How do I get my New Guinea pig to trust me?
First things first, are you sure you want to keep only one guinea pig? They get awfully lonely and tend to pass on earlier than piggies who have a companion. I know it seems like you will provide all the companionship he needs, but they are social creatures and just do not do well alone.So how "wild" is your new guinea pig? Are you able to hold him without bites or scratches? My *Lap Pig* who is currently almost 8yrs old, and is so sweet and tame and affectionate, he and his brother were SOOO rowdy and wild when we first got them that I had to use a technique I call the pig in a blanket burrito. Basically, as you might have guessed, I roll them up in a blanket or towel and then hold, pet and feed them until they learn that nothing bad at all will happen, in fact, great things will happen, when they are held. It actually took about 6 months of hard work but it was so worth it! Other than that, I agree with Micheal and Shivani's answers!
I think I scared my guinea pig, how do I regain his trust?
Amber you are asking to much of your guinea pig to soon, it has to get used to you long before you start floor time, as it is already scared of every thing and the floor is a terrifying thing for a new guinea pig.Go to my You Tube site and view The Towel Trick. http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaPigPer... Wrap your guinea pig in a towel and lie it on your chest (the sound of your heart beat is comforting for it) while you watch TV, read a book, or listen to music, guinea pig love music. Set it in your lap while you are on the computer, my Miya loves the sound of the keyboard and purrs to I it!!. Carry it about the house as you do your day, guinea pigs adore doing your day with you. Talk softly to it and pet the towel thus you are petting the guinea pig though the towel. AFter doing this for about 2 weeks for about 2 hours a day you will have a very calm guinea pig that has bonded to you, you have become its companion. It will want to be with you all the time and be excited to see you come into the room!! The exciting thing here is you achieved this simply by inviting the guinea pig into your daily routine, you did not have to make extra time for it!! At this point you may not need to use the towel, however, some guinea pigs do get attached to their towel as my Miya did. At this point view How I Potty Train, in this video i show you how to train you guinea pig to be in bed with you for an extended amount of time with out having a potty accident. They find this very calming and they feel loved. in no time at all most guinea pig will be running up and down the full length of the bed until they need a nap, they will curl up against you and sleep, Some will actually start to play peek a boo with you. It is soooo much fun to watch them having so much fun. Guinea pigs have poor eye sight and will not recognize you by sight for some time. Always walk slowly to the cage talking or singing softly. Always pet the guinea pig before you pick it up even if it is on the run, they need to learn you are not there to hurt it, and in time it will figure that out and stop running so hard.Because they are prey animals even though they want you to pick them some guinea pigs have a hard time breading the instinct of running when reached for.
How can I get my guinea pig to stop hiding?
Hiya, In the wild guinea pigs are prey for other animals, so their tendency to hide is a natural thing for them. Some guinea pigs are more nervous than others and it sounds like your piggy is very shy and timid. I'd say that you are best to spend a lot of time with your guinea pig, I'd recommend (if you can) sit on the floor in a secure enclosure for the guinea pig and allow the guinea pig to come to you, it may take a while and a few attempts at it, but eventually your guinea pig should feel at ease with you being around and will come over and sniff you. It is really important NOT to instantly reach out when your guinea pig does approach you, as he'll run in the opposite direction and all your long effort of waiting will be ruined. Maybe you could play a handheld computer game (with no volume), watch TV or read a book in an area where your guinea pig can safely investigate you. Only once the guinea pig feels safe can you attempt to start gently stroking him. It may take a while and a little perseverance but your guinea pig just needs to realize that he isn't in any danger and is safe outside of his little hide. Please keep trying with him, your guinea pig will love you for it when he realizes you are a friend for him. Hope this helps and good luck. If you want more help and advice on Guinea Pigs, please check out my website Nadine :-D http://www.guineapigcareonline.com/
How can I get my pet guinea pig to trust me?
You should not have tried to pick him up right away. You should start just sitting outside of cage talking to him. Then give him food in cage. If he sees you putting food in, he'll slowly start to trust you. After a week or so he should be able to be fed from your hand. If not, put the food away and bring it back closer to you every day. After he eats from your hand, he might let you pet him. After a while of you feeding him and petting him you'll be able to pick him up easily. He'll then be so social, meeting you at the cage when he hears you coming. Try feeding him at similar times every day because he'll know when you're coming.
I just got a guinea pig and she keeps hiding from me and not eating. I'm scared she'd get sick, is this normal and what can I do?
I’ve had many guinea pigs with my children. We always bought two from the same litter or pet store…they tend to comfort each other. See if you can buy a compatible little buddy for her. Guinea pigs are frightened and need to get used to being touched by people and held…it takes awhile but you need to get this little one used to touch and your hand inside the cage. She may try to bite but it doesn’t hurt and it’s only her trying to protect herself from something new…it will stop.Be sure she has good quality food with extras in it. Give him a strawberry…they love them and need vitamin C. Give small pieces of fruit and keep the cage bottom clean with alfalfa. Plenty of clean waster. I cleaned their cage once a week as my kids didn’t do it. Guinea pigs like to get out an run around the house. They run fast and jump and twirl…fun to watch but keep in a secure area so he doesn’t hide and know you might have a little dry mess to clean up but not much. They need their excercise. They also like those guinea pig plastic balls that you put them in and they can travel all over…but watch out for stairs. Don’t keep them in long as they do get warm and there isn’t a lot of ventilation.Make a little cardboard box for her to hide and sleep in…they chew the cardboard but it’s okay for them. Pet stores have woven straw hideaways that they like to feel secure in.One more thing…check their teeth if not eating…sometimes the upper teeth grow with the lower teeth on the outside instead of the upper teeth in the front..,,this makes it impossible for them to pick up food and eat it…they will starve to death if not noticed.Just pay attention…most never get over their fear completely but do let you hold them wrapped in a cloth or towel to begin with. Be patient and don’t scare him with loud noises. He should warm up to you in awhile and enjoy sitting on your lap in a towel or blanket to feel secure all over.
My guinea pig is now defensive and untrusting, will I ever regain his trust , and how?
So I have a guinea pig since june 2011 I was told he was a year but the vet said no more than 5 months this was in june, ok so I spoiled him breakfast lunch dinner fresh veggies and fruits+ snacks cuddle time every day 2-3x.I have a 8yr old boy and 3 yr old girl.bailey my guinea pig was OFF LIMITS so he naturally grew a bond with me squeeked when he heard me alowed me to pick him up shower him kiss him never nipped or bit me he would nibble and lick but never attempt to bite it nip.and came when I called or spoke.do 2 wks ago I allowed the kids to begin touching and familiarize with him , but I noticed it got frequent.and they would do it when I was sleeping early in the morning. 2 days ago I my husband asked me what was wrong wjth bailey he looked sad and bored and not happy that when he went to pet him it was like nothing, Keep in mind he always popcorned now he doesn't , then iwent to put my hand in and he ran and hid so I was like ok ? Then I called him and he didn't come he did hidden under his hammock.so when I got him out he was fidgety.I put him on my couch and usually he would come to me when ever I baby talked to him and get super happy this time his guard was up I could tell.so when I went to pet under his chin he nipped me! Then I realized by his body language he was guarded defensive and un trusting I'm so sad cuz he won't even trust hand feeding and I know the kids teased him with carrots they would give him some and take it away just to get him to squeek and say yum yum to make him squeek he did that alot.now nothing, he would squeek just with the sound of the fridge opening.they are now not allowed to touch speak or go near his cage.the only thing he does is a up trick for snack but that's it he is so traumatized .how do I regain his trust, he can't even hear them speak to close when he out the cage without standing in defensive position he doesn't even trust anything passing near im the only 1 he semi trust ,what do I do?I want my bailey back ..
How do I pick up guinea pigs? I’m worried that I’ll lose all their trust.
At first your guinea pig will be nervous around you and might even try to run away. You will first need to earn the guinea pig's trust and you can earn it little by little. Don't worry about "losing your guinea pig's trust" they are happy little creatures and are quick to forgive. To gain their trust start by hand feeding them their favorite food (carrots, apples, etc) and they will come to associate you with their favorite treats and will come to trust and like you. After you have gained their trust you can start picking them up. Start by sliding one hand under the belly and sliding your other hand under the back legs. Be sure to support their back legs and bum with your hands or else you might hurt their back. Gently lift up and hold them close to your body. Reduce the time you spend walking around with them and spend time holding your guinea pig while you are sitting down and have the guinea pig sit on your lap. While they are sitting on your lap pet them and speak to them and they will soon learn to love being held by their human.
How do I get a guinea pig to like my dog?
Keep the guinea pig in its container and the dogs elsewhere. Different dog breeds have different prey drives. Individuals may vary in response. If your dog is one of the hunting, terrier or working breeds, there will be an elevated possibility that it thinks the guinea pig is a snack you've thoughtfully provided.Personally, unless the dog is a puppy, I wouldn’t be keen to introduce the two at all. Regardless of the circumstances of introduction the guinea pig, as a rodent, will rightly be stressed in the presence of a predator, the canine. That is a self-preservation instinct and I think it is cruel to intentionally inflict it on the smaller animal.
Why is my Guinea Pig scared of me?
I got my Guinea Pig 3 weeks ago ( she's a month and a half old) and she's still afraid of everyone. I try to interact with her by placing her on my bed but when she sees me reaching into her cage, she instantly hides in her piggy castle. Also, when I try to carry her, she squirms a lot and I'm afraid that it'll hurt her. That's why I avoid carrying her. What can I do to let her know that I won't hurt her.
My guinea pig is evil .-.?
He's bored probably. They have weird ways of showing that they're bored. Oh and they warm up to you better when they have a cage mate. My second guinea pig was like that. It took about 6 months for her to get used to me. She also liked to kick up the hay but she did that when she was happy. It's called "popcorning." The last one I got was abused but she warned up to me in about 9 months even though she's still a little jumpy sometimes (shorter than I thought it would be). Some things to consider: figure out where he likes to be pet (one of mine likes her head to be rubbed while the other doesn't- eventually he should start purring; that's how I knew that each was starting to get used to me), how you should hold him (try not to leave his legs hanging, support his legs and back with your other hand and make sure his front legs aren't sticking up in the air-that's uncomfortable for them), give lots of veggies and treats for a bit (within reason of course), and most importantly talk to him! Also, work up to getting his trust. When he lets you hold him eventually, start with only a few minutes of cuddling at a time. My last guinea pig responds to me when I talk to her even if she doesn't want me to pick her. It all takes patience!