Handling baby guinea pigs advice needed

[rose]

Hi everyone,

I now have my guinea pigs I picked them up from the breeder. I have had them for about two weeks. They are eight weeks old. At first they didn't want to eat and were naturally very nervous, now they are eating well and making lots of sounds

I am not sure what to do about a particular problem I have been having with them. One of them is very nervous and always has been. They do not like being handled at all, I know they are very young and I am not expecting miracles but they don't like me to pick them up and pet them even for a minute. I try to pick them up twice a day and pet them. I try to do everything to pick them up properly as described in my book and as gently as possible. I put them in a fleece cosy so they can feel safe but they don't like me touching them. They seem to hate me stroking them lightly straight away. They get very upset.

They make a sound and when I looked the sound up on the internet apparently its the sound they make when you are doing something they do not like (stroking them). When I realised what the sound meant I felt really terrible for picking them up and petting them so I put them back in their home immediately when they make this noise. But I am not getting anywhere with the them in regards to handling them.

One of my books says don't pick them up and pet them if they don't want to be petted. Another book says you must pick them up and get them used to be handled a little each day the first few weeks or they will never be tame. I've tried offering them a little treat but they don't want to know if I've picked them up. They turn their little faces away. One book says to stroke them gently behind the ears and not to touch the rump as it upsets them so I am doing this. I also try stroking them gently under their chins but they don't like it.

Should I stop trying to handle them altogether? Has anyone got any ideas? I know it is a long time away from them ever purring on my lap and I am in the beginning stages but I can't see me ever getting to that stage at the moment. Do you think this improves as they get older? Is there something I could be doing that might make them more relaxed. I've tried talking to them lots.

If anyone can give me any advice I would appreciate it very much.

All the best

Rose

[littlepiggy]

Hi Rose, I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems with your babies - I have 2 as well who are only 1 week older than yours and I think you just have to be patient and keep trying. I pick mine up 1 or 2 times a day - Daisy is easy to pick up but Piggle races around the cage like you wouldn't believe!!!!

What I sometimes do is to just pop my hand in the cage and stroke them/offer them a treat, so they don't always link me with being picked up. When we do get them out sometimes I pop them down my padded waistcoat and they love snuggling down there lol! Do you sometimes get them out and just let them run around and have fun? Mine love it - I take the lid off their cage and pop that on the floor on top of an old towel then put them in and off they go - they do laps and love it.

Sorry I'm not much help as I'm a real piggie novice, but I'd say if you leave them you'll undo the good work you've done so far. I'm sure in no time they'll be lying out on your lap purring away and this will all be a distant memory. We'll have to keep comparing notes to see how they're getting on as they're so close in age!

Good luck and don't be disheartened

[meggiepiggy]

Hello Rose,

Sounds like it's early days to me.............and you'd be surprised how many new piggy owners feel the same as you at the moment

Don't despair, we have some very experienced members who will be able to advise you and some not so experienced who will offer their opinions and swap stories with you.

One thing we are good at on the forum is good advice and loads of moral support

I am sure you will have members replying to your thread soon

[rose]

Hi little Piggy

Thanks for your reply.

I have not let them run around freely yet, I did try to get them out yesterday but they got too upset. I will definitely try again. One is very very nervous much more than the other and the other one is nervous enough!!
The one that is really nervous gets a very fast heartbeat when I go too close which makes me feel upset and to be honest I have begun avoiding picking her up because I know it upsets her.

Yesterday she bit me when I stroked her little head while she was in her home (I did not pick her up). I know they only bite when they are very scared!! I have a hamster and he has only bit me once in two years and that was because his water flooded his cage once.

I really am trying to do everything to make sure she feels safe but it does not seem to do any good at the moment. I leave them alone for hours at a time. I don't constantly bother them. Today I started playing them classical music from the radio because I read on the internet that it calms them down.

Of course this might just be a stupid idea!!! They might not like classical music so it might not help!!

The thing is I am getting nervous about touching them or handling them now. But I shall try not to be disheartened.

Thank you very much for your reply and telling me about your little ones. At least I can learn what yours are like as they about the same age as mine. Keep me informed.

Best wishes

Rose

[eppingstrider]

I got Fred & George when they were 7 weeks old and they were my first piggies, so I had all the same worries as you. Chasing them round the cage seemed such an awful thing to do, and it was a real struggle sometimes.

I think it was a good month before I managed to get any real stroking time with them, and at first I thought something was wrong because George used to vibrate and I wondered if I should take him to the vet. Eventually he found his voice and started wheeking - the vibration was enjoyment - like purring!

But like you they didnt seem to enjoy it - didnt want food or treats....

I think you're going the right way with them. Perhaps the cuddle in the jacket without stroking for a bit will help them to relax and enjoy it? If they push your hand away from your head, dont touch the head - Fred doesnt like it, Georgie does. I'm sorry they tried biting you, but I think it is good advice to put the hand in anyway - mine still have to be in the right mood for me to do this. But George will let me stroke his nose now, which is very trusting I think!

But I did get put off for a while, and some days gave up on picking them up - dont do that is my advice, unless you know your temper is frayed (in which case go and have a cup of tea).

But my boys are still quite hard to pick up - the new ones were described as 'skittish' but they're a peach compared to F&G even now!

Good luck - and we're here for you!

PS Yes, mine get classical music on a daily basis. Now that I've fixed my cd player they also get rock, pop, jazz, world and goodness knows what else! They like Mozart and Bach and especially oboe and clarinet concertos. They dont mind loud music like the 1812 overture or the Planets, but they HATE things that go 'ting' like the Sugar Plum Fairy!! They quite like Led Zeppelin and Yes as well......and they're getting used to me singing along with stuff (but they might need mini-earmuffs)



Reason for Editing: music response!

Reason for Editing: music response!

[1toni2007]

hi Rose, dont give up , i know that is easy to say when you feel that all you are doing is upsetting you piggys .
i Got two of mine when they were 18mth Gandolf and 9mth Frodo, both had not been handled much if at all, and they would run, hide, wheek and panic, if i tryed to pick them up. and you feel like you are going to give them a heart attack. now the little devils will still do the run when i try to pick them up, but it does not last as long as it did by any strech, then they stop as if to say go on then pick me up i will let you now, Gandolf purrs and is a happy boy on the lap, but he will still not let me hand feed him, gives me a look as if to say on my terms and not yet, Frodo still not over keen on being picked up for long, and he still prefers to be wraped in a towel so he feels safe, but he will let you stroke his back and hand feed him, he is now my noisest piggy at feed time, when he was the quietest, each of them is diffrent, and like yours were scared, just keep going the sence of pride you feel in your piggy the first time they let you do some thing with them is well worth it, and you feel like you have won the lottery, my Frodo still has a way to go, but i know with time and love we will get there in the end. ;D
and you and your piggys will too

[Hugs-Cavies (Doris)]

Persevere. It could take a few weeks for them to get used to being handled, but it really will be worth it in the end

[michaelsmum]

Hi Rose. I'm having similar problems to you. I got my piggies about 11 weeks ago when they were 10 weeks old from a local farm. They hadn't been handled much and were very nervous when I brought them home. They are much better about being handled then they were, but I still feel a bit despondent when I try to hold them, especially Ben. Sometimes (well, most times) he wants to get back in the cage pretty much as soon as I get him in my lap! Sam is a bit better, but he just likes to nibble on my clothes.

While they are vocal in the cage, they aren't very vocal while I'm stroking them - unless they are calling to eachother. I still don't really know how they like to be stroked and which noises mean they like something or don't like something.

I think like everyone has said, it does take perserverance. I don't have a lot of time to handle them (one of the main reason I got two piggies rather than one) but I do keep trying! Just know you're not alone in how your feeling. Keep us updated and hang in there.