I got 2 new female piggies 4 days ago from a pet store. They are going to be from santa. We wanted to give them a week to adjust before christmas. First 2 days we left them alone except to sweep the cage and feed them. They still won't come out of hiding for us. I have not picked them up. I talk sweetly to them as i do their cage. I tried putting my hand in the cage with a green pepper and just put it on the cage floor. I did not put my hand in their face. I was patiently waiting for them to come to me. I sat with my hand in the cage very still for about 1/2hour and they still stood like statues. I did not make eye contact. I did talk lowly as i was there so they would not see me as a predator. I kept as low as i could so i did not tower over them. They really do not like it when i am in the room. I thought in 4days they would have settled a bit more to where they would at least come out of hiding when i was in the room. I am worried they just are not settling in. Most sites say by now they will not be hiding. I am trying not to rush things and scare them. Can you please tell me timelines for how long it took your piggies to adjust?
New Pigs Not Settling In
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piggieminder
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Every piggy is different but 4 days is very early. After a year one of mine will run and hide every time we go into the room, the other one will stay out if we move very slowly and talk quietly. It took a couple of months for them to come up to my hand and take food out of it, they do both sit by their nugget bowls in the morning while I put my hand in the cage and pour the nuggets in. They do both come out and run around once we sit down and stop moving around the house in the evening but that took months to achieve. When I've had older rescue piggies they have only taken a week or two to get used to me but these babies are very nervous. There are sticky threads in the behaviour and bonding section that may help you, sorry I don't know how to post a link for you I'm not very technically minded!
Caron's Cavies
Adult Guinea Pig
Yes I am sorry to say but 4 days for new piggies and especially young ones is not very long at all.
Even now with all my piggies who range in age from about 6 months to 18 months when you enter the room they tend to hide until they hear the rustling of the bags of coriander or kale etc and then they all tend to come out wheeking for food. Some of them run away again when you go to put it in the cage and come out once I take my hand out of the cage. Others will gladly take the food out of my hand.
You just need to carry on as normal and they will in their own time get used to the normal household sounds and people. Take them out and give them lap time and cuddles and floortime and they will start to learn the routine.
Every piggy has a different personality just like us 'hoomans' so you may find one will always be timid or even both. That is the pleasure of having them is getting to know them just like they are getting to know you.
They are never going to be like a dog for instance who will pretty much trust you from the word go but they still bring much love and joy and laughter into the home.
Good luck and I hope you will find the different threads available on this forum helpful as well.
Even now with all my piggies who range in age from about 6 months to 18 months when you enter the room they tend to hide until they hear the rustling of the bags of coriander or kale etc and then they all tend to come out wheeking for food. Some of them run away again when you go to put it in the cage and come out once I take my hand out of the cage. Others will gladly take the food out of my hand.
You just need to carry on as normal and they will in their own time get used to the normal household sounds and people. Take them out and give them lap time and cuddles and floortime and they will start to learn the routine.
Every piggy has a different personality just like us 'hoomans' so you may find one will always be timid or even both. That is the pleasure of having them is getting to know them just like they are getting to know you.
They are never going to be like a dog for instance who will pretty much trust you from the word go but they still bring much love and joy and laughter into the home.
Good luck and I hope you will find the different threads available on this forum helpful as well.
How long depends on how much they are used to human interaction. Guinea pigs are prey animals; they are not born as cuddly toys. it usually takes weeks for them to settle in fully and to learn to trust humans.
You may find the threads in our beginners kit helpful, as they guide you on how to avoid appearing as a predator and teach you how to use guinea pig body language to make friends. " Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners
I'm afraid some piggies are "naturals" at human interaction and others take much longer to come round. They are prey animals. Patience, kindness and bribery with veggies will almost always win them round in the end but you have to be prepared to play the long game.
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I can only agree with the other comments, it really depends on the pigs. Sometimes it can take months, but patience is absolutely key but it is so rewarding eventually.
Guinea pigs are cautious animals- they are prey animals by nature and are going to be wary. It takes them some time to feel safe, and 4 days in guinea pig time is not very long. I know the last time we introduced a new pig, she was clearly petrified of us for at least the first two weeks or so. After that, she gradually came out of her shell. The more you are in and out of the room without anything bad happening to them, the more comfortable they will be with your presence. Also, the more they are exposed to normal household sounds and activities, the more they will adapt to them. My pigs are in the family room and are by now used to the sound of people talking, people walking/running around, TV, etc. I've found it has helped to have them in an active area, as they get used to household noise. They will get there eventually, but it does take time for them to get their confidence up and you will probably see their comfort level slowly go up over the first few months. If it's any consolation, the two pigs I have right now started out extremely fearful, and they are now both big food-mooching lap pets. It just takes time.
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