Level of Effort? How long did it take you?

[Guineadog]

Hi, I have two happily tamed guinea pigs. I want to compare so my question is How long did it take you to tame them? (Like have them get used to you). Also what one of your took less time? Younger, older! Thank you!

 

[4cavies]

I have noticed it has taken about 2 to 3 months for most of my pigs to get used to me, baby and adult alike and that's only to the degree you can expect a guinea pig to get used to you seeing as they are prey animals and skittish by nature.

 

[prettynyguen]

My piggies also took 2-3 months for them to get used to me. I adopted two adults (approximately two years old) and two babies a year and a half a ago. My one guinea pig, Rainbow, will run up to me when I call him. Flower and Silly will stay still and let me pet them when I reach into their cage. Jellybean always runs and hides when he sees someone coming. They all purr sometimes when I pet them, especially Rainbow. I hold them all everyday, and often train them to do tricks. Silly can now do over 30 tricks, his latest being playing basketball. I find it to be a very positive bonding time for us. I also take them to the park to nibble on grass when the weather is nice (no pesticides or herbicides are used in my city).

 

[pinky]

It depends on the guinea pig. Like people, they have different personalities. Some might be very outgoing, while others might be shy. I've had a few that were never very sociable, although they eventually trusted me enough to take food from me. I treat them all the same but they're not alike. I just let them be what they are and always take their dispositions into consideration when I go to pick them up or hold them. I think the most timid one took 9 months for me to be able to hold her without her freaking out. She was the most nervous guinea pig I ever had. She'd climb up the sides of the cage to get away.

 

[mufasa]

Quinn took several months, but she had been mishandled as a youngster (was still pretty young when I got her). Amy settled in right away, but she was two and previously lived in a chaotic household so she was used to people, large dogs, etc. and all sorts of noise and activity around her. She was a very calming influence on Quinn.

 

[LifeAsItMayBe]

It's hard to say. Zelda quit sprinting away from me after about two months, but I think that was because she was so huge and pregnant she didn't care if I ate her or whatever it is pigs think we're gonna do. All three of my girls still try to avoid being picked up, but none of them throw a fit like they used to. They just walk briskly in the opposite direction of my hands. Elli only recently started allowing me to pet her in the cage without a chase, and she's about 2 1/2 years old now.

 

[BaconAndEggs]

Bacon, it was about 3-4 months. Eggs is still working on it, after almost a year, he still won't let me pet him in the cage, or pick him up comfortably. Bacon was either mishandled or not handled enough in his old home... Eggs is just naturally skittish.

 

[PeanutnCookie]

I've had one pig for six months, and she had babies in November, one which we kept. They were less skittish in the smaller cage, but since I built their C&C cage, I cannot pet them. It is very hard to even hand feed the mom, she is scared of anything coming in or near the cage. It is nearly impossible to catch her. The baby will run up looking for food, but you can't pet her very often and it's really hard to catch her too. But the baby is definitely more tame. We are still working on it, though.

 

[Chayna Renee]

For me it literally took a few days. My guinea pig that I got is really chill. It is kind weird. Haha

 

[Gforcepiggies]

Darwynn it took around two months, Juarez was about twice that. He still doesn't like it sometimes when I try to pet him in the cage....I've had him for 2 1/2 years! Pho is obviously not used to me at all. He runs away every time I walk into the room. He is great when I hold him for lap time, just very skittish.