new guinea pig, very scared

[icygreen]

We just got the little guy a few days ago. He's 3 or 4 months old and has had 4 different homes. We got him two days ago and he is terrified of us. He isn't running around or being active, but the cage he's in right now isn't very big, either. We're working on getting him a big area. He's eating fine but he just stays in his hiding place all day. I feel so bad for the little guy. How can we help him warm up to us?

[Ziggy&Herald]

Hand feeding veggies seems to help a lot. Holding him to get him used to you will help too. I'm sure you don't want to scare him even more, but holding him is necessary. Apparently he hasn't had a very good start to his life. Just make him as comfortable as possible. It may take a little longer, but he should at least start coming out of his hidey. Once you get a bigger cage, maybe think about a friend. That tends to make them more active also.

[Wheek Weak]

Poor little baby. Four different homes in 3-or-4 months? No wonder he's so scared.

What we do to calm and tame our rescues is keep our hands in their cage as much as much as possible while talking to them in a quiet, calm, soothing voice. We also keep their environment as quiet as possible.

We sweep up poos, change baby blankets, add hay/pellets, give veggie treats by hand, or just pretend to be doing something. As long as we have our hands in the cage while talking to them (not trying to pick them up or touch them) while getting them used to us, and our voices, so they learn that they're (somewhat...in a guinea pig's mind) safe. We can usually calm even the most frantic piggie within a day, or two, using this method.

Make sure to read all of the stickies at the top of each forum. It's also a good idea to print off the diet/nutrition chart to use on a daily basis. Good luck with your new little fellow. It sounds like he needs a lot of love and attention in a good, solid, permanent home.

Also, don't forget...guinea pigs are prey animals and will always (no matter how tame they are) automatically run/hide from anyone, and anything, that moves. Our piggies are so tame you practically have to step over them to get around in here - yet, just from instinct, they'll still start to run until they stop and realize that it's just us that they're running from and will stop and come right back to us!

It would also help to get him a male (or spayed female) cagemate once you have a bigger cage.