Hi;
I've had my Guinea Pigs around six months now, I'm just wondering if it's normal that I'm still unable to handle them. By this I mean, that If I go to stroke them in their cage, they will run away and hide. I am however able to feed them from my hand, but even when eating they won't allow me to stoke them. They'll just run under one of the bridges and eat there. If I put my hand in the cage they will run over to it and sniff it, but will run away if I move it a tiny bit. They don't like to be picked up, at all. When I do have to pick them up (for floor time, bath time, cage cleaning) one of them just accepts it, but the other can really make a horrible screeching noise that makes me sad - I no longer try and pick them up, instead I lure them in to their bed and pick the bed up. Before I put them in their carry cage or in their pen for floor time, I do give them a little cuddle or a stroke but they seem to get restless within seconds and try to make a run for it.
Their cage is in the lounge so they're around me a lot, they got used to the noise that I make, but around two weeks ago, for no apparent reason they've started to get really jumpy. If they're upstairs eating and I move my leg (Stretch it on the couch) they run downstairs so fast and hide under their bridge. They aren't afraid of me at all though, whenever I stand up or move they run to the side of their cage (Closest side to where I am) and stand on their back legs (With their top paws on the top of the cage) sqeeking very loudly at me, with it getting louder the closer I get to the cage).
They're from the same batch of Piggies, and they came to live with me when they were about 10 weeks old, yet they still argue a little bit (Every time I clean the cage) and they won't share their toys/cuddle up. I.e they have two bridges and they'll go in one each or one will go under the bridge whilst the other sleeps on top of it. And even though the beds are big enough for the both of them, one will sleep inside the bed whilst the other will sleep outside of it.
I'm just wondering if all of this is normal, and it's a patience, they may come around thing. Any help or advice would be great.
Thank you.
General Information: They're both female, and are in a CC cage of 4x2 with a 1x2 upstairs (where the food is, they've never 'bullied' one another around food).
I've had my Guinea Pigs around six months now, I'm just wondering if it's normal that I'm still unable to handle them. By this I mean, that If I go to stroke them in their cage, they will run away and hide. I am however able to feed them from my hand, but even when eating they won't allow me to stoke them. They'll just run under one of the bridges and eat there. If I put my hand in the cage they will run over to it and sniff it, but will run away if I move it a tiny bit. They don't like to be picked up, at all. When I do have to pick them up (for floor time, bath time, cage cleaning) one of them just accepts it, but the other can really make a horrible screeching noise that makes me sad - I no longer try and pick them up, instead I lure them in to their bed and pick the bed up. Before I put them in their carry cage or in their pen for floor time, I do give them a little cuddle or a stroke but they seem to get restless within seconds and try to make a run for it.
Their cage is in the lounge so they're around me a lot, they got used to the noise that I make, but around two weeks ago, for no apparent reason they've started to get really jumpy. If they're upstairs eating and I move my leg (Stretch it on the couch) they run downstairs so fast and hide under their bridge. They aren't afraid of me at all though, whenever I stand up or move they run to the side of their cage (Closest side to where I am) and stand on their back legs (With their top paws on the top of the cage) sqeeking very loudly at me, with it getting louder the closer I get to the cage).
They're from the same batch of Piggies, and they came to live with me when they were about 10 weeks old, yet they still argue a little bit (Every time I clean the cage) and they won't share their toys/cuddle up. I.e they have two bridges and they'll go in one each or one will go under the bridge whilst the other sleeps on top of it. And even though the beds are big enough for the both of them, one will sleep inside the bed whilst the other will sleep outside of it.
I'm just wondering if all of this is normal, and it's a patience, they may come around thing. Any help or advice would be great.
Thank you.
General Information: They're both female, and are in a CC cage of 4x2 with a 1x2 upstairs (where the food is, they've never 'bullied' one another around food).