newbie

[dondon]

hi all my names donna and I'm new to guinea pig world, i bought 2 baby males on sunday who ive named elvis and sid,I'm lookin for abit off info about when i can hold them has i was advised to leave them alone for 48 hours, and also wen i do go near there cage they move so fast , also what are the chances off them biting me or my son has hes abit scared off them has all weve been told since we had them is they are horrible rodents and just bite i want them has family pets but just abit unsure where to start with them x

 

[Guineapigs4life]

Hi and welcome to the forum!, guinea pigs are the complete opposite to what you have heard and with patience can become very loveable, friendly pets. Guinea pigs rarely bite, if they ever do it might be have been an accident, where they smelt food on your hands and thought it was food for them, or an underlying illness. For example some types of mites, can cause pain for piggies and make them bite.

You are doing the right thing by letting them settle for a little while, try sitting next to their cage and gently talking to them. I have found if you reach your hand in the cage, and leave it there, piggies get curious eventually and come to sniff your hands. By hand feeding them their veggies, they should eventually start coming to your hands to take the food. This can help you to build a bond with your guinea pigs. Good luck with your piggies and pigtures are appreciated.

 

[welshwonderful]

Hiya and a warm welcome, I agree with the previous post about you been given wrong advice. We first got 2 of ours 20mths ago and like yourself, i was really unsure and heard a lot of negative things about piggies, but its a load of tosh. Piggies are the most friendliest of companions. When and if a piggy nips its usually after they have issued you several warnings and you have ignored them. Take your time with them, let them become curious about you (because they will believe me), let them dictate the time scale. I found putting an old t-shirt that i had worn briefly but hadn't washed in the cage with them, so that they got used to my scent. Also as soon as i was within ear shot of them i always started talking to them, so they wasn't scared by hearing a close up voice coming out of nowhere. Take your time, enjoy getting to know each other and you will all be just fine. Please remember you will always have the kind people on here if ever you need them. Good luck Nicola x

 

[dondon]

thankyou both for advice, ive been lookin around on this forum and they do seem lovley entertaining little rascals lol. ive sat talkin to them this morning and they came to say hello so thats a good start, when shall i try and pick them up and give them a fuss, and are they better indoors or out i have got mine in my garden ive only got a small garden and my back door is open all the time so they can see and hear me but worry there out there x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Give your guinea pigs time to get their bearings and settle in, but at the same time establish a firm daily routine so they can learn what is expected of them. Hang around the cage and talk to them lots, so they get used to you (even if it is from the safety of a hidey at first); a predator that is making noises is not hunting! Be encouraging and praise your little boys lavishly for every little succes like you would a small dog.

You need to be aware that unlike guinea pigs from a good rescue, shop piggies have had no friendly human contact, so in addition to being separated from their family and mates, they have to deal with a new home and living with huge potential predators - that is a big ask for prey animals!

Guinea pigs will mainly bite in self defense if they are handled very roughly and feel threatened for their lives. If you get them used to your hands bringing nice food and tidying up their cage first, you won't have that problem.

Train them with a little veg treat and a specific call to come into some kind of pickup conveyance (a tunnel, cosy, padded shoebox with one side cut of etc.), so you do not have to chase them around and upset them - while guinea pigs generally don;t mind being held, picking up is cutting too close to comfort for most of them. That may take some time, but it is worth it in terms of winning their trust quicker by stressing them out less!

A few piggies may try to tweak you, often when they need to go back to the cage for a pee, but they can be taught firmly but calmly that this is not the way to catch attention and they will usually stop quickly and find another way to tell you (usually by squirming or in some cases by tugging on your clothing). I have a special "uh uh uh" to express my displeasure and to tell a piggy that something is just not done.

Here are more tips on how to settle nervous new piggies: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239

You can learn more about the best way to keep boars in our "boar guide" in the behaviour section; further links in there will also help you to read their behaviour.

 

[welshwonderful]

Sounds like your off to a fab start. As for when you can start to pick them up, really comes down to you. If they sense that your nervous, that makes them wary. Like the previous post says, start slow. I've had my wee 4 girls now for 2 months and like yours they were shop bought. I don't pick them up often (my daughter does as shes the one whose job it is to groom all the animals in the house), I tend to lay my hand flat down in their enclosure and let them come and good sniff round. On sunday Meadow and Daffodil (the other 2 are called Bella and Trixie) was fed up with my flat hand and was nuzzling me to move it to make a tunnel for them which they really enjoyed running through. And then this morning at breakfast Daffodil came straight up to my hand, got me to turn it over and sat on my hand so i could pick her up. I am still grinning like a cheshire cat now. Take your time, let them get to know you and you them and then things will happen naturally. Nicola x

 

[AudioHeart]

Hello and a big warm welcome to the forum

 

[dondon]

thankyou all, i got my boys from a breeder not a shop, she said that her 6 year old handled the boys daily so they are use to human contact but i think because there so quick and run when i open the door to there hutch i think there scared but after readin a few posts i get the impression thats what there like anyway, one of my boys did feed out off my hand today which I'm really pleased about, i might try and pick them up tomorrow has if there used to bein picked up and then suddenly there not i dont no if that would make them mardy xx