General How long did it take you?

[Katrinah]

We have had our 2 girls now for about 1.5 to 2 months. We put them in their C&C cage last week and they are loving all the room. My question is how long before they start to let you touch them? At least 2 times if not 3 a day we take bits of leafy greens or green pepper and hand feed them. They do take from our hands inside the cage now. They do come to us and eat from us but they take it and back up, or sometimes run off. I talk soft to them as well as my kids. Will they ever trust us enough to scratch their ears or pet them? I know taming can take time, and it is time we are willing to spend. Just wondering if there is something else I should be doing/trying. For instance, I spent about an hour trying to find something they were willing to climb into (piggy elevator) so I could change their fleece. Then once done another hour or more trying to get them out of play area so could put them back in their C&C cage.

When they were in their smaller cage I would pet them in a corner when trying to get them out for floor time because I would have to pick them up out of the cage to get them to the floor. I am hoping they don't hate me now :weepy:

 

[scarlett]

By nature, piggies do not like being picked up. But once you do manage to catch one of the buggers, they are quite docile and cuddly. My boys will let me hand feed them in their cage, but still run when I just try to pet them. I've had them since January.
I'd be interested to know if other piggie owners have had success.

 

[SheriMartini]

I have two males, and Puppy let me start petting him right away. Fajita just recently let me (after a year) start petting him in the cage, and only then I've got a 50% success rate!

 

[Molly75]

Are you saying you actually never pick them up? If so, then start holding them asap. You do have to catch them, that is just the nature of pigs. Some of them will get to the point of just sitting there and letting you gently pick them up, my old pig did that years ago. My 2 girls right now don't though. We have to chase them in their cage a bit, take out their hidey's, etc. We do it gently, with soft talking, etc. The one we've had for 5 months lets us pet her in the cage now and often lets us just pick her right up, not always but often. She also often hides in her house, making us have to remove it to get to her. The one we've only had for about 6 weeks wont sit to be pet in the cage and we always have to chase her around. Once they are both in our arms they LOVE IT! They love being on our laps, being pet and hand fed on our laps. One of them loves to sit up on my shoulders and neck.

It's very important to hold them. Don't take their running away the wrong way, it doesn't mean they don't want human touch. They just don't know how to make themselves trust just yet. But they will.

 

[1frankie7]

My boars still run when I try to pick them up. But charlie does let me pet him, Jake not so much. I have had charlie for like 4-5 Mos, Jake for 2-3 Mos, And I'm still working on getting their trust. Although I have held both of them many many many times.

 

[Bamysmum]

Like everyone else, my guineas have all run for their life at some point when I've come to say hello. My eldest will never let me pet her unless I have her trapped in a corner of the pen or she's tucked up snug on my lap. My youngest piggie used to let me pet her when she was pregnant and a mumma but now she's a carefree piggy again only lets me pet her on special occasions. My middle furry will let me pet her almost all the time but only since I came back from a two week trip when I left the girls with a friend. Seems absence can make the guinea heart grow fonder

 

[Peggysu]

I have had my girls for almost two years now. I got both of them when they were pretty young. I have one that comes right up to me to let me pet her and the other girl never lets me pet her. It's taken her almost a year and a half to take food from my hand. She has just started to like lap time and will actually sprawl out when I hold her now.

Guinea pigs are strange and each has their own personalities. My boars are much more friendly and come right up to me. They were both adults when I got them, but I have not had them as long as I've had the girls.

 

[xoLauraox09]

Only my two three year old sows and my boar will let me pet them without running off.

My other four sows always come up to me for food but won't let me pet them

 

[Katie_Kutthroat]

My male Piggly Wiggly, lets me pet him most of the time because he loves his chin rubbed, I've had him for about 5 months. Recently my female Ginny has let me start petting her, I've had her for a month. She loves her lower back rubbed and her belly. Their really affectionate when they want to be. When I was younger I thought guinea pigs wanted no part of people because all the ones I ever saw were very skittish. My pigs love to just chill on a comfy towel on my chest and watch tv.

 

[JD In Van]

My boys love having their noses rubbed and petted, and they'll come over to let me do that, they hate being picked up and having their backs touched (I think it scares them).

Sometimes you just have to learn how they like to be touched.

 

[Katrinah]

Are you saying you actually never pick them up? If so, then start holding them asap.

I did when they were in the smaller cage (been in C&C a bit over a week now) and easier to catch. I would each night before floor time, sit cross legged on the floor with a towel on my lap and chase them down into a corner of a cage and pick them up one by one. Shadow (the less dominant) would burrow down in and let me pet her and feed her, however, seem extremely fearful and whine some. Popcorn would scream, twist, bite the towel and struggle to get away, I felt I was doing more harm to my relationship with her than good. This is why I have tried to go to more "passive" taming with her. She will come up, eat from my hand, sniff my hand for a split second before backing up some. I have done quick touches to her under chin but that is the most I can get. I am so worried about stressing them to the point of hating me for it.

I have seen both sides, some say earn their trust some say hold and hold and hold. Just trying to understand what might be the best way.

 

[Jazlyn]

I have 6 piggies and they are all very different when it comes to being handled. Some of them are more used to it than others. Just keep trying.. every piggie has it's own personality, it might just take some more time.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Lil Fella's Mom]

Lil Fella will let me pet him in the cage and will let me pick him up most of the times. I can't help but think he is frozen by fear when he just sits and lets me grab him.

Poquito is my nosy pig, he is the explorer at floor time and will try to climb out of the cage for attention and treats. He is also the loud wheeker that screams for food.
Sadly, Poquito, since he is with Lil Fella in the big C&C cage will play tag with me to get him out. If and when I manage to track him down, he will scream when I pick him up like the devil is after him. Once he is in my lap, he loves it though, silly little pig.

 

[PiggyKat]

I've had mine for two weeks and they run away which is disheartening. They do sniff my hand if I put it in the cage though and sometimes get food from my hand. During lap time though they love to eat veggies and I do one pig at a time or else they get really loud! Yeah my pigs like to just chill, eat veggies, and watch TV too! I hope that someday they will trust me enough to come up to me while in their cage but I don't see that happening for a while yet. Once you get the out though they are calm.
It is such different personalities with mine too! The big one is the biggest scardy pig ever! It's my little one that is the little explorer and trouble maker!

 

[nox'mamma]

Wow!!! some of you are so patient!! It never even occured to me not to pick up Nox even when he ran away because I figured he just had to get used to me. Then again I spent some time around horses and new ones can be really skittish leaving them to themselves only makes them worse-more reclusive like and I just figured it was the same with the piggies. The more handeled the more used to it and calm the become, the less handled the more reclusive and skittish. However I'm just a probie definaetly not a pro.