Behavior Will my guinea pigs get more comfortable around me?

[ringo_and_neo]

Hi, I got my two male piggies, Ringo and Neo, about a month ago, and I?m having some trouble interpreting their behaviors. At this point they take food from my hand, wheek when they hear me coming, and will come out to sniff, and gently nibble, my hand (Ringo will even lick it!). Ringo is definitely more social, he will let me pet him on occasion, usually when he?s in his fleece jungle. He will purr loudly and flatten his whole body out too! Neo never lets me touch him if he can help it. They both run like crazy if I try to take them out to change their fleece, but I was lying on the floor with them and they came right up to my face and Ringo licked my nose. However, whenever they?re out on my lap or in general they don?t move much or relax at all. I was wondering if they?ll ever be more comfortable with me petting and holding them, or is this the best they?ll ever be?

 

[bpatters]

Welcome!

All that behavior is totally normal, and I'm sure several people will weigh in on ways to make friends with them.

I just wanted to give you some links to recommended reading material for new pig owners:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/107827-What-NOT-to-do-for-your-guinea-pigs!

 

[mauvemoth]

Honestly it all depends on the piggies personality. I have four girls and each one of them has a unique personality. I have had my one girl for 3 years and she hates being touched. But she will let you scratch her nose but only on her terms!!!!! Lol.
It can take a few months for your piggies to become fully comfortable with you. Remember they are naturally prey animals. They never do like being picked up, but try to pick them up everyday. They will get used to it. Give them treats everytime you do to let them know their safe. Start off low and progressively start holding them longer.

With all being said they don't sound that shy around you. I'd say you are making great progress!!!! Licking is a sign of affection (sometimes it's the salt on your hands) But I like to always think they are giving me kisses haha!


All in all, I wouldn't worry at all. From the sounds of it they are already comfortable with you. Just keep being patient. It'll be worth it.

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[ringo_and_neo]

Thank you! I actually work at a pet store (I’m not forced to tell people fake info to make them buy animalss, I tell them about the treats we sell being unhealthy and the cages are too small. We don’t advise people to buy anything unhealthy, but we can’t control what is on the shelves or the cage sizes for the animals, unfortunately. My boss buys them veggies out of his own pocket, and everyone cares about their health and well-being more than selling them) I feel like I have a very good handle on the logistics of caring for my piggies, it’s just their behaviors that I find hard to interpret. I bonded with the more sociable guinea pig at the store, so I’m hoping the one I didn’t see as much at work will get more comfortable!! He’s doing better than I expected, and he’s very loud, and I never heard him make noise at work. They’re definitely a lot happier now, I’m just hoping theyll let me hold them more soon

 

[LittleSqueakers]

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like the pigs are already getting used to you. Since guinea pigs are prey animals, building trust with them can take a long time, like weeks or months. In my personal experience, I feel like it typically takes longer to build trust with the average guinea pig than it does with the average dog or cat (but there are always exceptions). Hand-feeding is definitely one of the best techniques to help teach them that you are a "good guy". The fact that they are coming out to greet you is a very good sign!

Don't be worried if they run when you go to pick them up or don't seem to relax when they're out in the open; that's all normal behavior. Being prey animals means they're scared of being "caught"; even if they know it's just you, it's their instinct to flee. After a lot of work with many pigs, I've been able to condition all of them except for one to actually climb into my hands to be picked up, but it's tricky to teach this as it's not a natural behavior.

Pigs in general don't like to be out in the open with nowhere nearby to hide, so make sure there are plenty of hiding places they can easily get to during floor time. Nevertheless, some pigs just don't ever really learn to love floor time or will stay hidden the entire time, and that's okay. It really just depends on the individual, but having hides nearby will help them to feel more secure and more confident.

Keep up the good work and just take it all in stride. It all kind of comes naturally with time and gentle handling. You're already off to a great start!