My guinea pig was tame and now he scared of when touch him.Is he sick or am i doing something wrong?
Hi and welcome!
How long have you had your guinea pig? Is he an only guinea pig?
Guinea pigs are prey animals that live in groups and that are not wired to be on their own. When you buy a young shop guinea pig, it has first been ripped from its community at a commercial supply breeder by smelly huge predators, been transported to a pet shop, then ripped away from its new companion by more smelly huge predators to be brought into completely new and potentially hostile territory where it is being picked up and played with by yet another predator that might kill it at any minute. It feels very lost and helpless.
It is being very 'tame', following its prey animal instincts to make the predator lose interest and give it a chance to escape and hopefully find its way back home to its group - unfortunately, this is usually completely misinterpreted by their human owners who think that all the videos of cute piggies used to human interaction are not the proud end of an often lengthy process, but what they are getting right from the start!
That is very normal behaviour for guinea pigs that have had nothing in the way of human interaction before they are thrust into a home to function as an instant living cuddly toy. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that!
Your little one has recovered enough and is trusting you enough to tell you his true feelings now. That is actually progress. It is up to you to now respect his feelings and to start making friends with him by communicating in ways that he instinctively understands and not expect him to learn 'human' first.
Avoid any predatory behaviours and triggering prey instincts. Use friendly social interactive guinea pig behaviours to make friends and food to lure him out - but be patient, it is more a matter of weeks than just a few days. If you were picked up by a bear and carried away, you'd not cuddle up with him or trust him instantly, either, would you?
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig
The best gift you can make your little boy is to get him a friend for the round the clock company that he totally needs. You cannot give him several hours a day attention for the next 5-7 years to replace the 24/7 company that he needs - and
his need won't get any less on those days you haven't got the time... He will be a lot happier and healthier for it.
Two guinea pigs need about the same minimal space to stay healthy and well as just one guinea pig. they are ground roamers and need all the space they can get.
Companionship
Cage Size Guide
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Please take the time to read these guides. They are full of really helpful tips and give you a better understanding of how your boy is functioning and what his needs are.
These guides are part of our new owners' collection that address all the issues that new owners come up again most frequently. You will find it very helpful to get off to a good start and avoid some major problems later on.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides