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I Just Don't Understand My Guinea Pig

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funkadelicfred

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This is my second pig but he seems to be so different from my first. I have had him since he was little so about 6 months or so now but he doesn't seem to be bonding to me at all. He only comes to greet me when I have vegetables for him and then he snatches them and backs off, if I take him out of his cage he just sits there and does nothing and eventually will pee on the ground and start to chatter at me. He doesn't seem to like me petting him or touching him and he doesn't make much noise at all, just a few squeaks when he wants green pepper. Does anyone else have experience with a difficult pig like this? I know that they all have their own individual personalities but despite all the time and attention I pay to him, he doesn't seem to be liking me any better and I'm not sure if he ever will.
 
Please don't be disheartened. Is he a single guinea pig? If so, have you thought about getting him a friend? Guinea pigs are heard animals and prefer to live with there own kind. Boars in same sexed pairs unless they are neutered and then one neutered boy can live with one or more girls.

It isn't that he doesn't like you. I am sure he loves you very much.

It sounds more likely to me that he is wary and unsure and may be he would like a friend :)

I had a single girl as my first guinea pig and when I introduced her to a friend (Eliza), the change in her was amazing. She became much more vocal, outgoing and generally happier as soon as she was living with Eliza.
 
Yes, he is single. He used to have a friend in the cage beside him, they were together maybe 4 months when the other one died so now he's alone. I haven't got him a replacement friend yet because of unsure conditions(moving from town and such) but I am thinking about it.
 
May be he could be grieving still for his friend.

It is good that you are thinking about getting him another friend but I understand why may be now isn't the right time.

It sounds more like loneliness to me rather than him not liking you.

Do you have a soft toy you could let him have for now? Either remove the plastic eyes or buy one that doesn't have plastic eyes sewn on. One that is suitable for babies. I know a few people who have lone piggies have done this.
 
Did he behave the same way when he had a friend? My pigs were very withdrawn and/or fearful when they were on their own. Their personalities really shone when they had company. To me, the grabbing food and backing off sounds like anxiety and the reluctance to do anything out of the cage sounds like either fear or boredom. Was he more outgoing or confident with company before?
 
My late Bea was like this when I got her for quite a while. It really took a long time to build trust with her but I put that down to getting her at 2+ years from a rescue and I think she had an unfortunate previous owner who neglected her. I would look at getting him a friend and letting him build his confidence and social skills and I'm sure you'll see a difference
 
I agree, I think that he is withdrawn because he is lonely. They really need company.
 
They never interacted too much before because they were in different cages and only were together for a few months and he has acted pretty well the same way his whole life. Is loneliness something that only another guinea pig, not human interaction, would help?
 
I think so, guinea pig characters really do sparkle when they have a friend. They just (mostly) dont seem to function at all well on their own. There is the odd person who has a happy lone piggie but generally they need company of their own kind or they get depressed.
 
How old is he now? Could he see the other pig when you had a second (I know you said different cages, but could they interact through the bars?) How long have you had him? Just asking some more questions so I can kind of try to theorize more. I still think he may be lonely and/or fearful, but then again not all guinea pigs want to be handled or want to be 'lap pigs.'
 
You may find this thread here helpful in building up your interaction: https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/forums/new-and-wannabe-guinea-pig-owners-corner.52/

IN the Long term, having piggy Company round the clock is what he Needs most. Which Country are you in? Your Options in that respect depend very much on your local possibilities. As we are dealing with People from all over the world, we can help you find the best and safest possibilities for you if you please added your Country, state or (for the UK) your County to your Details so we can always adapt any advice and recommendations as to what is possible/available to you straight away.
 
Thanks for the links. Just earlier I was walking by his cage and I went to eye height with him and he started chattering me he came up to me at the cage door and allowed me to scratch his nose and his ears but he was still chattering mildly although he seemed to enjoy it and made no effort to bite or run away. Can anyone explain this behaviour?
 
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