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Isabella13

Isabella13

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hey everyone! I have an around 3 month old female Guinea pig Raisin. I've had raisin since 3 weeks old when I got her from petco. The first month was great she had a wonderful personality, loved cuddles! Well recently when I take her out for cuddles she runs away from me, and will not sit and cuddle at all anymore even for just 5 minutes. I've tried feeding her on my lap but as soon as she's done she's off. Today she yelled when picked her up like she's scared of me😭. After she's done with baby watch and if she's not calmed down by then she might have to be placed in a different home🙁. Any ideas on how to tame her without causing harm and stress to her maybe unborn babies!?
 
My Elsa was from a pet store and ended up being pregnant. Once she got further in her pregnancy, she did not want to be touched below the head or picked up. I would guide her into a sturdy hidey or cuddle sack to pick her up at the end. Once she had her babies, she immediately turned back into her sweet cuddly self! Hopefully your girl will do the same if she is pregnant. I know when I was pregnant, I didn’t want anyone touching me lol!
 
What you were seeing previously when she was sitting still was fear. Guinea pigs are prey animals and their instincts are to stay still in the hope that they're not seen. Now that she trusts you a bit more, she is showing what she really wants to do - run around and play - she's just a baby after all. My younger piggies are less keen to sit and be petted than my older ones. When you take on a pet you do so unconditionally, not to get rid of them if they don't behave the way you want them to. You will get much more pleasure if you do things her way, even if she isn't that keen on cuddles. Does she have a friend? It is unlikely she would be pregnant at 3 weeks, but if she was, and is now 3 months she would be very near to giving birth, which would also mean she might not want to be handled. Have you had her in contact with a boar since you got her?
You'll find lots of advice in the forum tab, I would post a link but I can't do it on this device.
 
Reenie said:
What you were seeing previously when she was sitting still was fear. Guinea pigs are prey animals and their instincts are to stay still in the hope that they're not seen. Now that she trusts you a bit more, she is showing what she really wants to do - run around and play - she's just a baby after all. My younger piggies are less keen to sit and be petted than my older ones. When you take on a pet you do so unconditionally, not to get rid of them if they don't behave the way you want them to. You will get much more pleasure if you do things her way, even if she isn't that keen on cuddles. Does she have a friend? It is unlikely she would be pregnant at 3 weeks, but if she was, and is now 3 months she would be very near to giving birth, which would also mean she might not want to be handled. Have you had her in contact with a boar since you got her?
You'll find lots of advice in the forum tab, I would post a link but I can't do it on this device.
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I've had her about 6 weeks so my round-a-bout for age was wrong she's only about 8 weeks old! She's been by herself since I got her because I was going to wait until she had the babies to put her with my other girls, but she sees them and heard them everyday. I've started to let her run around my room when I take her out just to have her lose some energy.
 
Are you sure she is pregnant? That is very young for her to get pregnant.
 
Isabella13 said:
I've had her about 6 weeks so my round-a-bout for age was wrong she's only about 8 weeks old! She's been by herself since I got her because I was going to wait until she had the babies to put her with my other girls, but she sees them and heard them everyday. I've started to let her run around my room when I take her out just to have her lose some energy.
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It's highly unlikely that she's pregnant if she was that young when you got her, unless she'd been with a boar while you've had her. What makes you think she's pregnant? Sows can conceive from about 4 - 6 weeks. When they are so young she really needs to be with the other piggies. You're way past what quarantine would be now too, although with babies, the need for company outweighs the need for quarantine.
 
My 8 week old doesn't want to be cuddled, she screams when I pick her up, she tolerates a little stroke from Daddy (they all LOVE daddy) she wriggles, she fidgets she runs off when I pick her up. I am sorry but that is normal behaviour. It took some months for my teenagers to become ok with lap time (and one of mine still hates it) and for my old rescues it took 18 months!
 
Piggies rarely come 'ready assembled' as I like to call it :lol!: the first stage where they are quiet and will sit on your lap, accepting cuddles is almost always out of fear. Then when they begin to settle, they will start telling you to stop touching where they dont like, they'll get fidgety and wriggle, they will want to explore, all this is totally normal! I have a new little 9 week old baby as of last week, at first she also was calm and receptive to handling which was great because she came with an abscessed ear, but as she's settled with daily handling to treat the ear she has started shouting at me, biting, kicking, trying to run away..again, all normal! Doesnt feel too nice when you just want to be friends and help them but thats pigs for you! XD It will take time for them to grow, learn to trust and form a bond with you, remember for all they know (and their instincts are telling them) you are a rather big predator who may or may not eat them! It's a lot to expect them to trust immediately before you've had time to make your intentions clear. I dont know about you but if a giant I couldnt communicate with came and picked me up, took me off to live somewhere I didnt know, itd take me more than a few weeks or months to decide whether I was completely sure they werent going to do me any harm!
She will come round, they nearly always do. To what extent will be up to the individual piggy, but most will take food, sit on your lap, talk to you and let you stroke their nose :)
 
I have 2 girls who are now 3 years old.
They still do not like to be picked up or cuddled.
If I ever try to sit Keziah on my lap she's off within seconds.
However - on the floor she will sit beside me to be petted - I get headbutted if I fail to comply with her wishes.
Petting is strictly on their terms and this means I'm trusted and I get a lot of pleasure with my gorgeous girls
 
Last night my hubby put his hand in the cage to let the baby sniff, she was hiding under the ramp, she darted out bit his finger and ran away 😂
 
I've had my piggies 2 year and popped them in the run on the patio this morning and it is still fun getting them out of the hutch. This afternoon the ground is just about dry enough to pop them on to the grass for a couple of hours. They DID NOT want to come out of the run on the patio to go in the run on the grass. They were very pleased when they were on the grass though. For such a small animal they are a lot of work but they are lovely and you have to take things at their pace. Most of the time my piggies are OK with me now and I know that they trust me but they have their own minds and like to do things on their terms.
 
Sadly a lot of pet shop piggies have a traumatic start to their young lives but they do come around! 6 week’s is still early days for a prey animal so don’t give up on her! Some pigs are more nervous than others especially if they’re from a pet shop.

Fingers crossed she’s not pregnant! Once she’s bonded with your other girls she’ll soon learn that you’re a friend. I swear the older piggies teach the babies :)
 
I have her bonding with the other girls now and there's lots of nips and chasing. But she's running around and popcorning so I think she enjoys their company. She's trying to eat the hay but keeps getting chased away🙁. I'm hoping he boss pig steps in and handles the other two girls
 
Isabella13 said:
I have her bonding with the other girls now and there's lots of nips and chasing. But she's running around and popcorning so I think she enjoys their company. She's trying to eat the hay but keeps getting chased away🙁. I'm hoping he boss pig steps in and handles the other two girls
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It’s horrible at first isn’t it? Bonding is certainly not my favourite thing in the world! Do you have lots of hay areas? Might be worth adding a few more so that she has more options :)

She sounds like a happy lady :)
 
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