Reference Care: Taming Scared Pigs

[Wheek Weak]

Tip Type

Care​

Tip Title

Taming Scared Pigs​

Your Tip

Spend as much time as possible in your piggie's cage.

Sweep poos, straighten fleece, top off pellets, change water, massage piggies under blankets, or just pretend to be doing something, etc. while talking to them in a calm, quiet, soothing voice.

The point is to make yourself a constant part of their home and life so that they consider you, not a danger, but something to look forward to and (better yet) someone that's part of their world.

This, along with a quiet environment, has made all of our rescues very tame, very quickly.

I hope this tip helps. It has worked for us 100% of the time. Our pigs are so tame that it's hard to get them out of the way when I do twice-a-day cleanings!​

Where did you get the idea?

Myself​

Link to source of idea (optional)

-​

Permission to use your tip?

Yes​

 

[Kipsie]

That's a great idea, but with my cage, I can't get into it very easily so I only take my piggies out to play 3-4 times a week. I'm getting a C&C cage when I get a job to pay for one. When that happens, i'll try that. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Wheek Weak]

You're welcome. You can still do it until you get a good cage. Hang around with them, talk to them, reach in and do things inside the cage, etc.

The point is, to make yourself a part of their life.

I think we get so frustrated because we try to make them a part of our life and they just don't understand that, and as prey animals - we shouldn't expect them to.

 

[IluvePiggies]

Too bad I would've read this before I posted a new thread. Don't know how well this will work while they still have Pet Store cages(because I don't have a C&C cage built yet) but I'll try......thanks!

 

[new piggie]

Thank you so much Wheek Weak! Gina excepted us alot faster than Semaj has (although she is louder than Gina when she hears the veggie bags). I noticed that when I am sweeping there cage Gina roams around none stop trying to figure out what is going on. But Semaj stays on the second floor watching! Actually its pretty cute, but I will be glad when the day comes where she doesn't run around the cage for her life.

Thank you so much for the tip!

 

[pigsmakemesmile]

I truly agree with Wheek wheek...My pigs are in my laundry room which is frequented multiple times through-out the day on a daily bases. They have become accustomed to all the noises in the house plus, each time the laundry room is entered, the pigs are approached and given a tickle and an I LOVE YOU, are patted, a quick pen tidy-up. All in all, makes a big difference. Some of my pigs actually get in the way as I try and sweep up the poo's..by trying to jump into the dust pan and eat the bristles of my wisk broom.

 

[Wheek Weak]

Some of my pigs actually get in the way as I try and sweep up the poo's..by trying to jump into the dust pan and eat the bristles of my wisk broom.

LOL! Yep...I have the exact same "problem"!

The piggies will still run under their tents, but it's more of a fun, playful run (not even a run...more like a walk). They come right back out to get into even more mischief!

I also forgot to add that it's actually not a bad thing for piggies to run and hide out of instinct and habit. A healthy pig will do that because, as a prey animal, they're wired that way.

A sick, or unhealthy, pig won't do that and it's a warning sign to get medical attention immediately. When our pigs run (walk) and hide...I don't pay any attention to it because that's what cavies are supposed to do, and that's good.

 

[Myspoiltpiggies]

It is a pretty good tip. Though I have to say, I don't think all pigs outgrow their shyness, no matter how hard you try. I say this because I have two girls, Emmy and Erin who are very skittish. Their mum and aunt were the same. It can't be because they weren't handled from birth because it is I that bred them (this was years ago I must add, I do not breed!!) and babies from other litters were so, so tame. It must have been in the genes. Or perhaps, because the mother was skittish they learnt the behaviour from her, maybe?

 

[MissGinger]

Yep i agree with this 100%.
My girl's Come running when they know I'm near there cage & it's because from day one I Was always either talking to them or doing something in there cage. It also help's when you have yummy veggie's with you lol.

 

[Cavies!]

ill do this a lot when i get my c&c cage, but i still get mine out 2-3 times a day

 

[iGuineapig]

when ever I clean my cages I just let my piggie roam around, but it's weird because when ever I'm cleaning her cages she walks around near me, and tries to sit in my lap. But when she's just out for floor time she hardly comes to me at all o-o.

 

[Africa]

Please can someone give me advice on how to tame my guinea pigs. I have had them now for almost 2 weeks, Im not sure how best to tame them. Some people say pick them up every day to tame them and others say bribe them with food and try stroking their heads so once you can pet them THEN can you only pick them up. Both my piggies take food from my hand and I can pet them gently on their heads but they still dont seem to be getting used to this, they hardly tolerate it. A lot of the time they try pulling the treat out my hand and running away with it. I always have to 'trick them' by putting both hands in the cage first with the veggie treat (holding onto it tightly) and then placing my one hand above the treat so before they even come up to the treat my other hand is already positioned over them so while they are eating I can pet them with 1 finger! So what do people suggest? do I pick them up even though they are scared or carry on doing what Im doing? If I carry on doing this how long do you think it will take?

 

[stampinlaura]

I wish this worked for my dd's piggie! His nickname is "chicken"! He is played with several times a day ... gotten out of his cage, petted, talked to, given attention. But, when put on the floor, he scampers back to his cage and jumps in! If he's out of his little house, and you even walk into dd's room, he runs into the house! He does tolerate the attention much better than he did even a few months ago ... but we've had him for almost 2 years! Ds's piggie is much better about not running and hiding from us.

 

[Africa]

Maybe he scampers back into his cage because you picked him up too early and did not gain his trust first? Im no guinea pig expert by all means (thats why I was asking for advice on taming) but you obviously tried hand feeding right? At first I put their veggies into a bowl in their cage but now after realizing that this is the way to gaining their trust, I only hand feed veggies so the only way they are going to get them is if they come to my hand i.e. dont leave any vegetables/fruit lying in their cage (only hay and pellets). Wow, but I cant believe its been 2 years...

 

[Wheek Weak]

I wish this worked for my dd's piggie! His nickname is "chicken"! He is played with several times a day ... gotten out of his cage, petted, talked to, given attention. But, when put on the floor, he scampers back to his cage and jumps in! If he's out of his little house, and you even walk into dd's room, he runs into the house! He does tolerate the attention much better than he did even a few months ago ... but we've had him for almost 2 years! Ds's piggie is much better about not running and hiding from us.

What is "dd" and "ds"?

Does "dd" spend a lot of time IN the cage with the piggy? By that I mean, does he/she keep their hands in the cage with the piggy a lot?

The trick is to be a part of their house/cage. Guinea pigs, as a rule, do not like to be picked up and carried around (I don't blame them, I wouldn't like it either).

I've also found out (from experience) that pigloos are not good for establishing a rapport with guinea pigs. We use fleece tents (fleece baby blankets with two ends tied to the grids about 3-4 grids up x 8-10 grids apart). They tend to make the piggers more sociable for some reason.

 

[Wheek Weak]

Maybe he scampers back into his cage because you picked him up too early and did not gain his trust first? Im no guinea pig expert by all means (thats why I was asking for advice on taming) but you obviously tried hand feeding right? At first I put their veggies into a bowl in their cage but now after realizing that this is the way to gaining their trust, I only hand feed veggies so the only way they are going to get them is if they come to my hand i.e. dont leave any vegetables/fruit lying in their cage (only hay and pellets). Wow, but I cant believe its been 2 years...

You definately should leave their veggies in the cage with them. Guinea pigs are foragers and will eat over the course of several hours. By only hand-feeding they may not get enough vitamins and nutrients.

I've also read that the trick to taming is to hand-feed. Personally, that is not something that we have done...we haven't had to because our pigs get very tame, very quickly, by us keeping our hands in their cage/home.

In essence, we make ourselves a part of their cage. We are always doing something the cage. Whether it be changing fleece blankets, adding hay/pellets, sweeping up poos, removing old/wilted veggies, sweeping the floor in front of the cage while talking to them, etc.

I'm not really sure what folks mean by "tame". Our pigs walk around in the cage when we're cleaning it, they stand on the dustpan, sniff the little broom, smell our arms and hands, want us to pet and massage them under their tents, don't bite or fight when we trim nails, love to play under the fleece tents as we're tying onto the grids, don't run when we walk into the room or up to the cage...

But, they will still fuss when they are picked up, they will waddle into their tents when we're cleaning (but waddle right back out to us), run and hide when they hear a noise that scares them, etc.

Guinea pigs are not like a dog or cat. There is a different definition of "tame" for piggies. They are prey animals. They will be more like birds than they will be like dogs or cats (predators).

I guess what I need to know is what are you expecting a "tame" guinea pig to do or be?

 

[Africa]

I am expecting a tame guinea pig to tolerate being touched even when you dont have food in your hand i.e I dont expect them to ever love to be picked up but I want them to enjoy being petted. But from what you have described a "tame" piggie to be, it sounds like my one boy is almost very tame (Im just scared to pick him up before he is ready). So basically I just want to be able to pet them when I put my hand in but I think I am getting there!

Thanks for the correction about the veggies, but I do hand feed them 3 times a day so they get a good variety of fruit and veg in a day (they get as much veg in a sitting until they get bored of eating it - like a stick of parsley each and a little slice of red pepper for example and at lunch one romaine leaf each and a baby carrot each) (similiar story for dinner) Do you think I need to still leave some more in their cage?

 

[Wheek Weak]

I am expecting a tame guinea pig to tolerate being touched even when you dont have food in your hand i.e I dont expect them to ever love to be picked up but I want them to enjoy being petted. But from what you have described a "tame" piggie to be, it sounds like my one boy is almost very tame (Im just scared to pick him up before he is ready). So basically I just want to be able to pet them when I put my hand in but I think I am getting there!

Thanks for the correction about the veggies, but I do hand feed them 3 times a day so they get a good variety of fruit and veg in a day (they get as much veg in a sitting until they get bored of eating it - like a stick of parsley each and a little slice of red pepper for example and at lunch one romaine leaf each and a baby carrot each) (similiar story for dinner) Do you think I need to still leave some more in their cage?

Of all of our rescues (all of whom were very tame) only 1/3 have liked to be petted and would actually run up to us for petting.

About 1/3 would tolerate being petted if they were in the mood and mellow enough at the time.

And the other 1/3 never liked being petted or touched. So, it really just depends on the personality of the pig.

As far as a pig being "ready" to be picked up...never as far as ours are concerned!! lol

If you haven't already...print off Ly's Diet/Nutrition chart to use on a daily basis. It's a great resource to make sure your piggy is getting the proper nutrition: https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...-pigs-diet-read-me-nutrition-charts-info.html

 

[stampinlaura]

What is "dd" and "ds"?

quote]

dd is dear daughter
ds is dear son

I haven't heard about spending time "in the piggie's cage" until I started getting on this forum. I'll have to tell my daughter to try that. She gets him out of cage several times a day, and will lay on her bed, reading a book while holding and petting her piggie.

I guess what I thought was piggie not being tame is more a response or whatever due to being a prey animal. If he's out on dd's bedroom floor, he'll run back and jump into his cage. Maybe he is just not feeling safe being out running around and so heads back to where he does feel safe. Even when being held, he prefers to bury his head / face in a blanket or someone's arm.

 

[Smudgetoffee]

Cheers, there was a noise of a sander which was fine for another pig but spooked my smudge out of his mind, I grabbed him and he just collapsed into my arm with fright. He's fine now.
Cheers!