Hi!
Please take the time to read the guides below. You may find them highly interesting. They tackle the issue not so much from the human side but from the guinea pig side.
Which is why they are surprisingly effective and really helps me settle down scared piggies much more quickly because I am making sense to them and I give them a herd identity and a place where they are told that they are accepted and appreciated as part of the group I am leading. This immediately takes me out of the predator category and also means that they get a feeling that they belong - which is at the core of piggy identity and social interaction. It also makes them immediately feel safe. The sounds and smell of other relaxed and happy piggies in the same household also go a long way to reassure them that there is a safe herd they can become part of as an under-group.
However be aware that babies born to highly stressed mothers not too long after their arrival in safety can set these high stress levels as their own default setting. I have adopted a number of these kinds of rescue born piggies (and some of their mother as well) over the years. While the mothers eventually relax, it is actually much harder (and in some extreme cases even impossible) to ever get fully past their default setting in their youngsters which have never experienced hardship but second-hand. A lot depends on the mothers but of course it is not a process that you can hurry on.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?
Understanding guinea pig key social behaviours: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
If you are interested, I am this year writing an article series for Guinea Pig Magazine about the different ages of guinea pigs with respect of what happens and how our way of seeing them and using them as pets can at times clash with their social wiring or where there can be areas of conflict. The more you understand where piggies are coming from, the better you can work around issues.
(#54 January: First Hours (new-borns), #55 March: Baby Days (nursing period), #56 May: School Weeks (the forgotten formative learning time between weaning and teenage), #57 July (just out): Teenage Months. The September issue is dealing with adulthoos and November with old age.
I hope that this helps you? Treat them as part of your group, tell them that they are loved and welcomed but nip any behaviours you do not want to see in the bud the way their own elders deal with it and then reasure them again that they are mist loved.
All the piggy whispering tips come from watching how my own socially most adept piggies deal with their social challenges.
