Scared Piggies

[MissPiggy.007]

Hi

I got 2 female guinea pigs last Friday. And they are still really scared I am really worried about them. All they do is stay in there litte houses. They haven't come out once. They just freeze when I go near them and give them there food I read that other people's guinea pigs start eating from there hand and they start to come out after a few days. My guinea pigs are absolutely petrified I feel as though they will never trust me.

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is very normal. They are very new and as prey animals are wired to be scared. Eating from your hand after a few days may happen for some very confident piggies, but mostly that is very quick and most dont feel that secure after just a matter of days. It took one of mine six weeks to eat from my hand and the other one still isn’t consistent in doing it after two years.

As long as they are coming out to eat their hay when you aren’t looking then you just need to leave them to settle for a little longer. Try covering their cage with a blanket to make them feel more secure. Where are they housed?

This link below is a collection of new owner guides. The first few are links to guIdes on how to settle piggies and help them feel more secure. Do be aware though that while some piggies will come round to enjoying interaction, as prey animals, they aren’t cuddly creatures and a lot of them will always carry a little fear

New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

 

[Betsy]

See it from your piggies point of view.

You are a prey animal and scared of anything new in case you get eaten. You have been ripped from the only family you have ever known put in a shop or somewhere similar, just when you were getting used to that, you get taken away and put somewhere new with new noises and smells. A big smelly giant with a loud voice is trying to pick you up you are absolutely terrified so you run, run for your life!

You know you will never hurt your piggies, but they don't know that. You have to teach them. Take it at their own pace. It may only take a few weeks it can take as long as a year or more. It took my Betsy only a few weeks but it took Velvet (Rainbow piggy) longer. Velvet had a shop litter so that may have been why. When she had the babies (4 years ago now) it took them a long time to trust me and I had them from day 1. Each piggy is different so enjoy your piggies for who they are and just be patient. With patience and time they will learn to trust you. You may find this guide useful. Some of the things it suggests may seem silly to you (make sure nobody else is around) but they aren't cos you are talking piggy! The best one I found was always talk to your piggies as you approach them as a predator is silent.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips