Untameable guinea pig!

[FromDespairToHere]

I recently (6 weeks ago) got 2 new pigs. One is settling in as I'd expect, sits on my knee for cuddles and lets me tickle her nose in the cage. The other is a little bugger! It takes 5 minutes to catch her to pick her up which makes her stressed, and then she spends the whole time trying to bite me. Anyone any tips? Apart from keep at it!

I give her treats when I get her out in the hope that she'll associate me with food.

She'll get used to you. Keep talking to them when you are cleaning them out and feeding them. If they are inside spend time in the room they are in so you feel familiar to them. Hold her wrapped loosely in a towel for a few weeks. She'll feel more secure and she can't bite you as easily. She'll start trusting you not to eat her if you persist.

Keep at it. She should come round but bear in mind that they do have different personalities. A previous boar of mine was a wriggler. Always tricky to catch, wriggly on knees and never seemed to settle for cuddles.

I have a boar who lives only to bite him humans, we love him but we have to don gloves to pick him up, some pigs just are biters in nature I'm afraid.

Also, and I’m not sure if this is correct, but my guinea pigs don’t have the best eyesight! I’m not sure if this is all guinea pigs? But if they forget that I’m in the room, they will run away if I move quickly. So now I talk to them, move slowly, let them come close to me to the cage bars and stroke gently. They’re one and they’re just getting better! Keep at it

Can you open the cage regularly and not pick them out? One of ours started to get panicky whenever they heard the cage open so was stressed before a hand even went near. So we started opening the cage and closing it again (either straight away or after 10 minutes), opening it and putting a treat in, opening it and handing them a treat, etc. Opening and giving them a stroke but no picking up. Basically making the sound/motion potentially a good thing!

Ah, you need to start tubing her. Get a piece of fat cardboard tube longer than your piggie (or even better one of those wicker tubes you can buy). When you catch your other piggy, Madam will run into her tube. You can lift the whole tube out and put her in a place of safety while you clean out the cage, or you can put her on your lap (still in the tube) and talk to her while you play with the other piggle.

I had a VERY skittish girl and did this with her. She gradually realised that nothing bad happened while in the tube and started letting me tickle her under the chin. Eventually, she’d have lap time no problem.

It does save the stressy, wall-of-death chase round the cage.

I've had so much experience with guinea pigs, but really, I am none the wiser.
I really think you just have to keep at it and keep an open mind. It is a personality thing, for the most part. Sometimes you just have to accept that a skittish piggy may remain that way.
I carry mine around in a guinea pig sling (don't judge! ) and this has certainly helped them to chill out with me more. One of mine just remained so skittish though his life. But he definitely trusted me.

I have a fleece bag (from ziggies I think) that my GP will jump into on command. It makes being moved much less stressful.

My younger lass is a little over two. Recently, for the first time ever, was I allowed to stroke her twice in a week. Occassionally she may have let me get away with it once and then avoid me for another few months. And yes, catching her is still a case of chasing her around the cage as she is CONVINCED she's going to end up in the oven if I do grab her!

6 weeks is nothing, OP, honest!

It is different with different piggies but really you have to pick them up every day , if nothing else it gives you a chance to check them over . They can develop problems (like lumps, abscesses from bites , itchy bald patches from mites or over grooming and this time of year , FlyStrike is a risk. You need to check eyes , ears and undercarriage)

The easiest way all round is corall them into a box then close it up. They very rarely protest at being lifted if you make them secure (hand under belly and rump) then wrap in a towel.
Our first pig (we had 2 brothers) used to do the most unholy shriek when he was picked up (but he did it when the Rescue owner lifted him, so it was him )

They are lovely gentle animals in the main but you do get the odd rogue (like GP5 who was a ruby eyed Himmy and used to gnaw but not a proper bite)

It makes me when sellers say "they never bite" they are rodents , they have rodent teeth and they bloody well CAN bite , they just choose not to.