No Touchy!

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Bitzy&Patches

Bitzy&Patches

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello!
I'm needing some help to get my piggies comfortable with being touched. It's not just so I can have a nice lap time with them, but also to make sure they're ok and make it easier for vet checks.

I've had my piggies for almost two years now, but at the start when I first got them, I didn't get to do much taming because of where they were in my house. So their taming process was a little delayed and it took a bit longer. They moved into my room about a year and half ago and are now very tame in the no touchy way, so like coming up to the front of the cage when they see you and wheeking at you for food. They are very comfortable with me sticking my hands in their cage, they will come and lick my fingers and eat out my hands. But if I try to stroke them they'll run the opposite direction. I make sure I pre warn them and make sure that they can see me, but they really don't like it.

they will let me stroke them when they're eating hay in their litter tray and when they're having a lie down, but I'm not sure if they're letting me do it because they're too scared to move:(

I know that not every piggy likes to be touched,but I'm just wandering if there are any tips and tricks to make it more comfortable for them. I would really like to at least be able to put my finger on their head without them doing a moon walk on me:lol:

Thank you in advance!
 
Hello

Your piggies are completely normal the fact you can stroke them when eating or lying down shows they are tame and trust you completely. Believe me they would be off if they didn't want to be touched... just ask our 3 month old. So that is excellent.

A lot of piggies don't like proper strokes, some like head rubs, some like chin rubs. Some of our piggies rarely let us stoke them in cage others like Widget adore the fuss, each piggy is different. Maybe do a little more laptimes with your two to find out what they like. Start off for short amount of time at first and build up. But honestly your guys sound tame enough for vets visits etc...

Using this technique to pick them up can help
 
When you have managed to pick up your piggie you could try this..... have him/her on your tummy/chest and just very gently stroke them with your finger nail just below one eye. This is the equivalent of a guinea pig kiss. This calms my Betsy down when she is on heat (complete madam!) So much so that she really complains when I go to put her back with the others. It has been so good she no longer runs away which she did before and was almost impossible to pick up. Tried this on Meg though and it didn't work. We have fun and games when its lawn time or cuddle time and always have had with Meg. Even though I have been handling her from a few day old. I suppose it comes down to different personalities of piggies.
 
sport_billy said:
Hello

Your piggies are completely normal the fact you can stroke them when eating or lying down shows they are tame and trust you completely. Believe me they would be off if they didn't want to be touched... just ask our 3 month old. So that is excellent.

A lot of piggies don't like proper strokes, some like head rubs, some like chin rubs. Some of our piggies rarely let us stoke them in cage others like Widget adore the fuss, each piggy is different. Maybe do a little more laptimes with your two to find out what they like. Start off for short amount of time at first and build up. But honestly your guys sound tame enough for vets visits etc...

Using this technique to pick them up can help
Click to expand...
Thank you! I'll do more lap times, Bitzy doesn't like to sit still at all:'D she's a bit of a wriggler and likes to be on the move 24/7. Patches on the other hand, I think quite enjoys lap times as she does tend to pancake and stretch out a bit. And thank you for the video, I use their litter tray to pick them up and put them on the floor for floor time, so much faster!:D But thank you again!
 
Betsy said:
When you have managed to pick up your piggie you could try this..... have him/her on your tummy/chest and just very gently stroke them with your finger nail just below one eye. This is the equivalent of a guinea pig kiss. This calms my Betsy down when she is on heat (complete madam!) So much so that she really complains when I go to put her back with the others. It has been so good she no longer runs away which she did before and was almost impossible to pick up. Tried this on Meg though and it didn't work. We have fun and games when its lawn time or cuddle time and always have had with Meg. Even though I have been handling her from a few day old. I suppose it comes down to different personalities of piggies.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I'll definitely give that a go, I have never heard about that;) Thank you!
 
Bitzy&Patches said:
Hello!
I'm needing some help to get my piggies comfortable with being touched. It's not just so I can have a nice lap time with them, but also to make sure they're ok and make it easier for vet checks.

I've had my piggies for almost two years now, but at the start when I first got them, I didn't get to do much taming because of where they were in my house. So their taming process was a little delayed and it took a bit longer. They moved into my room about a year and half ago and are now very tame in the no touchy way, so like coming up to the front of the cage when they see you and wheeking at you for food. They are very comfortable with me sticking my hands in their cage, they will come and lick my fingers and eat out my hands. But if I try to stroke them they'll run the opposite direction. I make sure I pre warn them and make sure that they can see me, but they really don't like it.

they will let me stroke them when they're eating hay in their litter tray and when they're having a lie down, but I'm not sure if they're letting me do it because they're too scared to move:(

I know that not every piggy likes to be touched,but I'm just wandering if there are any tips and tricks to make it more comfortable for them. I would really like to at least be able to put my finger on their head without them doing a moon walk on me:lol:

Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
I have it similar to you.
 
If a piggy is still eating I wouldn't call it scared so I'm sure you're fine! It's always difficult to get them 100% comfortable and some come along quicker than others.

Of my four they all rank in "tameness" if you will, Bella (who would let me do anything to her), Cissy (who decides when/where she would like to be touched and picked up), Drommy (who's younger, will now allow to be stroked in an open cage if there's food around) and my Tonks (who's also younger and with a blind eye, you cannot touch or pick up and will run head first into everything to get away from you, but she will meet me at the bars now, take food from an open cage and has the LOUDEST shrill wheek is the world!), she's coming along very slowly but surely.

I wouldn't feel too disheartened, it's difficult but there's something quite magical about being accepted and trusted by an animal and it will come in time. When they're ready of course!

The best thing I found was to sit with them in their run, let them explore you while you read a book or something. And fiddling with their hay creates curiosity and a weird bond with my lot. Probably wondering what that strange 2 legged thing is doing with their food, feel sorry for it and accept it into the herd :))
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
If a piggy is still eating I wouldn't call it scared so I'm sure you're fine! It's always difficult to get them 100% comfortable and some come along quicker than others.

Of my four they all rank in "tameness" if you will, Bella (who would let me do anything to her), Cissy (who decides when/where she would like to be touched and picked up), Drommy (who's younger, will now allow to be stroked in an open cage if there's food around) and my Tonks (who's also younger and with a blind eye, you cannot touch or pick up and will run head first into everything to get away from you, but she will meet me at the bars now, take food from an open cage and has the LOUDEST shrill wheek is the world!), she's coming along very slowly but surely.

I wouldn't feel too disheartened, it's difficult but there's something quite magical about being accepted and trusted by an animal and it will come in time. When they're ready of course!

The best thing I found was to sit with them in their run, let them explore you while you read a book or something. And fiddling with their hay creates curiosity and a weird bond with my lot. Probably wondering what that strange 2 legged thing is doing with their food, feel sorry for it and accept it into the herd :))
Click to expand...
Thank you:) Yes it was lovely when they both started licking my fingers, I literally squealed with excitement:D it was so nice! and maybe they did feel sorry for the 2 legged thingxD
 
Bitzy&Patches said:
Thank you:) Yes it was lovely when they both started licking my fingers, I literally squealed with excitement:D it was so nice! and maybe they did feel sorry for the 2 legged thingxD
Click to expand...

I love me a piggy lick! :drool:

Sometimes I'll catch one of the pigs looking at me, and I think they know that we humans are an inferior species so they feel sorry for us, adopt us and give our lives purpose. Which is bringing them food, cleaning their many many poos and entertaining them!
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
I love me a piggy lick! :drool:

Sometimes I'll catch one of the pigs looking at me, and I think they know that we humans are an inferior species so they feel sorry for us, adopt us and give our lives purpose. Which is bringing them food, cleaning their many many poos and entertaining them!
Click to expand...
haha piggy licks are just the best! and yes we must treat them like gods and goddesses, that is what we're meant for in a piggies eyes:D
 
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