Behavior Help!! My piggies won't let us hold them!

[IlovemyRhino]

If i grab the treat bag and shake it they will squeek very loud and popcorn when they see me they oink and chew the bar which is what they do when hey want a treat. I give them a yogi (yogurt treats) a day and either a carrot or apple each. But as soon as someone sticks their hand in the cage they run and hide and wont let you touch them. they wont come out of hiding unless they see a treat in your hand. should I stop giving them treats until they start letting me hold them? Am i doing something wrong? Is there anyway to get them to like me more?

 

[SurfingPigs]

Yogurt treats are not recommended for cavies. Even though they are marketed for cavies, yogurt is milk based, and their GI tracts are not built to process lactose well.

Keep doing what you are doing, and they will grow to be comfortable with you. Try using a box with holes cut open on each end to shoo the pig into, then cover the holes with your hands and lift the pig out. Give some of their daily veggies while they are in your lap, and they will soon associate sitting with you with being fed.

The more time you spend around your pigs, even just with you hands in the cage rearranging things, the more they will warm up to you. Be patient... guinea pigs are prey animals and will never really be dying to get out of their cage and onto your lap, but with enough time, they will learn to like it a little more.

 

[bpatters]

You can follow Surfing Pig's advice about catching your pigs and feeding them to get them used to you.

But you definitely need an improvement in their diets. No yogurt treats -- they will upset their stomachs. The apples have way too much sugar to have every day, and the carrots have too much sugar and vitamin A. You need to change their diet, or you're going to be looking at some pretty expensive vet bills down the road.

They need a medium to large sized leaf of red or green leaf lettuce each day, and about a cup of other vegetables. Those others should include bell peppers and cilantro for sure, and may also include a slice of tomato, a pinky-finger-sized piece of carrot, slices of summer squash, a few green beans, endive, celery, dill (they love dill), thyme, oregano and basil. Read https://www.guineapigcages.com/threads/22156/ for what they can have and how often it should be fed, and what they shouldn't have at all.

 

[foggycreekcavy]

Most pigs won't let you pet them or handle them while they are in their cages. It's just the way they are, so don't worry about it. Take them out to do your petting and handling.