Shaking and purring?

[TalAndRa]

Hi, I'm new to the forums *waves*

My parents had a guinea pig when i was younger, as did my grand parents so i'm not entirely new to guinea pigs, but after buying two of my own i have a few questions.

They seem to shiver when sat on peoples laps, is this a fear thing?

When they're put back in the cage together they make a purring noise, is this a reassuring noise or a dominance working out noise?

also, in the pet shop they were drinking out a bowl, so i bought a bowl for the water, but they keep kicking sawdust hay and poo into their drinking water *pulls ace* what would be the best way to encourage them to drink from the bottle?

 

[Wiebke]

Make friends in the hutch/cage first by talking to them lots and trying to get them to take little treats off your hands.

They are probably afraid of being handled. Just talk to them gently and encouragingly all the time, don't touch them too much (but you might put a plate with treats on your lap), so they remember being taken out with something nice. When a piggie is engrossed in food, it forgets about its body, so that might be the best way to start brushing against them "accidentally" and take it from there.

It will take some time and patience with animals that perceive us as badly smelling, towering giants. Do not try to loom over them and stare at their eyes directly - casually hunkering down and out of the corner of the eye does work.

 

[TalAndRa]

They take carrot off me when sat on my lap which is a huge jump forward and they do shiver less when they're not being touched (so much for the theory that they were cold :/), but they tend to run away and hide if i offer them food in the cage, I'm starting to wonder if the hidey-hole shelf in their cage was such a good idea as it seems to encourage them to hide. Shall persevere though, i'm hoping to find a food that they like so much it doesn't matter they're having to take it from the hand of a human.

The woman in the pet shop said they were given next to no human contact unless they were taken out from the cage to be cleaned (which i found shocking, when i worked in a cattery taking the cats out to be played with and brushed was fairly high on the priority list, especialy with the kittens and resued cats), which i think is what part of the problem is, they're probably not much apreciating us taking them out for cuddles so much :S

I thought they had a problem with scented perfumes and deodourants, and my partner had thought it was because of testosterone as they seemed far more uncomfortable around him, I feel slightly guilty that they're genuinly scared

 

[Wiebke]

Patience and perseverance is the key!

Try to establish a firm routine, and find different little "melodies" for each thing (food, picking up for cuddles, cleans, etc.) Once they latch onto the fact that there is no "random violence by monsters" they'll come round - but with wild ones it may take a few weeks, or even months. Praise them like you would a little dog - they react quite quickly to encouragement.

Persevere with offering food and lay it down just within reach. Praise them when they take it.

If you want to try something a bit more whacky, you can send them your love and little cuddles in your mind and think to them how much you care about them. It may take a bit of practice, but it's worked for me with settling every new shy piggy a lot more quickly since I discovered "mind cuddles" by accident.

 

[ashleigh90]

i had had my piggies two months now and there getting better and not so scared. one of my piggies Lola was allways confident scince i first got her so nearly always lets me pick her p but somedays shes just not in the mood and struts about sqeeking for hay. Her sister Bella is allways had to lift out her cage and dosent like beeing cuddled most of the time but other times shes not so bad. i try not to get disheartend because the last time i had them out and they both nosed nudged my hand away from them i went in a huff put them in there caged and side *fine iam just not going to talk to you now* and they never went near me for a week so i had to appoligies and now its back to normal lol . Still early days two months isnt that long. xashx

 

[Wiebke]

Have you tried to entice your girls with a little treat when they come out for a cuddle?

It depends on how much your pigges have been handled before they have come to you.