll go give the threads a look over!

Thank you! Sadly, there are very few good guinea pig rescues in Canada, and to my knowledge none in your province. We try to encourage our members to go rescue wherever this is possible, but adding your location means that we will take your lack of good rescue access into account whenever it becomes necessary.
Guinea pigs are not the most common pet in Canada.

Sorry for missing your location. The disadvantage when I jump to and fro between lots of different threads while working up and down my list of alerts starting with the most urgent!

 

[Kevin_Haae]

Thank you! Sadly, there are very few good guinea pig rescues in Canada, and to my knowledge none in your province. We try to encourage our members to go rescue wherever this is possible, but adding your location means that we will take your lack of good rescue access into account whenever it becomes necessary.
Guinea pigs are not the most common pet in Canada.

Sorry for missing your location. The disadvantage when I jump to and fro between lots of different threads while working up and down my list of alerts starting with the most urgent!

It's all good! thank you for taking the time to actually answer my questions! I have a few more questions that're a bit on the strange side, would It be okay if I asked you directly, or would it be better to edit my thread, or create a new one? I'm not used to using forums in general, since the only other one I use is arachnoboards since I own 2 Tarantulas as well. I'm sure the questions are a bit simple, but I tend to be paranoid/anxious and really wanna make sure I give them the best care I can with what I've got, so I rather ask a stupid question then not know and worry about it yaknow? ^^;

 

[Wiebke]

It's all good! thank you for taking the time to actually answer my questions! I have a few more questions that're a bit on the strange side, would It be okay if I asked you directly, or would it be better to edit my thread, or create a new one? I'm not used to using forums in general, since the only other one I use is arachnoboards since I own 2 Tarantulas as well. I'm sure the questions are a bit simple, but I tend to be paranoid/anxious and really wanna make sure I give them the best care I can with what I've got, so I rather ask a stupid question then not know and worry about it yaknow? ^^;

You can either use this thread or create a new one if it is specific are like housing, behaviour, health etc. where you will attract more knowledgeable answers from members watching specific sections they have experience with.

What we don't do is give advice via private messaging (envelope icon) unless there is good reason for discretion. We work hard to keep this forum a friendly place in which any question, as inconsequential and 'silly' as it seems can be asked and will be answered. We are here to help you learn to make the best of our piggies, after all, but we also want to be fair to all our members.

 

[Kevin_Haae]

You can either use this thread or create a new one if it is specific are like housing, behaviour, health etc. where you will attract more knowledgeable answers from members watching specific sections they have experience with.

What we don't do, is give advice via private messaging (envelope icon) unless there is good reason for discretion. We work hard to keep this forum a friendly place in which any question, as inconsequential and 'silly' as it seems can be asked and will be answered. We are here to help you learn to make the best of our piggies, after all, but we also want to be fair to all our members.

alright thank you very much! that makes sense. They're both health related, so I'll go to that topic and make a new thread, thank you for all the advice, I appreciate it!

 

[UhreGuineas]

I would just suggest taking it slow.too much movement would scare them more then they already are. It would also give them a chance to get to know you better. This comment is not a lot but i hope it helps!

 

[Kevin_Haae]

Hey, so i cant seem to figure out how to edit my post, so i'm putting the update here.

UPDATE!:

I managed to clean their cage! It was.. insanely hard work aha. I am sweating bullets after all that. But basically what I did is I got a tub that was empty and i could put them in as i currently didn't have a piggie babysitter (my parents were too sleepy) and I refuse to leave them alone running around (the only spot i can actually let them run around is in the shower, I don't have a playpen yet)

so I took a pillow case since I don't have a Cavy Cozy and made due with it. I had to chase them a bit and I feel terrible for it. They're very slippery lil pigs. So I eventually one by one got them in the pillowcase and lowered them into the tub, making very quiet noises to try and calm them. I gave them some hay and treats incase they wanted them, and then cleaned the cage. When i was done, i set it all back up (rearranged a few things) and since both were hiding in the pillow case it was easy to pick them both up in one go and drop them back in.

They were VERY frightened, but I'm hoping they'll get used to it. They're settling in pretty nicely, they ran around for about 10 mins and are still very high alert, but I put some fruit treats (specifically made for piggies to help their teeth), a vitamin C suppliment, and some alfalfa sprouts as treats for them to chew on and Max was gobbling them up right away and they were sniffing at the hay and eating. Max even did a little popcorn when he saw the bounty of food I gave them for being such good girls.

So while they're very scared, they seem to be warming up alot faster and understanding they weren't hurt and are home!

 

[Betsy]

Have you tried covering part of their cage with an old towel or blanket to make them feel a bit safer in their cage? This helps to settle them.

 

[sport_billy]

We always 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.

 

[beckyxxx]

When I first got my piggies I used a cosey or a box for them to run into , it makes it less scary for them as guinea pigs are naturally scared of being picked up . Ways to gain their trust is hand feeding them veggies or treats but all in good time I’ve had Willis one of my guinea pigs for nearly a year now and he still won’t let me touch him, but is happy to take things from my hand

 

[beckyxxx]

Or you could also use a tunnel to pick them up by of course making sure both ends of the tunnel are covered with your hands and that they cannot slide through