Permanantly Scared Pigs

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Popcorning.Pigs

Popcorning.Pigs

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Hi Piggie Slaves!
Well I have had my guinea pigs for about a year now and they are very scaredy. I don't know what I should do! Any tips for keeping them calm or stopping their tendancy to be scared?
 
What do you mean by scared? Guinea pigs are prey animals and very timid creatures. In the wild they have many predators so they have learned to be nervous. Do you hold them everyday? That will help them to get used to you.
 
Like quite nervous and when I try to stroke them in their cage they run away. The seem to stay calm when I stroke them in their pigloo and house and on my lap/sofa. I don't really know what the problem is as they've always been like it/
 
That is just guinea pigs! I cannot stroke mine in their cage but when they are on my lap they are fine with being stroked.
 
I've had mine for two months now, and yesterday was the first time I have been able to stroke one in the cage...every day she eats out of my hand, and I have started reaching in when I don't have food and she thinks I do, and touch her right above her nose (if her greedy little mouth isn't too quick for me :o ) and yesterday, after about a week of this many times a day, yesterday she let me touch her forehead and then pet her behind the ears. It is very slow progress, but rewarding.

My other one is way behind in the 'calm' and trusting behavior. She runs and hides every time I get out of my chair (they are in my office) Right now I am just working on getting her to come at least 2 or 3 steps towards me for a treat from my hand. A few weeks ago, she would only stretch her head out of the pigloo, and if the treat was farther she would forfeit it rather than move out of her hidey place. So she has made progress too, but she has a LOT more road ahead of her to get to where I can touch her in the cage (she likes cuddles once she is out of the cage)
 
That sounds pretty normal. Only one of my pigs will let us pat her in her cage, and she is so laid back we sometimes have to check for a pulse! LOL! They are prey animals, their instinct is to run. My pigs have all enjoyed being patted when I'm holding them, but not if their feet are on the floor. This sounds very normal to me.
 
I think it's pretty normal for piggies to be untouchable in the cage but love to be handled once you actually have a hold of them. My 2 boys are like that. I can give one boy chin rubs in the cage but that's all. On the other hand they purr like crazy when being stroked in my lap or riding on my shouder as I'm walking about.
 
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