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Taming your Guinea Pig

When you first get your guinea pigs it is best to leave them alone as much as possible for the first couple of days. It is very tempting to keep picking them up and showing them to people but this is very stressful for them when they are in a new environment so please resist this until they have settled in.

Make sure that each guinea pig has a nice house to hide in. Otherwise when they are startled the more dominant piggie will kick the other one out of the box and this can cause fights particularly amongst males. If possible don't disturb your pet when he is in his box as this will make them feel more secure. It is sometimes necessary to catch them by tipping over the box but do this as little as possible in the early days.

Feed your guinea pigs at the same time every day. They will soon learn to assoicate the sounds of feeding with something nice happening. Ours squeak when they hear rustling and/or the frige opening. Also have times a couple of times a day when you give them treats.

At first you may have to just put a treat outside the door of the nest box and move away but over time you should be able to get a guinea pig to take it from your hand. This is the most difficult part of the process and it is worth persevering.   

Once you have a guinea pig feeding from your hand it is often quite a quick process to get them to come further and further out of the box and eventually come to the edge of the cage to be fed. Before long your guinea pig will be standing ready for a treat. It is absolutely essential that you don't use a treat to catch the guinea pig at this point as it will stop them trusting you. Once they get to trust you really well you will be able to pick them up. 

Guinea pigs are pets that you can sit on your lap and stroke but it can take a while for them to get used to it. A very frightened guinea pig will sit very still and even quiver. When they are a little less nervous they make a purring noise to indicate that they are unhappy - people often mistake this for the purring cats make when they are happy but it actually means the opposite.

When you first handle your guinea pig do so in a quiet room without a lot going on around. Turn off the TV and don't have the washing machine or hoover in the background. Sit them quietly and see if you can get them to eat their favorite treat - it can take a little while for them to feel safe enough to eat but if you are patient they will get happier about being handled. Make sure you always pick them up with their back end supported and don't walk around with them to start off with as the height makes them nervous. If you get them used to being handled and associate it with something nice happening (the treat) it will be easier later on when they need their toenails clipped or have to go to the vet.

If you have a long haired guinea pig be very careful not to snag her fur when you are combing her.

If you have indoor piggies consider making a door in their run so that they can be let out for floor time without having to be caught. This way they can let themselves in and out and will feel more secure because they can run back home if they are scared. You can then encourage them to come out with a rustling bag.  If you cannot let the piggies have their own door make sure that they have somewhere to hide to start off with so they can come in and it. This also applies to runs in the garden. Always give them a box to run into as you never know when the neighbour's cat might frigten them by sitting on the run.

If you take the time to slowly get your guinea pig used to you, then you will be rewarded with a happy, friendly pet. Although they won't all get to the stage where they run up and say hi when you enter the room, all guinea pigs can be taught that people are nice and present no threat and so have a much calmer, happier life. 

sharil
Thanks for reading.