• DONATIONS NOW OPEN! TGPF relies on donations to run. If you'd like to donate towards running costs you can find out more HERE
  • Fresh grass and lawn tips to avoid springtime deaths Click here for details

My new guinea pig (pics)! (and I have a question!)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jaclyn23
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jaclyn23

Here's Trixie =]

trix1zl1.jpg


trix2nz2.jpg


trix3uy9.gif




Hi I'm new here.... :embarassed:
I got a new guinea pig yesterday, and named her Trixie :smitten:

She's very shy and sweat.... but she's so afraid of me! is there anything I can do to get her to trust and know me better? Everytime I try to pet her, she runs, jumps, or just plain freaks out! I want her to feel comfortable in her new home.... But I also want her to get used to me and other people (she's still pretty young) any tips? WHAT DO I DO!
 
First off - welcome to the forum! Trixie is incredibly gorgeous! I just love her colouring and markings! :smitten:

The best thing I can suggest is tempting her with veggie treats in your hand - your Trixie will soon learn you are a wonderful source of treats and will become less nervous. Some piggies are just generally skittish though, but veggies as a bribe are a good idea and the best place to start when building up a friendship with your new piggie.

Good luck! :)
 
thanks =].. This forum seems so much nicer than another one I was on, Everyone else kept saying to just pet her... but she wont let me so to start out, food is a great idea. Thanks =]. Is that the only trick?
 
It's the only one I know of - all piggies seem to care about is eating, eating and more eating! If you give her a veggie and she seems confident, you could try reaching over slowly (any quick movements will send her scattering - but you've probably already noticed this!) and try stroking her ears - most pigs love this. Just increase the amount of contact gradually. You'll find most pigs don't like being picked up but once they are in your arms they're fine - if she continues to struggle when you pick her up I would just put her down again and try again another day.

Hope this is of some use to you :) (and this is a lovely forum! O0 )
 
Aww lovely! I agree with Cobweb just offer food off the hand and I found talking to a pig a good help. Petting does help and giving cuddles, she will come around in her own time. :)

Good luck!

Louise
:)
 
Hi welcome to the forum! Trixie is beautiful :) with mine i just left them for a day to get used to the cage and then gave them lots of veggies :) i no you feel mean but chasing them round the cage and holding them is the only way to start with, she may seem frightened at first but she'll get used to you. I used to put grass ( a big favourite with piggies) on a pillow on my knee then just leave them there to eat it n put the odd stroke in :) don't be disheartened if she doesn't eat any at first, she'll soon get used to you! Keep us posted on how she's doing and if you have any questions just ask, everyone is really friendly and helpful on here
Love Emma x

PS have you thought of getting her a friend? It might help her to settle in if she has someone to talk to when your not around, but don't worry if you can't, she'l still settle in fine x
 
guinea pigs take a long time (generally) to get used to us, they are a prey animal so they will run and hide, some get over this and will come to greet you once they know you, and some continue to run and hide, but they all love their cuddles once you pick them up. Be patient and in time it will get better x welcome
 
hah I've seen this forum to be WAAAAAAAAAAY better. Thanks for your advice. Well she does eat a lot so I'm guessing bribing food is a good starter ;)... I'll try petting her ears once I get the food thing down, cause she's so skittish! lol.
 
She is lovely, congrats on your new addition!
A good way to get her used to you is as people have said talk to her softly, approach the cage from the side whilst talking softly so she can see you coming as opposed to appearing from above as this frightens them! Tempt her with veg from your hand, eventually she will take them. At first she will run off with it but give it time. If you have another person, get her out and sit opposite the other person with your legs straight out like scissors, feet touching and put her in the middle. Have veg to hand!
Mine were all very skittish to start with and I have been rewarded by my patience and if they want to be left alone, I always let them be :)
 
She's lovely !

I am trying to gain the trust of my piggies too so I am in this with you! lol

Good luck! - Food seems to be the way to go! ;) :D
 
Awww, she's gorgeous. I found the best way with mine was to put a towel on my knee and half cover them up so they felt as tho they were hiding, but they could obviously still see me. I would then get some of their fave food and offer it to them it took a while before they felt brave enough to get it, but they soon realised that the big scary hand wasn't as scary as they first thought! It really is so rewarding when they do trust you enough to stroke them and have them on your lap. I love it when mine get so comfy they sprawl their back legs out and look like they've been run over by a steam roller ;D

Patience is a vitue so I'm told ;)
 
Oh, I thought of something I should have mentioned - sorry if you already know this. Most piggies dislike you going near their bottom, sorry for the way this sounds! I mean that if you are stroking her, it's best to stop at the middle of her back and then go back to the top of her head. Hope this makes sense?
:)
 
aww she is ssooooooooo GORGEOUS! me want to piggynap her. :laugh: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
it is normal for your piggie to be a bit scared of you to start with, it's just normal. yeah,as ralfie said, i think the towel method is good, and as cobwebandpigpig said guineas usually dislike their bottom being touched, and who can blame them :) i've got a question for you too ;D sorry if it's a bit nosy, but what have you got on the bottom of her cage? it looks really nice and snuggly. O0 :)
 
Welcome to the forum :) I know there is some good advice here, just wanted to add that don't get disheartened if it takes a while, it probably won't happen in a week, it can take ages for them to get used to us. A piggie friend for her will help get her confidence up as well, they are very sociable creatures and really come out of themselves with company :) Good luck and try not to worry!
 
cavy love said:
aww she is ssooooooooo GORGEOUS! me want to piggynap her. :laugh: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
it is normal for your piggie to be a bit scared of you to start with, it's just normal. yeah,as ralfie said, i think the towel method is good, and as cobwebandpigpig said guineas usually dislike their bottom being touched, and who can blame them :) i've got a question for you too ;D sorry if it's a bit nosy, but what have you got on the bottom of her cage? it looks really nice and snuggly. O0 :)
Click to expand...

I found it at my local pet store, it's called softsorb or something =]... of course I got unscented though =P... I can't believe they sold lavender scented bedding! BLAH that can't be good for a piggy. I have another question, when Trixie eats and drinks her water (which it seems like she eats and drinks a lot lol) afterwords she's all over the place! She'll run and jump, twirl around and roll around in her bedding.... is that normal? Like is she playing or just freaking out? I think it's good she has a bunch of energy but I want to know if she's playing or spazzing lol..
 
Mine do look a bit possessed sometimes they run and jump and throw themselves around, that's called popcorning and it means they're happy! But mine have never rolled in their bedding so not sure about that lol, someone elses may have though! x
 
Yeah its absolutely normal, Its a good sign and they are very happy - Mine jump around and twist their head and roll in their bedding too :D
 
awww =].. well at least that means she's probably getting used to her cage by now... thanks lol I thought she was mental or something lol... I didn't know what that was called but she goes all over the place after she eats her hay! Hopefully I'll be able to pick her up tomorrow, I didn't know they hated having their tiny butts touched =P. I'll try to touch her by her head/middle back. I'm always afraid she'll nip me though! although that's never happened... she's just very shy. She loves this one corner in her cage (I guess she feels safe there).... but today she's been doing great! she's actually sleeping in her igloo, and today I offered her pieces of cucumber (although she didn't like them)... then I left her cage door open to see if she'd come near me, she didn't really bother coming to me..... but she did eat when I was in front of her, and she did actually get close to the door when it was open... so maybe she's trusting me a bit more. What kind of veggies or fruits do they enjoy I want a FULL list =].
 
Hi, all guinea pigs are naturally scared but some do get alot more tamer and most of the time they never bite - Mine lick my fingers and nibble them if you let them near your fingers but mine never bite.

Oh and heres a list of what foods they can or cannot have they were already on this forum so people dont have to keep adding what foods they like or dislike - Take a look

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=47.0 ;)
 
I put a plush dog toy in Trixie's cage, it's kinda hairy on the tail.... she seems to nibble on the hair/eyes of the toy, and kinda (I think)tries to drag it around (she'll pull at it). Will the hair on the toy hurt her? Also when I talk to her and open the cage she now looks at me and some what comes out of her little corner (peeps her head out).... is that a good sign that she's trusting me? (I know I ask a LOT of questions lol)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top