soon going to be first time guinea pig owner....

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gembob

hello everyone,
if youve read about my situation in the illness forum, then my name is gembob and i had two guinea pigs last saturday, but only had them for 48hrs and had to give them back as they had ringworm and they have had to be treated at the pet shop for a couple of weeks then rehomed, as i have two small children, and could not treat them at home( ive shed some tears i can tell you). as a huge animal lover i cannot wait to get my new guinea pigs tomorrow provided they pass the health check(hope so). i had pets when i was younger and so couldnt wait to get them home. but once they were home, i was so nervous about getting them out the hutch! first of all i was overwhelmed by the though of them running out, and not being able to get them back(there hutch is in the garden), so everytime they fled, i was shutting the doors incase they escaped! I'm also terrified of them biting me, because i know in pain i will drop them! i dont know whats wrong with me and cant wait to get my two baby ones tomorrow, but please can anyone gve me some advice on how to handle them or get over my fears please, cuz i dont want it to ruin my enjoyment of them! cant wait to put some pics on the weekend when ive chose them! thanks everyone gemmax:{
 
The biting thing...I know that all too well. When I first got my boys, it had been so long since I'd had a pet.

I'd have several hamsters in the past that had bitten me and believe me, it hurts...It made me nervous around smaller animals.

Some Guinea pigs do tend to bite but it doesn't hurt too much.
They all seem to enjoy nibbling fingers but don't panic and don't pull away in fear, it doesn't hurt. They just like to have a little taste.

My Arnold nips something fierce but with some patience and alot of handling, they grow out of it.

You might want to wear gloves while you're handling them, until you're more confident.
I'd also suggest washing your hands with either just water or unfragranced soap before handling them, just in case you do have a biter but it's not really that likely.
Biters are meant to be pretty rare.

You have to be brave. If you're nervous then your new furries will sense it and it'll make them nervous.
Just remember, they're as concerned about you hurting them, as you are about them hurting you.

Good luck. I hope they pass the health check.
 
thanks for that mommapiggy, i know ive had all types of animal when i was a child, but i think its true when people say that the older you get the more scared you get of things when you get out of the habit of doing them, for example when i went to the theme park last month, i hadnt been on a ride for over ten years, and i screamed till i was blue in the face!lol. I'm just gunna have to give myself a talking to everytime before i pick them up i think! mind you- knowing me ill get a biter!hehe. thanks again gemmax
 
It's best if you don't handle your new piggies for the first few days, anyway. Just talk to them as much and often as you can.

If they are shop bought, they will be probably very shy anyway and hide. Wait until they come out of their hut for food and are comfortable with you and your hand around. No piggiy will ever run up to you and bite your hand! A bit of patience at first will speed up the progress later.

For picking up, you best corner them and pick them up in a towel or train them to come into a "shuttle" with the help of a treat. That way, you do not have to handle them in the situaton most guinea pigs hate and when they might give you a nip or a scratch. Apart from when they mistake your finger for food, which is the most likely way of getting a bite!

This is my "shuttle" - a bit improvised, but it works for transports to the lap as well to the run outdoors, as a piggiy is much easier to handle in a confined space:

IMG_2648_edited-1.jpg


If you are not confident, don't try to handle them; they'll feel your panic. I'm sure, you will get over it when they are there.
 
i am quite new here and to keeping pigs so know what you are going through

i have 2 sows that let sit in my hand and dont move once i catch them and i have Bridge

he is my nenesis

he will walk onto my hands then riggles to be down

or runs like mad and won't let me pick him up

or sniffs my fingers and licks me

oh i get all sorts from him and i love him to bits

i have a hutch with a hinged lid - that makes picking up the girls real easy

when in the run the go into their house where i can take the roof off and again thats an easy pick up

with Bridge - he is in a hutch with a hinged front and i am exactly the same as you thinking he will just bolt and then hes gone

that may be some help or no help but i do know what you are going through

oh yeah - Vickie has a brillient gadget
 
Hiya, you must be very excited getting two new piggies. As others have said, patience really pays off, let them get used to your voice and the noises of their environment. I find to catch them, the cornering method works, always using two hands so you can hold them firmly but gently. I use green beans to encourage them to come towards me through the bars. They come for the food, but they don't have to come too close at first if the bean is a long one, so this gives them a bit of confidence. Piggies don't bite too often, sometimes they will have a nibble if you put your fingers through the cage bars, if they think you are food. Unlike hamsters who bite and hurt, and are scary, not nice pets (he he, shoot me down in flames everyone) . I still have the scars as proof. Lol. Will be looking forward to seeing the picture of your new piggies.
 
I have four piggies and only been nipped twice. They were both accidents and only hurt slightly for a second. Once George nipped me as I put my finger in the cage when he was a baby and he thought I was giving him food. The other time was when tiger was poorly I had to feed him meds through a syringe and hold him still so he would take it. Afterwards I didn't think and gave him a cuddle and he nipped me as he was frightened. I learnt from that and he went straight back in cage after meds!

I wouldn't worry too much about biting as it has been very rare in my experience!

I'm sure you'll really enjoy your new piggies! :)
 
Don't worry just enjoy ..... I have been nipped twice and I was cutting nails! I have also dropped one of mine and it worried the life out of me but she was fine but boy did I feel guilty.

They are lovely pets and are totally addictive ..... you won't be able to put them down :(|)
 
thanks everyone, me and my partner have been looking at that shuttle device, and reading all your other advice, thanks so much, i am counting down the hours until i get my new piggies! i wish id have brought an open top hutch or something now though! gemmax
 
So exciting !

Open top hutches aren't ideal as they can scare the piggies so dont worry. You are gonna make a great piggy slave
 
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