Guinea Pig. Running away..? Bonding? Taming?

Question

I just got my guinea pig on Sunday [[it's Tues]].

And everytime I pick her up today, she runs away. Of course, she doesnt fight and run for it, she still runs and hides at first. Why is that? How can I get her to run for me to pick her up instead of running away?

Also, how can we bond? Is there anything special to do?

And how do I tame her?

Extra, my brother also has a guinea pig, how do we get them to like each other?

Exxtra 2, What CANT I feed my guinea piggie?

Exxxtra 2, Should I get her another friend to live with? I think the cage is big enough, but wouldnt her not having a roommate let her bond with me more?

Help. You can answer all the questions, or just one. But please, HELP!

Answer 1

Just hold her and feed her, the piggies love food, so feeding time is bonding time. Cuddle her alot, wrap her up in a blanket so she doesn't think she's falling and just cuddle her.   The reason why she is running is because she is scared! Have patience, time will make it better.

You cannot  feed any meats, potatoes, tomatoe stems, beets, stuff like that.     And is your brothers pig the same s*x as yours?  If it is then, yes and long as they get along.

Is your cage at least 30x20? Then yes, you can get her another friend, but make sure you have the money for twice the food, treats, vitamins, and of course vet bills! Each of my piggies cost about $30 a month... so make sure you can affor another one!

Answer 2

Okay, I'll give you some great links at the end of my post.  Be sure to read them carefully, they'll give much better advice than I can :-)

The running is completely normal.  Timothy (my pig) is 2.5 and he still runs from me.  They are prey animals and so anything large standing over them seems scary.  Don't take it personally, and it may calm down over time.

For bonding the best thing is to pick her up and put her on a nice blanket or towel.  Sit with her on your lap and feed her fruits and veggies.  Gently pet her and talk to her.  She will eventually get used to you.

Is your brother's guinea pig a girl also?  If his guinea pig is male then *never* let them play together.  It takes only seconds for guinea pigs to mate and pregnancies are very dangerous (20% of females die).  Unless you are going to have the guinea pigs living together I don't know if you'll have much luck with visits.  It seems like getting along requires a lot of time and effort.

If you have a large enough cage then definitely get her a female friend.  She will bond with you regardless of whether she has a friend.  However, she'll be happier with a companion to play with when you're not there.

Now, time for all the links.

First, this one is very important.  This is a care guide that covers a lot of the questions you have asked.  It describes diet, housing and everything.  I'd read it a few million times to get everything down :-)  My guinea pigs are happier and healthier thanks to this site.

http://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.h...

The best cages are C&C they're huge, cheap and easy to clean

http://www.guineapigcages.com

Social life of guinea pigs and tips for introductions:

http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

Answer 3

i know that NO answer can ever possibly match the first one, but i have some suggestions on how to bond with your guinea pig. just like my name says i am an agility trainer andi currently have a month old bunny . i got her because my first rabbit(macaroni) haha died from a parasite diseasing his brain. it was devastating becaus i had trained him since he was small and he could jump extremely well. anyways, when i first got mandy(my new bunny) i thought she would never be friendly. she always ran away from me, and when ever i opened the cage she would run away from my hand and hide in her little house thing. so i decided to try a few different things with her. i would open the cage door and hold a treat into the cage and just sit there with my hand in the cage until she eventually got curious enough to come take a look. when she found that i had a treat she happily ate it. now i always approach the cage with a treat so that mandy associates me opening the cage with getting treats. now mandy knows how to jump and if i kiss to her she hops up on my shoulder . she is so cool now. im sure your guinea pig will be also. and you must understand that since you have only had him a few days he is still scared and trying to get used to his surroundings. dont take him out very often, and feed him lots of treats so that he learns that you arent trying to hurt him or something like that. good luck!

Answer 4

I know you already got lots of good anwers, but i am going to add some to help. Guinea pigs take a while to warm up, to bond i recamend holding alot, always in a quite calm place where she can feel safe. Hold her in a towel or piece of fleece for the first while, when a G-pig is nervous, the sometimes go potty on you and the towel will take care of that. Talk to her whenever you are in the room with her, if she likes it, play classical music when you arn't there to make her calm. After a few days, stary putting your hand in there and just letting it sit, after she gets used to your hand, she will let you pet her and not run away, then she will let you pick her up and not run away. REMEMBER, it takes time, these are very nervous prey animals, she may always be the shy type becuase thats how they survive in the wild. You just have to prove to her that you are her friend.

To introduce her to your brothers guinea pig, first make sure they are the same gender. Start by putting thier cages near each other, and holding them in the same room together, this will get them used to each others scent. Introduce them while you hold them and watch them, if they get along start leaving them together for short periods of time. If all goes well you can leave them together for longer and longer.

Guinea pigs are group animals either you must  be with her almost 24/7 or your brothers guinea pig or you should her her a companion. I think it is fine to not get her one if she gets along with your brothers g-pig and you hold her often. If you don't get her a companion, what will happen is she may get lonley, and will likley be more jumpy and less social. Ok, hope i added some, if you need some info, google guinea pig Lynx, they are the best!