Lap time

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T&A

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Hi,
I have 2 male guinea pigs who don’t seem to enjoy lap time.
One is better than the other. One can tolerate it but will lick and nibble me after a few mins to go back to the cage and wee.
The other squeaks in displeasure and vibrates when i touch him as if to say “get off me i don’t like it”.

What can I do to help this and help my guinea pigs enjoy spending time with me?
 
It’s not something you can make them enjoy doing. Piggies generally don’t tend to like to be held and typically they are happier doing their own thing.
My piggies don’t enjoy lap time, so I just don’t do it. I sit in their shed with them and let them come to me if they want to. My enjoyment of them
comes from watching them interact with each other and providing enrichment for them to enjoy rather than them sitting with me.
 
:agr: One of my girls didn’t like being held so when I took them out, I’d put her in a cat bed next to me. She used to sometimes poke her head out but spent most of ‘lap time’ in there.

One of my current piggies screams blue murder just at holding so I don’t bother with him. He doesn’t even like being touched so I’ve left him to it. I just enjoy watching him interact with his sow friend.

It’s good they’re confident enough to let you know they don’t like it. Take that as a positive sign 🙂
 
Ok, thanks. I’ll see if he’s happy just being next to me. The difficult thing is I get done like floor time either so it’s difficult for me to engage with them in any other way
 
My piggies don’t particularly enjoy lap time so I put them on their fleece blanket beside me on the settee which they much prefer and they can just wee on the fleece and I wash it when it gets to dirty
 
A few herbs and a handful of grass can sometimes be an ice breaker. If you do it quite regular they get to know it’s great time and become quite happy around you. Have you tried him in a fleecey tunnel/or soft blanket on your lap, sometimes they feel a bit exposed
 
I sit there with them with a Muslin and pea flakes. If he’s not eating a pea flake he doesn’t want to be on my lap
 
T&A said:
I sit there with them with a Muslin and pea flakes. If he’s not eating a pea flake he doesn’t want to be on my lap
Click to expand...
Well most pets it’s cupboard love really, they actually prefer their own species. I have had three boys and all are/were cuddlers but the girls prefer to sit on a mat on the sofa than my lap
 
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None of mine are fond of lap time, or being petted at all.
They tolerate it when it’s time for health checks, or occasionally, medication.
As they are always at the bars ready to snatch food from me and will sit near the bars if I’m sitting by the cage that’s fine with me.
 
Fair enough. I’ll just accept that mine don’t like it - i just thought that all guinea pigs were able to enjoy it so wondered if i was dousing something wrong
 
I think if they come to the bars when you bring food or if you enter the room, then that is interaction and engagement for them. Remember it’s best that it’s on their terms. They have each other for that really important piggy communication etc.

I think the issue is that they are portrayed (quite often) as cuddly animals. Although you can find yourself with a cuddly piggy, the majority likely don’t like it and prefer to interact with you on their own ground and their own terms.

As said, I have one who still runs away and doesn’t like being touched at all. As soon as my hand appears in the hutch (even if it’s just in the same area), he will leg it to the other side or right at the back. Health checks are the cue for screaming blue murder and Olympic level wriggling. I’m sure the neighbours must think I’m torturing something! I have come to accept he just doesn’t like human interaction and that’s okay with me. He has a friend who he can chat to etc.

It is hard but you may just have to take them as is. You could just chat to them as you pass their cage. Or sit next to the cage and talk to them. Or even when you’re feeding them. I (and my family) found myself talking to them regularly when they still lived inside 😳😁

How long have you had them now?
 
They’re 2 years old now and i got them at 3 months old, one of my guinea pigs was always very skittish but got worse though after he had a bladder stone and we had a phase of medication and wriggling (which was a disaster in itself!). He has recovered health wise but my relationship with him has changed. My other guinea pig is better with me but will let me know if he does not like something!
 
Sounds like that’s just the way they are. I am sure they do like you, they just don’t show it in the way you want or would prefer.

Not all enjoy being touched or even held. I like that they have these large personalities in those mini bodies 😁
 
Yes, i do like sitting by their cage aswell and watching them eat or just wonder around. They do have such large personalities for such small animals 😊
 
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