Behavior Why won't she love me!?!

[Heart_Roxie]

So, my Roxie is the sweetest piggy! She wheeks like crazy, she loves to show off (she even learned a trick!!!), she comes to my hand and sniffs my fingers, eats from my hand, stands up at her cage when I go by to say hello, but she runs so fast when I try to touch her/pick her up that she kicks up poop!! She's only been held a few times because she learns the tricks I use and then won't cooperate (like treats in the tunnel and picking up the tunnel). I've tried everything I can think of and everything I've read online and I can't hold her. :'( how do I get her to let me pick her up?? Even nail clipping, grooming, bringing her outside (also has an unused playpen for outside), is impossible! What can I do??​

 

[bpatters]

Just pick her up. Hold your hands where she can see them, and back her into a corner. Then just pick her up. She'll squirm and squeal and struggle, but she'll survive, and she'll get better as time goes by.

Or, you can put in a tunnel or a cuddle cup and shoo her in that, and then pick her up.

She's a prey animal. She knows you feed her, but when you try to catch her, she's sure you're going to put her in the stew pot. So she runs like crazy. But you need to catch her regularly so she gets used to it for weighings and nail clippings.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

Lmao! The stew pot! Haha!
I'm just afraid to make her mad at me for catching her! Like she would then really hate me because I did it... And her cage is so darn big it's hard to get to the corner she runs to (her hidey corner) from the opposite side where she comes to say hi! I'll have to just go for it, I guess! I will assure her we are not cooking her!!
Thanks!

 

[Piggly12]

I put my right hand in front of one of my piggies (at approximately right angles with the ground, so they don’t jump over it) when I want to catch them, and my left hand a few cm behind them.

I tilt the hand that is behind them so it is at an angle of about 45 degrees from the ground (palm up).

I then slowly move both hands towards each other in a scooping motion, and my pigs instinctively step onto my hands. (you might need to do this bit more quickly if your piggy tries to run)

This leaves me with their front legs on my right hand and their hind legs on my left.

Then I just put them upright on my chest, with their head on my shoulder, still holding them with both hands, or I put them in their travel cage.

I generally do it with whatever hand is on the right side (if they are facing to the right, I use my right hand under their forelegs and if they are facing left, I use my left hand for their front legs)
Hopefully that made sense! (I am really bad at explaining stuff like this!) If not, I can post pictures if you want.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

That totally makes sense! I get what you mean! I can try to scoop her, but it would need to be quick, as soon as I make contact with fur anywhere but her chin she bolts! It's a good idea though, coming from the front and back! Thanks!!

 

[Piggly12]

Thanks!

If she doesn’t seem to like being touched, could this be because she has mites? When piggies have mites, it is often really painful for them to be touched. This could be the reason she doesn’t like to be touched?

My pigs had mites, and we noticed that they were constantly scratching, and they were losing hair around their armpit (or is it legpit?) area. They also didn’t like being petted.

You could try shooing her into a box or a travel carrier, or a cozy type thing like bpatters said. I feel that my pigs would get scared if the ground of their cozy sagged suddenly as it is lifted, but maybe that’s just me

 

[Heart_Roxie]

She doesn't seem to scratch much, once in awhile I notice a little bit, and her fur is quite thick. I don't know if it could be mites, but I will look into it. I've tried getting her into her tunnel, covering the ends, and picking it up. She's fine once I hold her, but when I try to do that trick again, she won't fall for it. She's a smart one! I am making it my goal to cuddle her today! Hopefully I can get her to at least be reasonable about being picked up!

 

[Heart_Roxie]

I did it!! I used the box method and then set the box on my lap, she stayed half in the box for a bit and then climbed all over my lap! I got a good brushing in (she seemed to love it! She kept rubbing against the brush!), and then I wrapped her up and we went for a walk outside!
I'm so happy I got piggy cuddles!!!

 

[Agrimony]

Glad you got there! It can feel bad at first picking them up when they seem scared or to run, but don't worry the more you do it the easier it gets. Mine will usually now just let me pick them up, but sometimes they still run and i've had them three years! It is just instinct and usually once you are holding and supporting them they are fine. They often like to be held but not being picked up. I promise they won't hate you, guinea pigs do not hate!