Need a little advice

[Kiwisoo]

Hello everyone--

We adopted our baby sister piggies, Piper and Pepper on Dec. 27 from a rescue. They were about a month old at the time.

We handle and play with them gently every day, they are eating well, and they have a large cage. Once they are out and in our respective laps, they are fine. Calm and collected.

Problem is---they don't seem to have tamed down very much and we still have to really get creative in order to catch them to handle them. I don't want to panic them, but it seems when we want to get them out of the cage, the chase is on, with squealing, and hiding and the whole dramatic thing.

Is this because they are so young? Any ideas? They are safe from our other pets in a dog-free room ( baby gates are wonderful), and we ( my adult daughter and I) are very gentle with them. Like I said, once they are out of the cage, they are fine, but we hate to set them running when we come around to get them out. When is typical for a piggy to see its person, not as a predator, but as a friend?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bpatters]

It may take a while before they welcome you. But keep putting your hands in the cage, rearranging things slowly, or just standing there with your hands in the cage. Do this as many times a day as you can. And offer them things they like to eat -- mine go wild for dill, cilantro, melon rind and blueberries. They may not take them from you now, but if you show it to them and put it down in front of them, they'll catch on pretty quickly.

Also, cut holes in the ends of a shoe box, and shoo the pigs in there. Put your hands over the holes, and lift the whole box out. That's far less stressful than having to chase them. Put the pig in your lap (outside the box), and cover it so that there's a little tent over its head -- they have to hide from the eagles, you know! Keep doing this, and keep feeding them, and before you know it, you won't be able to move without their wheeking their heads off at you to COME FEED US NOW!

 

[pinky]

It takes time and patience to socialize a guinea pig. Babies are squirmy, hard to hold and think of us as predators. It's the way you approach them, handle them and care for them that will mold their personalities. Bring them out as much as possible and give them veggies while they're on your lap. I always try and approach a nervous one without casting my shadow on them. Talk to them in a soothing voice and have them take veggies from your hand when you offer it in the cage. It takes time. The one time that I kept track of how long it took to socialize a nervous guinea pig, it was 9 months. Of course, it will vary guinea pig to guinea pig and you have two that are bonded to each other so it's hard to say how long it will take. Once they trust you, they'll start being friendlier towards you.

 

[Kiwisoo]

These are good guidelines and ideas, thank you. What we have been doing up to now is getting them when they are hiding in their tubes, covering both ends with our hands, rather than chasing them around. Once they are out of the tubes, they sit quietly on our laps, or climb up towards our shoulders, and seem to enjoy being petted. It's that "getting them out" issues that I needed info for, and it seems that socializing will be a gradual process. They ARE sisters and they were at a rescue, in a crowded, small cage, so it doesn't surprise me that it might take longer for them to warm up to us. I just wanted to make sure what I have been seeing was not unusual. Thanks.