Should I be spending more time with Muffin?

[Muffin's great]

Since I've got her, I've tried to keep Muffin on a regular schedule, where I hold her once a day from like 9:30ish to 10ish. However my brother took a very different approach with his former pig and his current pig. He held/holds his pig when ever he feels like it ranging from like 6 to 0 times a day, and each hold time depends on whether he feels like holding her for very long or not. Both his former and current pig seem to be a lot more social in and out of the cage with everyone, while Muffin has always been a scaredy cat and only seems to be calm around humans when it is just me, her, and a cozy blanket.

Can the amount of times you hold your pig per day affect their personality? Is it too late to try and teach Muffin to be less scared of us (she's almost four years old)? Should I hold Muffin more than one time a day?

 

[Piggies&buns]

The more time you spend with them, the more comfortable, in theory, they will be. However, some piggies just won’t ever like being held. Sometimes I’m with my boys for two hours a day, sometimes I just sit with them for hours on end and don’t get anything else done all day! One of my boys is very friendly (but doesn’t like being picked up), but the other one is quite anxious. He’s Better then he was, but he is just naturally more nervous.

Does muffin live in the same cage with your brothers guinea pig?

 

[Swissgreys]

All of our piggies get a similar level of attention, and some just like being handled and held a lot more than others.
Also sometimes even our most cuddly pigs just clearly aren't in the mood, and are fidgeting after just a few minutes.
Naturally we always put them back in the cage when this happens.

However if you want to make your guinea pig truly happy the absolute best thing you can do is give them another piggy as a companion.
They really do much better in pairs (same sex or with one of the pigs neutered/spayed).
Human company can never replace the companionship of a guinea pig friend.

 

[Muffin's great]

All of our piggies get a similar level of attention, and some just like being handled and held a lot more than others.
Also sometimes even our most cuddly pigs just clearly aren't in the mood, and are fidgeting after just a few minutes.
Naturally we always put them back in the cage when this happens.

However if you want to make your guinea pig truly happy the absolute best thing you can do is give them another piggy as a companion.
They really do much better in pairs (same sex or with one of the pigs neutered/spayed).
Human company can never replace the companionship of a guinea pig friend.

She is in the same cage as my brothers pig.

 

[Muffin's great]

The more time you spend with them, the more comfortable, in theory, they will be. However, some piggies just won’t ever like being held. Sometimes I’m with my boys for two hours a day, sometimes I just sit with them for hours on end and don’t get anything else done all day! One of my boys is very friendly (but doesn’t like being picked up), but the other one is quite anxious. He’s Better then he was, but he is just naturally more nervous.

Does muffin live in the same cage with your brothers guinea pig?

Yes

 

[Bill & Ted]

If you had them out together would that make a difference. She would have someone of her own kind with her?

 

[Muffin's great]

If you had them out together would that make a difference. She would have someone of her own kind with her?

But can the amount of times I hold her affect how she acts around humans?

 

[Piggies&buns]

If she isn’t used to being handled a lot, then yes it may well affect her and make her less likely to want to be handled. As I mentioned above, in theory, the more time you spend with them, the more used to handling they get. But, a lot of piggies just never like being handled, so in that respect, handling them too much can make them feel more insecure.

 

[Siikibam]

It may do, or it may not depending on her character. As said, if she doesn’t enjoy lap time no amount of doing it will make her enjoy it.

Can I ask, is your brother’s pig a boy or girl? If a boy, is he neutered, or is your girl spayed?

pigtures pleaseeee

 

[Muffin's great]

It may do, or it may not depending on her character. As said, if she doesn’t enjoy lap time no amount of doing it will make her enjoy it.

Can I ask, is your brother’s pig a boy or girl? If a boy, is he neutered, or is your girl spayed?

pigtures pleaseeee

There both girls, and Muffin enjoys lap time when it's just me and she has been out for a while, she is just scared of everyone else in my family, and she is super scared when we go near her when she's in her cage.

 

[Siikibam]

aren't they cute! When approaching the cage you should talk. No predator ever makes its presence known. You could also sit by her cage and just talk to her. Hand feed her etc. Look at the link below on whispering. It talks about speaking to them in a language they understand.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

 

[Muffin's great]

aren't they cute! When approaching the cage you should talk. No predator ever makes its presence known. You could also sit by her cage and just talk to her. Hand feed her etc. Look at the link below on whispering. It talks about speaking to them in a language they understand.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Ok I'll try that, thank you!