I Wonder If My Ginea Pig Has Been Tortured

[AntoniaA]

Good morning and Merry Christmas!
I was wondering if one of my guinea pig has been tortured in the pet store from where we got them. So we have two baby boys since a week so far, one of them is getting pretty well with us, going out of the cage plenty of time, playing, cuddling etc. But the other one, since we have him, has been in our arms only once for literally a minute. He refuses to go out, when me or my bf tries to pick him up he SCREAMS before even being touched. It is impossible to even aproach him, and I don't think that he is just shy anymore, I think he is terryfied from us and everything around him. + He eats only hay and nothing else, refuses cucumber, carrot and an apple so far, meanwhile his brother is going well with veggies and fruits. I really need to weight him and cut his nails but it is impossible! Any tips how to make him comfortable and if he has been tortured (I hope not ) how to make him forget it and be happy it breaks my heart seeing him like this, as soon as he hears a noice he hides and his whole body pulses from fear

 

[Pawz]

I very much doubt he has been tortured, especially as you have his brother from the same source who is perfectly fine. Some piggies are just a lot more timid than others and take longer to settle down. Remember they are prey animals, right now he is just doing what he knows to do when he feels threatened or in danger.
I've handled adult foster pigs that screamed like lunatics the moment you handled or tried to handle them. They are simply not used to human contact...it got better the more they were handled but I limited it to once a day until they got less panicked and quieter.

Try picking him up inside hidey rather than just reaching in to grab him (you are a giant predatory hand). I still have a pig that HAS to be picked up while inside a hidey but once on my lap will start licking me and is perfectly calm and content. It's just different personalities and I am sure over time the little guy will get a bit less vocal about you approaching the cage. Spend some time sat close to the cage talking to them in a calm voice so that they get to know your sound when they are not out for lap time.

As far is food is concerned, my guess would be he is eating when you can't see him or when you have gone to bed. Try putting a towel over the top of the cage (but leaving the sides free so you can see in) and see if you notice him eating more from a distance.

Happy christmas.

 

[AntoniaA]

Thanks a lot, your response really helped me to calm down, I'll follow your tips and see what will happen.
Happy Christmas!

 

[flowerfairy]

Just to add that I had a guinea pig who screamed and tried to bite when I attempted to cut her nails ...

 

[sport_billy]

He wont have been tortured!

Piggies are prey animals by nature and have very string prey instincts some piggies are more terrified than others and it can take longer to gain their trust,

Do you have hideys in the cage for them? When your scared piggy is in his hidey pop the food in there for him he may feel safer eating that way, Also don't be tempted to get him out the cage yet until he settles a little more. When you do take him out use a technique like in this video

Have a read of this thread too How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Best of luck

 

[Sue and Smartie]

I've got a shouter. It's Panda and I've had him for years, he still complains a LOT when I'm clipping his nails. I'd worry now if he was quiet as I'd be thinking the worst!
To weigh a pig who doesn't like to be handled I would weigh him in the hidey. You can then weigh the hidey and subtract the weight of it from your total.
I've kept quite a few pigs over the years, some have been pretty much unhandled (and not babies either). So far I have not had one who has remained aloof forever. I expect yours will become tame, although as they are all individuals they each have different ideas about how much & what sort of contact they will be comfortable with. This is IME true for all species of pets, but half the fun of having them around is working out your relationships with them so you have this all to look forward to

 

[AntoniaA]

Thank you all for your advices! We bough them a tube and some playing balls today, Coco was weighted, his nails has been cut and he got many cuddles from us! Since then he's been playing all day and has'nt hidden too much from us. I am so happy we are getting there!

 

[Freela]

There is a wide range of normal behavior in guinea pigs as they get to know people... some are fairly bold, some are really nervous. I'm really doubting that he has been mistreated (especially given that another guinea pig from the same source is fine.) He is probably more nervous in disposition. I had one who was a shrieker- she would scream when we tried to pick her up. She is comfortable with us now, but will still shriek if she's displeased when we get her (i.e. if she was on her way to eat something and we interrupted her.) I would try regular handling in the hopes that he will get more comfortable, even if it's hard to do at first.

One medical thing I would consider would be mange mites, which can make skin very painful to touch. However, if he's squealing before you even touch him, it's probably not that.