Why Can't We Pick Up Our New Piggies

[A&O&S&Z]

Hello,

We have 3 new baby GP sisters that are 10 weeks old. We have had them for about 10 days but really struggle to pick them up (only once so far). They live in an indoor double floor cage but are soooo scared and won't let us near them!

We have tried to keep things calm and talke softly to them and two have taken some food from our hands (the other is the really scared one). However, picking them up is a different matter and we don't want to scare them to death or get bitten.

Any advice would be great.

A

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

We have 3 new baby GP sisters that are 10 weeks old. We have had them for about 10 days but really struggle to pick them up (only once so far). They live in an indoor double floor cage but are soooo scared and won't let us near them!

We have tried to keep things calm and talke softly to them and two have taken some food from our hands (the other is the really scared one). However, picking them up is a different matter and we don't want to scare them to death or get bitten.

Any advice would be great.

A

Hi and welcome!

Please have a read through these guides here; you may hopefully find them very helpful. They will help you to understand and respect guinea pig instincts and how to work around them.
Please be aware that pet shop and for sale breeder piggies haven't had any human interaction before they were sold as pets; they are running on their prey animal instincts.

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig

Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Children And Guinea Pigs - Age Appropriate Interaction And Responsibilities.

Lots more really helpful information for new owners via our guide collection, which addresses the most often encountered issues and combines them with care guides, help on understanding guinea pig behaviour and social interaction and learning what is normal and what not.
New Owners' Problem Solver And Information Collection