Scared Piggies.

NomNom

NomNom

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Hello, I just joined after getting guinea pigs. I have only had them both for four days. I worry I am a bad owner already because everything I do seems to scare them. Opening my door scares them. Putting in Hay scares them. Even placing veggies down scares them. If I walk by the cage they flee as well. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?
 
Totally normal it is a brand new enviroment they are having to adjust to. Plus piggles are prey animals so they will hide if they feel scared. Few little tips for you. Every time you go in the room talk to them let them learn your voice. Put your hand in the cage and let them smell you and learn your scent.

Also try to hand feed them some vegies so they learn to trust you. And give them plenty of cuddles.

Dont panic you are doing nothing wrong.
 
Settling in & Human Interaction Guides
First of all welcome to the forum, you will find lots of help here.
You may find the above guide helpful. If you go to the Guinea Pig Guides section on the green bar at the top there are loads more threads with helpful hints and information. Lots of interesting reading, I've had guinea pigs for a long time now but I dip in and out of these guides frequently to refresh my memory!
 
NomNom said:
Hello, I just joined after getting guinea pigs. I have only had them both for four days. I worry I am a bad owner already because everything I do seems to scare them. Opening my door scares them. Putting in Hay scares them. Even placing veggies down scares them. If I walk by the cage they flee as well. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?
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Hi and welcome

You are not a bad owner!

Contrary to wide-spread and perpetuated assumptions, guinea pigs are unfortuantely prey animals that in most cases have not had anything in the way of friendly human interaction before they were ripped away from their families to be sold as pets by a shop or a for sale breeder. They are NOT natural instant cuddly pets. If you had wanted that, we'd have sent you to one of our recommended rescues that only adopt out guinea pigs that are used to human handling. ;)

Please give your piggies time to get their bearings in their new home that is still very frightening for them with all the new noises, smells and large meat-eating predators.

Please take the time to read these guides that contain all the tips on how you can avoid predatory behaviours and help to settle in your piggies in order to make friends with them in ways that they instinctively understand. That is not a quick process; it takes usually a lot longer than many people expect! But it is always worth it!

You will hopefully find these guides here very helpful - we have compiled what is really working in our own long term experience on this forum.
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

These guides are part of our practical information bundle that addresses all the areas that new owners ask the most questions about and that are combining them with some vital advice that can avoid problems in the longer term.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
As above on advice.
Mine are all well settled and tame but will still take fright for no apparent reason and flee for cover.
They will settle with time, gentleness and patience.
It will be nice to see pictures of them.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum! Lots of great advice above!

Piggies are prey animals so it can take a while to gain their trust and it is very early days for your little ones yet.

You are not a bad owner at all, we have all been where you are. I had to set a video camera up to see my first two piggies as they always hid when we first had them :)) They settled really well after a few weeks.


We always start off after 2 weeks by trying to hand feed a few veggy treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... but if not just pop it in for them, then try holding it in there while they take it off you, eventually they will then once that has happened try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you.

Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also (this will be a while off at the moment) Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

 
You're doing fine... guinea pigs are prey animals and are well-aware that they are prey animals. They are cautious to a fault and take time to settle in a new environment. You've been given some great advice and some useful links above and I don't really have anything to add that won't be covered there, except to say hang in there and that, once they have time to realize that you won't hurt them, there is something incredibly touching about earning the trust of a very cautious animal.
 
NomNom said:
Hello, I just joined after getting guinea pigs. I have only had them both for four days. I worry I am a bad owner already because everything I do seems to scare them. Opening my door scares them. Putting in Hay scares them. Even placing veggies down scares them. If I walk by the cage they flee as well. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?
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First off, :wel: to this friendly guinea pig forum! This is completely normal. When I got my 2 guinea pigs also, they would flee all the time, get scared by the smallest noises. :nod: But, this is only because of their new surrondings. Usually, they don't have big giants giving them hay! :luv: My guinea pigs, after about a year, are still not used to me! They will take vegis out my hand but flee when I get too close to them.
Sometimes, it will take YEARS for guinea pigs to get used to their owner. But don't worry, It takes about a few months for most cavy owners to have their guinea pigs used to them. :wub: You just have to wait it out and after awhile, they will get used to you and maybe even run up to their cage at the sight of you! You sound like a caring owner and they sound like cute and spoiled guinea pigs, they are lucky to have such a caring owner like you! XD
 
Guinea pigs are prey animals.
Their first thought is "You are going to eat me - I must run away and hide."

I have 2 new young piggies who arrived last week. The youngest flees at any movement - her slightly older mother will cautiously approach the bars but runs if there's even the slightest chance of being stroked.
They are bonding with my 2 older piggies who after 3 & 6 years are quite happy to be stroked in their cage - most of the time.
It takes time and patience with guinea pigs - and food.

Talk to them whenever you are near them as well - they will come to know your voice and slowly learn to trust you.
Get to know them on their terms.

They are well worth the investment of time and patience.

Welcome to the forum
 
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