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Taming

hannahj

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Nov 14, 2019
Messages
57
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Location
Peterborough
Hi All,

I adopted a lovely little pair of boys who are 8-12 weeks old last Friday and they seem to be settling in well, they're eating and drinking well and I can hear them playing and squeaking. I am trying to introduce myself to them gradually, I started just chatting quietly to them while I was pottering around in the kitchen (they are in the dining room area so I'm very quiet in the ktichen) and then gradually stood nearer and nearer to the cage over the week. By Thurs they were out eating and playing while I sat next to them as long as I didn't move suddenly or startle them. The issue I'm having is that we make progress and then I have to invade their space to keep them clean (and today properly clean them out) and we go backwards. I feel like today's clean out set us almost back to square one even though I was mega calm and careful. I'm aware a week isn't a long time but I just wanted to check this is normal and get some tips. Thanks in advance,
Hannah (and Stevie and Bruno!)
 
This is perfectly normal. As prey animals, everything is scary to them. Just taking everything slowly and at their pace is great. They will get used to it but you do need to be aware that it can take months and some never get used to being handled/picked up. I’ve had my boys for 16 months and one of them would still rather run off than have to interact with me.

This link should help you.
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information
 
It does take a while to build up trust. Our wee Roz is still quite skittish, but we were very lucky with our adopted piggies after Roz's original companion died. After 4 months or so of them together, my daughter just started sitting down on the floor with pellets in both hands and they all climb up for them..a lot of patience, and they all enjoy a wee chin rub and scratch, but it pays off. Only Freya the older pig actually lets us pick her up for nail time. She is a very rare pig who enjoys being petted, of course the boss pig but she was estimated as age 3 when we adopted her in july.
Don't worry it will come, just spend lots of time chatting away to them beside the cage, and just go about your normal kitchen business, they will get used to everything in time xx
 
It does take a while to build up trust. Our wee Roz is still quite skittish, but we were very lucky with our adopted piggies after Roz's original companion died. After 4 months or so of them together, my daughter just started sitting down on the floor with pellets in both hands and they all climb up for them..a lot of patience, and they all enjoy a wee chin rub and scratch, but it pays off. Only Freya the older pig actually lets us pick her up for nail time. She is a very rare pig who enjoys being petted, of course the boss pig but she was estimated as age 3 when we adopted her in july.
Don't worry it will come, just spend lots of time chatting away to them beside the cage, and just go about your normal kitchen business, they will get used to everything in time xx
Thank you 😊
 
This is perfectly normal. As prey animals, everything is scary to them. Just taking everything slowly and at their pace is great. They will get used to it but you do need to be aware that it can take months and some never get used to being handled/picked up. I’ve had my boys for 16 months and one of them would still rather run off than have to interact with me.

This link should help you.
New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information
Thanks that's really helpful 😊
 
So I read the article and did the face washing while next to the cage and they came out and started eating and playing almost immediately! 😊😊😊😊
Greta news, be lovely to see some photos of your piggies :)

We always start off after a few days by trying to hand feed a few veggy treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... after a while try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you.
Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.
 
Greta news, be lovely to see some photos of your piggies :)

We always start off after a few days by trying to hand feed a few veggy treats in the cage by offering some nice veggies to the new piggy when they are in their hidey, hopefully they will take it off you as you hold it in for them... after a while try offering it a little further from the hidey so they edge out and take it from you.
Food is the best way to bribe, use food when you get round to lap times also. Start lap time for a short amount of time at first and build up. We started off we laptimes for 1 minute with new piggies then pop them back, slowly increasing the time. They will soon associate you with food and good things but at first it takes a while to gain their trust.

Thanks for the advice! I can't work out how to upload my pics of them!
 
Click attach files in your postEC159C2D-D161-4444-ADFC-194D55A843FD.jpeg
 

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OK so ginger boy is Bruno - this was his first time just chilling next to me last night. And the black little one is stevie - he's more shy than Bruno but he's coming around!
And they have their own Instagram @dizzees.piggies 😊
 
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