i want to tame two guinea pigs i've got although they aren't nasty the hate been picked up adn when i put them in their run it takes me ages to catch them to go back in their hutch
Answers:
ok where can i start umm
Guinea pigs can make lovely, tame pets with just a bit of time and kindness. They all have different personalities though, and whilst many piggies can be tamed to the point that they will come running over to see you when you approach, some will always prefer to sit somewhere safe. A guinea pig in the wild makes a good, hearty meal for a number of predators and as such an instinct to be scared of sudden movement and strange environments is a good survival instinct. Remember if you loom over your piggie, his instinct will tell him that an eagle is attacking and if you crash around nearby it could be a predator jumping through the undergrowth.
There are two main factors in taming any small animal. The first is not doing anything unpleasant to them when they are being brave, and the second is naked bribery. Because there are lots of foods that guinea pigs really like that they can have quite a bit of they are actually quite easy to tame. I use dark green salad leaves for treats, but also nice fresh grass and dandelions from the garden in the summer (don't overdo dandelions as they are diuretic). If you don't have access to a garden why not grow some nice fresh grass or greens on the window ledge!!
When you first get your guinea pigs it is best to leave them alone as much as possible for the first couple of days. It is very tempting to keep picking them up and showing them to people but this is very stressful for them when they are in a new environment so please resist this until they have settled in.
Make sure that each guinea pig has a nice house to hide in. Otherwise when they are startled the more dominant piggie will kick the other one out of the box and this can cause fights particularly amongst males. If possible don't disturb your pet when he is in his box as this will make them feel more secure. It is sometimes necessary to catch them by tipping over the box but do this as little as possible in the early days.
Feed your guinea pigs at the same time every day. They will soon learn to assoicate the sounds of feeding with something nice happening. Ours squeak when they hear rustling and/or the frige opening. Also have times a couple of times a day when you give them treats.
At first you may have to just put a treat outside the door of the nest box and move away but over time you should be able to get a guinea pig to take it from your hand. This is the most difficult part of the process and it is worth persevering. I spent a lot of time at this stage with Charm. I had to have a rule that if he didn't come and get it in a reasonable period of time I take it away again. This is because he had learnt that I would eventually give up and leave it and wouldn't take it.
Once you have a guinea pig feeding from your hand it is often quite a quick process to get them to come further and further out of the box and eventually come to the edge of the cage to be fed. Before long your guinea pig will be standing ready for a treat. It is absolutely essential that you don't use a treat to catch the guinea pig at this point as it will stop them trusting you. Once they get to trust you really well you will be able to pick them up. As mentioned above both Truffle and Smudge will come over and be picked up now.
If you are interested in psycology this process is called shaping. It involves rewarding your pet when he does each small step towards what you want him to do. Or in technical speak "produces novel behaviour by reinforcing closer and closer approximations to the desired response"(Westen 2002). It also works for other animals, students, children and alledgedly husbands. Some piggies learn in a matter of days, the majority in a couple of weeks but a small minority may take a lot longer. There isn't a guinea pig out there that you can't get tamer in this way.
Guinea pigs are pets that you can sit on your lap and stroke but it can take a while for them to get used to it. A very frightened guinea pig will sit very still and even quiver. When they are a little less nervous they make a purring noise to indicate that they are unhappy - people often mistake this for the purring cats make when they are happy but it actually means the opposite.
When you first handle your guinea pig do so in a quiet room without a lot going on around. Turn off the TV and don't have the washing machine or hoover in the background. Sit them quietly and see if you can get them to eat their favorite treat - it can take a little while for them to feel safe enough to eat but if you are patient they will get happier about being handled. Make sure you always pick them up with their back end supported and don't walk around with them to start off with as the height makes them nervous. If you get them used to being handled and associate it with something nice happening (the treat) it will be easier later on when they need their toenails clipped or have to go to the vet.
If you have a long haired guinea pig be very careful not to snag her fur when you are combing her. I think that Angel's owners let her get very tangled and she became very, very nervous about being combed. I just keep her fur cut short so I don't have to put her through it anymore. She is the sandy coloured pig in the top photo and originally she looked like Dougal but used to squeal and jump when combed.
If you have indoor piggies consider making a door in their run so that they can be let out for floor time without having to be caught. This way they can let themselves in and out and will feel more secure because they can run back home if they are scared. You can then encourage them to come out with a rustling bag. This is what is happening in the top photo on this page. I have sat down and rustled a salad bag and they have come running. If you cannot let the piggies have their own door make sure that they have somewhere to hide to start off with so they can come in and it. This also applies to runs in the garden. Always give them a box to run into as you never know when the neighbour's cat might frigten them by sitting on the run.
If you take the time to slowly get your guinea pig used to you, then you will be rewarded with a happy, friendly pet. Although they won't all get to the stage where they run up and say hi when you enter the room, all guinea pigs can be taught that people are nice and present no threat and so have a much calmer, happier life. A happy pig will also get tamer quicker so have a look at the Guinea Pig Cages and Guinea Pig Toys pages.
Ours all vary in their tameness. Truffle is known as black labrador pig, as he will quite happily sit down and be picked up or scratched behind the ear. I think I would run away and hide from something before he would!! Smudge is very friendly and exceedingly vocal. It isn't possible to eat an apple in peace in our house as she'll be there looking at you making herself heard until you give her some. She will also come and be picked up, but will run away if you make her jump. Angel is reasonably tame and will come to the edge of the cage for a treat and will tolerate being scratched behind the ears sometimes. But she won't let you pick her up and will leg it if you move suddenly. Charm prefers to hide in his box when there are people about. He came to us with ringworm and had to be bathed and taken down the vet and I don't think he's ever forgiven us for it.With a great deal of time and patience I finally got him to come to the door of his box and take a treat from me and then just this week he will actually come half way out to get it. A great achievement.
You shouldn't use paper for their bedding. They eat it and it's bad for their digestion.
Hay is the best bedding.
Guinea pigs hand tame easily. You need to take each pig out alone hold it in your hands and give it a treat. They will learn that you will give them treats if they are in your hands.
Paper is the only bedding I recommend for any small animal. Wood bedding has aromatic oils and even the ones which say they don't break down rapidly causing respiratory distress. Another bedding which can be used is carefresh. I use only paper bedding in my home. I had 3 guinea pigs all of whom lived to be almost 8 years old. I used only paper bedding.
use cedar chips as they absorb odor.paper will work ,but use the funny section so they can laff.
I've never known a 'pig to be mean but it's not uncommon for them to be shy and avoid getting caught. You'll either have to handle them daily (gently please) or just get good at catching them quickly.
Shredded paper bedding is probably okay for the short-term but you should really have them on either composit rodent bedding (sorry, I can't remember what it's called but they make gray and white varietites and most pet-stores carry it [also, supposedly bio-degradable]) or pine (yellow wood-shavings).
DO NOT PUT THEM ON CEDAR! Cedar (red and yellow shavings) smells great but it's toxic to rodents.
Remember to double-check with your vet if you're unsure of anything.
pay more attention to them paper is not good because of the ink
u cant tame guinea pigs, even though they can learn how 2 open their cage if the door is from the front...and about catching them all Wat u Harv 2 do is 2 sit down on the ground with some fresh vegetables in ur opened hand (tomato,lettuce)and they will come 2 u themselves.
all guinea pigs hate 2 be picked up but they may calm down if u picked up the m a little bit more gentle and kept talking 2 them in a low calm voice while putting them on ur lap.
and yes shredded paper make a good bedding..i put shredded newspapers 4 mine and they become very happy with it beside they some times eat it :)
We only had a guinea pig for 2 days at our rescue, so I can't help with the taming other then hold them daily and hand feed treats to gain their trust. I've provided a site on taming for you below.
The litter is why I'm answering. Like I said we have a small animal rescue and only will use the paper litter like many others do. Animals suffer from respiratory infections, toxic poisoning, and allergies from using wood shavings. I have an older daughter with wood allergies so that makes it better for her as well. You can also use hay or straw for bedding, but this they will eat also.
Paper is fine for bedding to keep them warm... but newspaper underneath that is best. And of course they need hay to sleep in as well as to eat. Paper is NOT bad for them to eat - as long as it doesn't have too much ink on it. Mine have always been fine eating their newspaper, and so have many others I know.
How long have you had your guinea pigs and how old are they? Guinea pigs who have only been with you for a few weeks or months are bound to be very frightened. They need to learn to gain your trust gradually. Babies are more quick and shy than adults (1 year +) I find.
Some of mine still run away when I try to pick them up but that is just down to the fact that they are, after all, prey animals. It is their instinct! Some are fine though and love being picked up - they even place their paws on my arm to help me lift them!
To "wrestling queen's" advice (above), I would add:
Talk gently to your guinea pigs as you approach the cage. Guinea pigs' vision isn't great, but their hearing is. If they hear you talking as you walk up to the cage, they know *you're* coming and not a predator. Also, your arrival at the side of their cage is not a surprise to them.
And a small clarification:
There are two kinds of "purring" sounds that guinea pigs make. One is pronounced, sustained, and usually coincides with physical contact with a beloved human...a nice back rub, a good scritch behind the ears, a lovely snuggle up next to your neck. Not uncommon for a stretch and yawn to follow. Not uncommon for eyes to be half-closed in bliss. *This* purring is a compliment, a sign of contentment.
The other is pronounced, short, usually accompanied by widened fearful eyes, and follows an unfamiliar or sudden sound (e.g., a cell phone with a loud ringtone, a smoke detector going off in the kitchen at the other side of the house, hands suddenly clapping at something on TV), or sudden movement in the room (e.g., someone whisking in and out to pick something up). You need to reassure them with a nuzzle, a few strokes on the back, a scritch behind the ears, gently talking to them.
You might also try holding them in a towel or a cozy sak that they can cuddle up. Guinea pigs who act insecure and fearful on your lap will invariably settle down when they have something warm to snuggle in. You can easily make fleece saks on your own, or buy them. If you want to buy, check http://www.cozycavy.com and http://www.cavymadness.com.
In time, they'll settle down. Mine often sit on my lap contentedly for the duration of a 90-minute movie.
yes its good bedding, the only down side is that you have to change it more often and make sure they dont eat it
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