Piggies are scared

[Kevin_Haae]

so, I asked a bit about this already, but I didn't get any solid answers and I wanna add more info. So I got piggies and have had them for a bit now, and while they've gotten a bit more comfortable with me, they're still very scared. I want to be able to hold them, simply so I can in the very least transfer them out of their cage to a play pen, but when I approach the cage, they simply run and hide in their hutch. If I remove the hutch (like when i go to remove them to clean their cage) they run around and seem very afraid. The closest I've ever gotten to holding them is when I remove them from the cage to clean it, which involves putting a box in there and allowing them to run into it, then picking the box up. But when I do that, they seem very scared and the one time I did try to actually hold one, she squirmed and tried to run. Don't get me wrong, I am not forcing them to be held, that was a one time thing and it was just in hopes of making it less stressful for cleaning time.

I do want to be able to bond with my piggies though and have lap time with them though.

I've read posts here and have done everything I can so far. I've crouched down and imitated piggy behavior, but they just stare blankly and don't actually react to it as I was told they would. they still sometimes refuse to eat from my hands, and I'm not quite sure what to do. My dad tells me to just hold them anyways and they'll eventually learn that I'm not going to hurt them and calm down, but I really dont think that's a good way to go about it at all. Either way, I'd love some tips on how to get my piggies to bond with me a bit more. I know they're prey animals and may always run, but I do see a lot of peoples piggies eagerly enjoy laptime and run to the front of the cage when their owners come in, and that's what I'm hoping to eventually achieve.

 

[Merab]

It’s tough when you try to do everything right and it doesn’t work as you hope.
If it’s any consolation I have two 3 year olds who still hate being picked up and laptime is a definite no- no for them.
I accept that these two will never willingly let me cuddle them but they did come to accept gentle strokes in the cage and now they grab food from my hand.
Having said that there are still occasions when my approach is a signal to run for cover.
It really does a lot of time and patience with piggies.
They all have different personalities too.
Sorry - that’s probably not a full answer for you.
Just love them.

 

[Kevin_Haae]

It’s tough when you try to do everything right and it doesn’t work as you hope.
If it’s any consolation I have two 3 year olds who still hate being picked up and laptime is a definite no- no for them.
I accept that these two will never willingly let me cuddle them but they did come to accept gentle strokes in the cage and now they grab food from my hand.
Having said that there are still occasions when my approach is a signal to run for cover.
It really does a lot of time and patience with piggies.
They all have different personalities too.
Sorry - that’s probably not a full answer for you.
Just love them.

aha thank you regardless! i understand thats definitely a possibility. honestly even if i COULD just pet or hand feed them i'd be happy! but sadly they only take food from my hand very rarely if theyre hidden in their hide, and pets are an absolute no unless its when its cleaning time (and thats just because they cant run lol) I just want them to know I'm not going to hurt them. regardless, i feed them well and they popcorn quite often, so i think they're happy ~

 

[Guineautopia]

Hi,
How old are your piggies and how long have you had them?

 

[Kevin_Haae]

Hi,
How old are your piggies and how long have you had them?

I'mma be honest, theres literally no piggy rescue places around me, so I bought them from a petstore I would of preferred to adopt, but it's not an option here. So I don't actually know how old they are but I could contact the store and see if I can find out their ages. I'm going to assume young adults though. And I bought them on 3/16/2018, so i've had them for a little over 2 months.

 

[Merab]

It sounds as if they are no more than 5 months old and would have been babies when you bought them.
You are not the only member on the forum with pet shop piggies as not everyone has access to good rescues.
However, pet shops are not always the best environments for small animals and they can be very scared and stressed when they are brought to a new home.
You have to remember that they would have been removed from mum and their first home, stuck in the pet shop and then again moved to your house.

You know that you love them but they will need a lot of quiet and gentle patience before they learn to trust you.

None of what we do to reassure nervous and scared piggies is a quick fix.
You clearly want to do your best for them and the best you do is offer a safe environment- a place where they have plenty of food and shelter and where nothing triggers their natural instinct to hide.
For a prey animal their default reaction is “I’m lunch” so they try to avoid that.

You, as an intelligent and caring human are the one who has to exercise patience and understanding with them.

 

[Siikibam]

You will just have to be patient with them. Talk to them as you enter the room they're in so they can get used to your voice. And if you're feeding them or cleaning them out tell them what you're doing and talk to them as you do it. A predator will not alert its' presence. As for hand feeding them, that also takes time. If they're taking it from your hands that's good, even though they hide. Maybe keep doing that and one day hold your hand a little further from their hide and see if they will come out and get it. Do you put their veg in a bowl or do you hand feed them everything? Maybe put the bowl(s) elsewhere with the veg in it and wait to see if they'll come out to eat. One of mine took a while to eat out in the open while the other was eating from my hand within a week or two.

Someone posted a video a while ago on how to pick up your guinea pig. Keep doing it with the boxes. Mine still don't like being picked up - they scream blue murder although Fudge will sometimes stay still while i pick him up. If I'm taking them out I use a hidey I sewed. Normall when I put it in the cage they will walk into it. I think it's also suggested you hold them every day for a short while and build up. Another thing you could do is to wrap them in a fleece when holding them.

You've only had them for 2 months, just keep doing as you are. I've had mine...9 months. They will come up to the bars when I walk past and want to be stroked, and will let the kids and husband stroke them as well (though with the latter Fudge sometimes doesn't!). Toffee used to act what I'd call 'jealous' if I was stroking Fudge - basically chatter his teeth at me till I stroked him again They will wheek if anyone opens the fridge door, or they hear someone (more often me or sometimes the kids) walking down the stairs in the morning. All this has taken time and patience. Another thing someone else said they do (not sure on here or another forum) is they take out the hides during the day so they get used to being out in the open. I now do that with my boys - I take their boxes out during the day and put them back when we're going to bed.

Sorry for such a long-winded reply, I just wanted to give you examples. Keep at it and be patient. I would love to one day be able to pick mine up by hand without them screaming at me, but I know that will take some time. Enjoy the trust they have in you now and just try to foster a closer relationship to them.

Bit of an essay

 

[MacK]

I understand where you are coming from. I bought my first guy and he warmed up pretty fast he still doesn't love being picked up but when he lets me he is very playful with me sometimes so much his little kisses and nips went rough lol. I've noticed though since I got him a little friend he doesn't like to be picked up as much as before (Daggit the younger one still runs when I try to pick him up) maybe because the younger one is scared and Norm is being protective. Honestly most of the time I just pick them up after sitting on the floor and getting somewhat on their level (might not be the best idea, but I'm not VERy patient but once I have them out especially together they play with each other and play and climb on me). I have found out guinea pigs need a lot of patience and time and I was pretty lucky to have such a good boar first and now he is teaching the little guy, but they are very skiddish animals period after reading on the forum for months I have figured out that they will still get scared even after you have had them for years. My honest suggestion would be to pick them up together and put them on your couch or somewhere they can't run off of and sit with them with food eventually they will explore you because you are sitting with them and aren't a threat, and they will associate you with food and know they aren't in danger. Once they start to eat treats on the couch slowly try to pet them as they are snacking (this is what I do) if they eventually let you pet them while eating you are off to a good start. Once again I am no expert by any means.

 

[Kevin_Haae]

It sounds as if they are no more than 5 months old and would have been babies when you bought them.
You are not the only member on the forum with pet shop piggies as not everyone has access to good rescues.
However, pet shops are not always the best environments for small animals and they can be very scared and stressed when they are brought to a new home.
You have to remember that they would have been removed from mum and their first home, stuck in the pet shop and then again moved to your house.

You know that you love them but they will need a lot of quiet and gentle patience before they learn to trust you.

None of what we do to reassure nervous and scared piggies is a quick fix.
You clearly want to do your best for them and the best you do is offer a safe environment- a place where they have plenty of food and shelter and where nothing triggers their natural instinct to hide.
For a prey animal their default reaction is “I’m lunch” so they try to avoid that.

You, as an intelligent and caring human are the one who has to exercise patience and understanding with them.

Aww thank you for the encouragement! I was really, really worried people would think I was being a bad owner, but it seems nobody thinks that. I really just want whats best for them and for them to feel comfortable with me. right now, they can leave the hide and run around and have fun while I'm sitting on my bed about 6 feet away, but if i leave my bed they run. same with if i enter/exit my room. though they have made progress! Nikki has allowed me to pet her while she's eating before, and max will occasionally smell me filling their trough and run out. But then gets scared an runs away lol

I definitely know it was stressful for them. I actually scolded the girl at the petstore a bit cause when she picked them up, she just sorta cornered them and grabbed them :/ I was not at all pleased. I always use a box and coax my piggies in so they feel more safe. Honestly? as bad as I feel at times for buying petstore piggies, I still like to think they're happier where they are now then being in there. The cage they're in isn't the best size, but it's at least double what they used to be in. And they popcorn at least once a day, so I know they're happy!

Do you put their veg in a bowl or do you hand feed them everything? Maybe put the bowl(s) elsewhere with the veg in it and wait to see if they'll come out to eat.

I put the veggies in a bowl and i put it outside the hide. They DEFINITELY run out to eat their veggies! Weirdly enough, they wont eat veggies from my hand. Only hay so far. But I hope to be able to get them to associate me with food more so they feel safer. I try my best to softly talk to them and just repeat 'it's okay, it's okay' when I'm with them so they get used to that phrase and associate it with safety. I heard that some piggie owners will do that and the pigs when scared will calm down when they hear the phrase be said, or get excited because they know it means food.

My honest suggestion would be to pick them up together and put them on your couch or somewhere they can't run off of and sit with them with food eventually they will explore you because you are sitting with them and aren't a threat, and they will associate you with food and know they aren't in danger. Once they start to eat treats on the couch slowly try to pet them as they are snacking (this is what I do) if they eventually let you pet them while eating you are off to a good start. Once again I am no expert by any means.

Thanks for the suggestion! I think I'm going to buy a little playpen big enough for me to sit in, and put them in it with me and let them explore and run around while I'm there so they slowly become more comfortable. Anybody got recommendations for piggy pen brands or do you think anything will work? such as something like this?

I am not super rich so I would like to get something 20$ or under, if possible;;