Shy guinea pig HELP!!?

Question

a week ago my family got a four month old guinea pig but much to our disapointment she was extrememly shy. whenever we would hold her she would go into statue mode and literally freeze so about to days ago we got another female and now they are both shy! what do i do??? there isnt a hiding place in the cage and i try to hand feed them but nothing is working. it makes me sad : (

Answer 1

You really have to leave them for the first couple of days to get used to you. Handeling them so quickly and frequently will add SO much stress. Here is a website that gives excelent advice and tips on shy guinea pigs.

Answer 2

let her adapt to the new enviroment and let her love u at her own terms.

Answer 3

you have to talk to them they don't understand what your saying but if you talk gentaly to your piggies every chance you get they will feel more and more relaxed with you pet there heads and try to put an old shoe box and put an old towel in it so they have somewhere to hide i hope this helps

Answer 4

It's normal for a guinea pig to be afraid of you at first, and some guinea pigs, depending on personality, are always a little shy.  However, with patience and love, you can almost always make good friends with a guinea pig.  The younger they are when you start, the easier it will be to gain their trust.The thing to remember is that you are very large and frightening to a guinea pig.  Also, being picked up is very scary, since guinea pigs aren't really climbing or jumping sorts of animals the way, for instance, hamsters are---they're used to having four feet solidly on the ground.  It's much easier if you start when they're little, so that your hand can support more of the body at once.  The best way to pick one up is to place one hand under the belly and lift, then as soon as they are off the ground, place another hand under the hind legs so he (or she) feels secure and supported. Put him in your lap---maybe on a towel so you don't have to worry about "accidents"---and pet him to your heart's content. Some guinea pigs also like being held standing against the chest, with the nose pointing up towards your face, or cradled in your arms at chest level.  Try different positions, and you should be able to tell which one(s) your guinea pig likes by how restless they are.  This is a good time to give fresh vegetable treats, so he feels positively about the experience!  As soon as he begins to squeak or become restless, let him down.  Besides the fact that he'll become enthusiastic faster if he isn't imprisoned on your lap, it also may be a sign that he's about to pee. Some guinea pigs never feel comfortable being picked up, especially if they aren't handled a lot when they're little. This doesn't mean that you can't have a good relationship with your pet, though, just that you have to relate to him (or her) where he's more comfortable, namely on the ground.  The best time to do this is during play time, when he's let out to run around the room (this should happen every day, so they get enough exercise).  Lie down on the floor, so you aren't so tall and frightening, and offer a piece of vegetable to your guinea pig. While he's eating it, reach forward slowly to pet him.  If he runs away, let him finish his vegetable and try again later.  It may take patience, but eventually the shyest of guinea pigs should sit still for you to pet him, and even come over to be petted.  The more time you spend on the floor with him, the faster he'll get used to you.  Also, the less you chase him around to pick him up the less afraid of you he'll be, so if your

guinea pig lives in a cage, try to set up some sort of ramp so that they can get back into their cage on their own.  If you put fresh vegetables in there, or just rattle around their pellets a little, I guarantee they'll go back into their cage without more forceful urging.

Remember, the more time you spend with your guinea pigs, the faster they'll become friendly with you.

I hope this information helped. Good Luck with your guinea pigs(:

Answer 5

if you just got them then they are still not used to you but talk to them all the time you can so they can reconize you're voice and they know you dont want to hurt them,or maybe they are stressed about a sound they didnt like but anyway guinea pigs are shy by nature so dont be so worry,i bought my baby guinea pig on 16 of july 2008 he also ran away from me so i grabed him with a towel,dont squish them cause they dont like it,but be patience maybe it can take weeks for them to get used to you but they will trust me and dont worry about hand feeding mine didnt like it but know he lets me hand feed him and he looks really cute but remember not to get them used to that cause then maybe one day you are not going to be there and they may die from not eating ,dont worry so much cause at least they are each others company so if they were alone then you would have to be worried cause they would be depressed but if they are each others company they dont fill alone,good luck

Answer 6

well first you should watch them for the next couple of days and starts to put your hand in there, if they are scared,take it out and then after a little bit try it again..... after that start to pick him up (or her)..... it's what i did with mine and now he wont ever die,i think he's ether 9 or 10

Answer 7

Give them some time to get used to their new surroundings, they'll come around ;]

Answer 8

Guinea pigs are prey animals and are very easily scared.  They're new to your home and everything is strange and different from where they were before.  If they are from a pet store it is extremely likely that they have been very rarely handled.

First off, don't take it personally when they run away from you when you go to pick them up.  You're a big scary shape to them and their natural instinct is to run away.  Actually, the only guinea pig I've had that didn't run was blind.  Everyone else has been with me for years but still runs.

The best thing you can do is gently pick them up and hold them on your lap on a towel or blanket.  Feed them foods that they love like leafy greens, bell peppers or tiny pieces of fruit.  Gently pet them and talk to them in a calm voice.  They will eventually warm up to you.

Since you're a new owner I bet you have tons of questions.  The first thing you need to do is build them a nice big cage, pet store cages are tiny and don't give them enough room to move around.  A cage like the ones on this site are fantastic, it's what I've had for my little ones for 8 years.

http://www.guineapigcages.com

The care guide on this page is absolutely fantastic.  It will teach you everything you need to know about having happy, healthy guinea pigs.  It will even answer questions you didn't know you had yet :)

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

Answer 9

she needs another piggie friend nd a large c nd c cage see www.guineapigcages.com. she needs a hiding place