Skittish Guinea Pig Help

[SammyTheHuman]

Hello! I'm new to the forum, and I'm Brazilian btw, so sorry if my English is bad! But I really need help. So, I have a piggie called Stark, and i got him from a past of a very traumatic home, wich he had to stay with 10 other piggies, in a very small cage, with one water bottle and one food bowl, the cage was beside a busy road, directly beside the sun, and climate here in Brazil is very hot, his conditions were very bad. ive had him for about 1 month or a bit more, and althought he made significant progress, he is still VERY SCARED, now, he lives with another piggie of mine called King. King is very calm and very comfortable, ive had him for 2 month or so, i didnt get King or Stark as babies. Can somebody give me any tips on how to make Stark not be so scared anymore?

Thanks in advance!

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I think it will just take more time. With lots of love and care from you he will start to trust you. Slowly, slowly. You can’t rush it.

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

Some piggies will take longer to feel comfortable and confident than others. In some cases it takes a year or more so be patient and always take it at Stark's pace Hand feeding a little bit every day is a good way to build trust. Just sitting near the cage and talking or even singing to him will get him used to the sound of your voice too.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! I'm new to the forum, and I'm Brazilian btw, so sorry if my English is bad! But I really need help. So, I have a piggie called Stark, and i got him from a past of a very traumatic home, wich he had to stay with 10 other piggies, in a very small cage, with one water bottle and one food bowl, the cage was beside a busy road, directly beside the sun, and climate here in Brazil is very hot, his conditions were very bad. ive had him for about 1 month or a bit more, and althought he made significant progress, he is still VERY SCARED, now, he lives with another piggie of mine called King. King is very calm and very comfortable, ive had him for 2 month or so, i didnt get King or Stark as babies. Can somebody give me any tips on how to make Stark not be so scared anymore?

Thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome

You will hopefully find the information on how guinea pig instincts work and 'piggy whispering' tips helpful so you can tell Stark in his own body language that he is part of your herd and that he is much loved the way guinea pigs accept new members and being gently stroked where piggies give each other kisses (or rather lick each other around the eyes). This will hopefully speed up a long and slow process a bit because you become a kind of 'super-pig' and are no longer a predator.
It can unfortunately take months and sometimes years to work past old traumas, as I know from my own adoptees that have been rescued from bad situations. But good on you for saving him!

Here is our guide for how to learn to speak guinea pig: Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

This guide here with lots of pictures and videos will help you to spot and understand social behaviours better: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Here is our hot weather guide and how you can best protect your guinea pigs. Also what you can do if they get too hot: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

Here is our information collection, which you may find helpful as it is one of biggest around. You may want to bookmark it. All the links above are in here but a lot more, too: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

 

[Free Ranger]

I agree with all of the above... and a daily routine will really help as they learn what to expect. My boar George has always been nervous but he's been here 2 or 3 years now and is used to things. Gentle handling, gentle speaking, moving slowly when tidying the cage so he can get out of the way without a mad dash. A tasty treat for when he's had to be brave when his nails are clipped.

Hubs fetches grass for the piggies every day. George is his favourite (he's been here longest by far) and so he piles the grass down but keeps a tasty leaf back to give him by hand. George takes the leaf and also takes a little fuzzle on the cheek while he's eating it! Today George had actually found a leaf in the pile himself but he dropped it to take hub's leaf and get his fuzzle It's because he has learned the routine x

 

[SammyTheHuman]

Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone that replied, I am very happy to know there are solutions for it, I love my boy Stark and i will work on him as much as needed! Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 139433]

Hello,

You've had some excellent advice above. It just takes time and patience. Some pigs will never be fond of handling. Below are some pictures of my Stark, he has the biggest attitude of any of our pigs, hates being handled and loves to be in charge! But he will come over for a gentle scratch if he's in a good mood. He will never be cuddly or easy to catch/handle but I wouldn't have him any other way.