Shivering at the beginning of lap time

[Gullfaks]

Hi!

Sometimes when I take my guinea pig out of the cage for lap time, she will shiver on my lap. It often happens when I take her out of her fleece hiding spot, and when she is a bit sleepy. She will start to make happy sounds as soon as I start to pet her - but she will shiver perhaps every 5-10 seconds for 1-2 seconds of length, for the first few minutes. The shivering feels like her body is slightly vibrating in the back of her body, around her hips.

Anyone else has experienced this?
Is it because of the temperature difference from the warm fleece and into room temp (21*C)? Or could it be because she is frightened?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Sometimes when I take my guinea pig out of the cage for lap time, she will shiver on my lap. It often happens when I take her out of her fleece hiding spot, and when she is a bit sleepy. She will start to make happy sounds as soon as I start to pet her - but she will shiver perhaps every 5-10 seconds for 1-2 seconds of length, for the first few minutes. The shivering feels like her body is slightly vibrating in the back of her body, around her hips.

Anyone else has experienced this?
Is it because of the temperature difference from the warm fleece and into room temp (21*C)? Or could it be because she is frightened?

It can be from the temperature difference but some piggies also shivver as an instinctive reaction when they are truly afraid of being handled (usually some old trauma from a bad experience). Why not use a nice fleece blanket that you have warmed up a bit for her to snuggle into on your lap and see whether that is doing the trick?

 

[Gullfaks]

It can be from the temperature difference but some piggies also shivver as an instinctive reaction when they are truly afraid of being handled (some old trauma). Why not use a nice fleece blanket that you have warmed up a bit for her to snuggle into on your lap and see whether that is going the trick?

Yes, that could be - I adopted her after she had moved through quite a few families with smaller children that might not have handled her with enough care. I always take her into some towels - but perhaps warming them up could help - thanks for the tip

 

[Wiebke]

Yes, that could be - I adopted her after she had moved through quite a few families with smaller children that might not have handled her with enough care. I always take her into some towels - but perhaps warming them up could help - thanks for the tip

If you worry that it is bad experiences, then please use our tips on how to avoid triggering prey animal instincts by working around them and by using our piggy whispering tip to reassure your piggy in their own language that it is safe, welcome and cherished?

Here are our detailed and illustrated tips. They are pretty effective and can go quite a way of building up trust faster:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely