What to do/not do with a very unfriendly pig

[lauryn1289]

After my little boy Eggs suddenly passed away in May I found another want-ads pig who needed a home to keep my boy Ollie company. I’ve gotten virtually all my piggies over the years from want-ads because I worry about where those little guys will end up when they’re already unwanted and people are dying to just get rid of them and when I went to pick up Miso I assumed he would’ve had a really rough start in life like Eggs did (left alone in a cold shed, barely even 7 months old) but Miso actually belonged to a little girl who really loved him and was so worried to see him go but he kept fighting with her other pigs. Miso was loved so much that I even kept her dad updated on how he settled in so she could knew he’s in a good home.

Suffice to say, Miso is my 6th pig over the years so I’m not a novice but I’ve never had a pig that is so unfriendly. 5 months in and Miso bolts away from me 9/10 times I try to pet him. He’s not scared of me at *all*, when he comes out for floor time he climbs all over me and has no issues begging 24/7 or coming over to me for treats. Him and Ollie live in a big cage divided because Ollie just cannot get along with anyone, but even then Miso is so rambunctious so I know it’s not that he’s nervous at all. He’s about 1.5 years old judging by what his previous owners said, and he’s a very happy little boy but just SO unfriendly. Occasionally you might get a brief pat on the head but usually he grunts and runs off and then runs back again when he thinks there’s a treat.

As I said I’ve just never ever had a pig so unfriendly. I expected him to be weary for a few months in a new environment but he’s a confident little man, he just seems to absolutely hate being touched. He’s also a biter. I know he’s not intending to be aggressive whatsoever but he explores with his mouth an awful lot more than any of my other pigs ever do/did. He’ll sink his teeth into your finger at any given opportunity so clipping his nails especially is a hoot lol. Just curious if anyone’s ever had a pig with a similar temperament? If that’s just how he is obviously that’s completely fine, I respect his boundaries but I’m just wondering 5 months in does that translate to “stop trying to pet him unless necessary” or if I’m doing something wrong.

For the first couple of weeks Miso was here I admittedly didn’t give him a whole pile of attention, Eggs was so so so special to me and his death really rocked me. The pigs live in my room but me and my cat Miss Keisha had moved to the spare room for a while when Miso came because I wasn’t ready to not see Eggs, so perhaps those first couple weeks were important. I was of course in and out the whole time feeding them and cleaning their beds but definitely didn’t give him a huge pile of 1 on 1 attention

 

[Truffolo]

There might still be some Cuy guinea pigs in the pet trade. They are usually quite large though. They are known to be different to regular piggies as they were bred for farming and are reputed to be impossible to handle. However they seem to have gone these days. Just wondering if Miso could have some Cuy genes.

 

[lauryn1289]

There might still be some Cuy guinea pigs in the pet trade. They are usually quite large though. They are known to be different to regular piggies as they were bred for farming and are reputed to be impossible to handle. However they seem to have gone these days. Just wondering if Miso could have some Cuy genes.

This is him if that gives you any idea! I’d imagine not, he’s big and quite long compared to Ollie but he’s 1.1kg if I remember right last time I weighed him. Impossible to handle is definitely an apt description either way though lol. I graze his head with my finger and he runs off like I’m about to slaughter him

 

[Truffolo]

He's a handsome piggy! How old is he? He could have something hidden like arthritis or an old injury that makes him skittish. If it's not pain or breeding, he might well mellow in time. You wish they could talk My piggies were really skittish about being touched but would come up to me for food. They nip alot less now and love being stroked, although they can be a little moody. They learn from each other, so if Miso sees Ollie being stroked, he might soften a bit.

 

[lauryn1289]

He's a handsome piggy! How old is he? He could have something hidden like arthritis or an old injury that makes him skittish. If it's not pain or breeding, he might well mellow in time. You wish they could talk My piggies were really skittish about being touched but would come up to me for food. They nip alot less now and love being stroked, although they can be a little moody. They learn from each other, so if Miso sees Ollie being stroked, he might soften a bit.

He was born in his previous home from what I remember and his owner said he was a year old! So 1.5 years old now-ish. Ollie’s a sweet little man with humans just not with other pigs so I’m hoping he does learn from Ollie but 5 months in it doesn’t seem like much learning is happening lol. Miso runs around a lot and doesn’t seem to be in pain at all I think his issues are purely behavioural/him being a bit of an a-hole

 

[Truffolo]

“Cuy†Guinea Pigs
Here's an article about cuy type guinea pigs. Perhaps he was teased by an errant sibling in the family home. It's good that he is healthy and likes being fed. Perhaps he could eventually allow you to get closer to him while hand feeding him.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

Some piggies born to a highly stressed mother take her high stress level setting as their own normal default setting while still in the womb. It takes years to work past that. I have adopted a few of them. They will never become cuddly but they will actually come to trust you implicitly when they are ill.

The tips and tricks in these links may help you:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Guinea Pig Behaviours in their Context (see the chapter on fear-aggression)

 

[fluffysal]

Mischievous Master Boris was a nippy boy with fear aggressive behaviours. We adopted him at approximately 7 months old. He was also quite happy to climb on us but not so keen on us touching him.
We interacted on his terms and eventually he realised that chin rubs are wonderful! We've had him two years now and, despite expectations, he's a total lap pig now. He even gives kisses! Nail trims are still a two person job and occasionally he lets us know he's not in the mood but mostly he's a darling. So there's always hope.

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

I'd try and see him as skittish or shy or nervous or similar rather than unfriendly. Then accept him and interact with him on his terms. Not all piggies like being touched on the head or at all for that matter. If you don't force things he doesn't like, he might get tamer.

Does Ollie like being touched and stroked? If yes, then there you go!

I had guineas for over 20 years so my interaction with them changed over the years. Latterly I'd sit and watch them do zoomies etc and talk nonsense to them and listen to them wheek wheek wheeking back.