Guinea pigs terrified

[Newpigmum]

So 3 weeks ago I rescued 2 boars, I don’t think they’ve ever been looked after well / handled.
they are absolutely terrified, won’t take food from me (no matter how tasty) they are literally just frozen with fear. No happy squeaks at all 😩 I’ve tried to handle them, stroke them, quiet voices etc. I’m now worried this is how they’ll always be and they won’t be able to be tamed. Have I made a massive mistake?!

Oh dear - just looked and I think she might have deleted her channel! What an absolute shame!

Will keep looking

@Daryl4 there's lots of other good channels on you tube, I think I know the one you mean though 🙂

There's also Masons Cavies on facebook and LAGPR on facebook and you tube. Also, scotties animals.

The vibrating thing is just little warning noise
They will get used to you.

Is LAGPR the one who has on occasion been seen walking round with a baby guinea pig stuffed down her bra?

If you can, you could try bringing them inside in a very quiet and small space (a large area may be a bit overwhelming) to live for a while, then sit on the floor away from them and almost ignore them, read a book or something, for about 10 mins a couple of times a day. Start with the cage closed for a few days so they feel secure, then open it but don’t try to initiate contact. Please don’t think I’m mad but in my experience animals like singing. Once they eat in front of you then you’ve cracked it. Slowly bring food closer to you. They should eventually get used to your presence and slowly come nearer and nearer to you and take some tasty Guinea pig snacks from you. Then start with attempting the petting. Anyway, good luck with them. It will be a long process but I’m sure they will come round once they understand you’re not going to eat them! Guinea pigs are so cute!

They are amazing little animals, good luck with them.

They are fascinating little things aren’t they. I could watch them for hours (which I do when I WFH 😂)
fingers crossed they take to us eventually, this is our first pet and they really are life enriching 😊 it feels like they’ve given me a purpose as sad as that sounds.

@JarByTheDoor Oh I haven't seen that, but possibly, she rescues so many.

We're like a guinea pig retirement home here 😁like everyone says they take a little time to come out of their shells and get used to you. One thing we often do the more timid ones is sit next to their house and casually chat away or read a book out loud so they get used to your voice and smell. Good luck they are the best!

The first guinea pigs we got once we had DC were from an acquaintance who never handled them and they were terrified for quite a while. But they did come round and were happy to sit on our laps. They never liked being picked up, but I think most don't. I've found boys to be more friendly than girls, over a sample of 13.

@Newpigmum they are the best 'waste of time' I've ever come across 🙃

Only trouble with boys is that if they fall out with each other, it's can often be serious and permanent, and they can't ever be kept together again. And they're not like rats which have some conventions for fighting which means any injuries are usually minor and symbolic — when guinea pigs fight, they're brutal!

This has been my experience over 20 years of Guinea pig ownership - I’ve had about 15 or so. We’ve had two particularly nasty, psychotic male pigs who turned against the other male and they were literally trying to kill them. It was scary. One would literally launch himself across mid air to bite and kick the other one as soon as he dared to poke his nose out of a house! We ended up neutering them both and them setting them up separately with females. I think they both wanted their own little selection of girlfriends!

But - generally the boys I’ve had are far sweeter, tamer and wanted interaction from me more. Which is lovely.

To try and stop any fighting make sure you have two of everything - bowls, houses, water bottles etc. Make sure they have as little to fight over as possible.

Yep, it's scary to see, when males have decided they don't like each other they'll fight absolutely no holds barred, and in a cage or a run there's no way for either to retreat so they can end up sustaining fatal injuries. But obviously you'd step in before that happens.