I recently purchased an appx. 11 month old Guinea Pig from the pet store and he is rather skittish when I take him out and fearful when I hold him. I understand regular handling will help him adjust to me, but are there any other suggestions?
Answers:
Something to remeber: guinea pigs are prey. When you try to pick him up he isn't thinking "I'm gonna get cuddle time" it is thinking "OMG! ITS THE GIANT CLAW!!"
You should kepp trying to hold him. He will ever like to be picke dup but eventually once he is up he will be fine. Try giving him a little treat like a mini carrot or a grape while he is in your arms. It will make him feel more comfortable when he has a peace offering.
My pig is only 2 months old tops at this point and mine hates being picked up form his cage, but once he is out of his cage he is very cuddley and once he realizes he is out of danger he like to explore.
Also when he starts to cry when he is in his cage, talk to him cause he might just be trying to get your attntion to say hi (they like to do that).
just continue to hold him and interact with him
Nope - handling is usually your best bet. You should probably move his cage into a room with a lot of action going on in it - that way he'll adapt more quickly. Make sure everybody comes over and picks him up just maybe once a day per person, so he gets used to the fact that he will be handled. Good luck!
Hi, when I worked in a pet store, I learned that sitting in an empth bathtub is a good way to get to know your pet, they can't get away, and you can hold them. I love guinea pigs, I used to give them a treat while they sat on my lab, on a towel.
i have guinea pigs tht do th and they r skiddish when i go to take them out everyday just go slowly and reach for him so he can get used to u thts wht im doing with my guinea pigs and they r getting used to being picked up! and try to take him out at least once or twice a day
Hold him close so he will feel more secure and maybe feed him a carrot or some other veggie. Then he associates you with cuddles and food.
My guinea pig was really skittish also, I used a washcloth to help pick him up the first couple of months to cut down on bites and scratches. Learn to recognize when he will try to bolt, otherwise he might try to jump out into space when you least expect it.
Also, Walmart sells little pens that you can use for him to run around in. This helped my guinea pig get used to his surroundings and run off some energy. Make sure that there is nothing near by that he can hurt himself with. I found out that Spunky can climb up and over the pen, so keep an eye on him.
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