Any suggestions I have not read or heard so far would be most welcome!
Here's the story: I got them 6 weeks ago at a pet store (my only acquisition avenue) and have taken the best care of them possible: top of the line pellet food, generous daily timothy/alfalfa hay mix and vitamin C enriched vegetables every day and some suitable fruits 3 times a week. Floor time nearly every day. An 11 foot square C&C cage, with plenty of places to hide and feel comfortable but also a few well chosen toys and a couple sections of pvc pipe they love to chase each other through.
More to the point I have done the following: sat by their cage and talked softly for hours.....fed them by hand in the cage, fed them by hand in my lap...used the gentle tube capture method to transfer them to floor time or to my lap for grooming and petting. Held them close to me and talked soothingly.
And they seem pretty healthY; they sure eat a lot and void a lot. They make contented sounds as long as I mostly stay the heck away from the. :>) The trouble is they are no more open to me picking them up by hand, let alone petting them than on Day 1 unless i have involuntarily transferred them to my lap and they are captive. And if I make a sudden move going about my business as much as 4 feet from the cage, let alone come near it, they still scatter and hide like I was a predator. (Unless and only as long as I have food in my hand and they are hungry will they come near my hand in the cage.). Also I have tried hard to litter train them in the cage: two litter boxes with different bedding in those boxes to distinguish them from the rest of the cage bedding. Constant hand transferring of their poo pellets to the litter boxes to give them the idea...a little hay in the boxes as an incentive. They still poo and pee everywhere and anywhere, they often lie in it and ignore the litter boxes. When I am not at work I try to reward them if i see them use the litter boxes, but they hardly ever do.
They seem to love each other and popcorn and chase each other around a lot, so i know they are reasonably happy and healthy. But I did expect the time and money and effort i invested in them to result in some degree of bonding with them after 6 weeks, outside of approaching my hand only if, and only so long as, treats are there. I Understand patience is required and they are skittish prey animals, but i expected more evidence of taming as a result of my consistent efforts by now. Frankly, I am ready to put them on Craigs' List for someone who will have more luck. When i read other cavy owners talk about cuddling time that their piggies love, I can't imagine it with my cavies from what i have experienced so far. Anyone have any encouraging words to convince me to tough it out a little longer?? I'd sure be appreciative! :>) Allen
Here's the story: I got them 6 weeks ago at a pet store (my only acquisition avenue) and have taken the best care of them possible: top of the line pellet food, generous daily timothy/alfalfa hay mix and vitamin C enriched vegetables every day and some suitable fruits 3 times a week. Floor time nearly every day. An 11 foot square C&C cage, with plenty of places to hide and feel comfortable but also a few well chosen toys and a couple sections of pvc pipe they love to chase each other through.
More to the point I have done the following: sat by their cage and talked softly for hours.....fed them by hand in the cage, fed them by hand in my lap...used the gentle tube capture method to transfer them to floor time or to my lap for grooming and petting. Held them close to me and talked soothingly.
And they seem pretty healthY; they sure eat a lot and void a lot. They make contented sounds as long as I mostly stay the heck away from the. :>) The trouble is they are no more open to me picking them up by hand, let alone petting them than on Day 1 unless i have involuntarily transferred them to my lap and they are captive. And if I make a sudden move going about my business as much as 4 feet from the cage, let alone come near it, they still scatter and hide like I was a predator. (Unless and only as long as I have food in my hand and they are hungry will they come near my hand in the cage.). Also I have tried hard to litter train them in the cage: two litter boxes with different bedding in those boxes to distinguish them from the rest of the cage bedding. Constant hand transferring of their poo pellets to the litter boxes to give them the idea...a little hay in the boxes as an incentive. They still poo and pee everywhere and anywhere, they often lie in it and ignore the litter boxes. When I am not at work I try to reward them if i see them use the litter boxes, but they hardly ever do.
They seem to love each other and popcorn and chase each other around a lot, so i know they are reasonably happy and healthy. But I did expect the time and money and effort i invested in them to result in some degree of bonding with them after 6 weeks, outside of approaching my hand only if, and only so long as, treats are there. I Understand patience is required and they are skittish prey animals, but i expected more evidence of taming as a result of my consistent efforts by now. Frankly, I am ready to put them on Craigs' List for someone who will have more luck. When i read other cavy owners talk about cuddling time that their piggies love, I can't imagine it with my cavies from what i have experienced so far. Anyone have any encouraging words to convince me to tough it out a little longer?? I'd sure be appreciative! :>) Allen