When you pet a guinea pig for the first time, you will feel shy a little. So what to do in such a situation? How can you pick up a skittish guinea pig?
Well, by nature, guinea pigs are cautious. They always look up to big animals, including humans that hunt and eat them. What do you do when your guinea pig is skittish?
The first and foremost thing that you need to remember is that guinea pigs are social animals, but it takes time to build trust. Don’t rush for it! If your guinea pig is skittish, then you need to give them enough time to bond with you. Interact with them daily in their cage, practice picking them for few minutes daily, and try herding them. This is how you can choose a skittish guinea pig and bond with it.
If your guinea pig is skittish and you don’t know how to handle such behavior, then this detailed piece of article is for you.
Why My Guinea Pig Is Scared to be Picked Up?
Guinea pigs are social creatures, but sometimes they are scared to be picked up by its owner. There could be several reasons behind this.
Some guinea pigs are eager to be held, while some are scared, and they run away when someone picks them up. Why is it? Is your guinea pig too afraid to be picked up? Do you want to hold them up, but they are scared?
Find out the reasons here.
Guinea pigs are prey animals, and they are hunted by larger animals when they are in the wild. So, the fear among guinea pigs is natural because they don’t have anything for their defense. For this reason, they have a natural tendency to be afraid all of the time, even of their owners.
For this reason, when their owner holds guinea pigs, they are scared. But you need to solve this issue as soon as possible. Because being scared for a long time is not suitable for guinea’s health.
How to Pick Up a Skittish Guinea Pig? 4 Easy Steps!
If your guinea pig is skittish, you must be worried about its behavior and want to search for a solution as soon as possible. If this is the case, you must be aware and know how to pick your skittish guinea pig.
4 Easy Steps to Pick Up your Skittish Guinea Pig:
Here are four easy steps to try definitely to pick up a skittish guinea pig:
#1 Start with Treats
Most guinea pigs are born and treated on small farms; that’s why they not have been appropriately handled. If you have got your guinea pig from a breeder instead of a pet store, it must be treated like a baby. To pick your skittish guinea pig, start with small treats and offer them.
However, if guinea pigs don’t approach the treat, then leave it in their food tray.
#2 Make Contact
Please make contact with your guinea pig by approaching them when they are eating something. You can touch them everywhere on the body, but most guinea pigs are comfortable with a cautious scratch or a touch on the side or top of their head.
#3 Try more diverse and healthy and more contacts.
When you feel that your guinea pig is comfortable with the treats and contact with you, it’s time to try more diverse and healthy treats and more touches.
#4 Finally, Pick up your guinea pig.
Now it’s the right time to pick up your skittish guinea pig as you have built a strong bond with your pet by treating and contacting it.
At What Age Guinea Pigs Become Less Skittish?
Guinea pigs become less skittish when they become familiar with the environment. Guinea pigs are social animals, and just like any other pet, they also need some time to bond with their owner.
How Long Does It Take for Guinea Pigs to Bond with You? It usually takes three to four weeks to bond a guinea pig with its owner, depending on its efforts. If you own a guinea pig and want it to be less skittish, follow the above-discussed steps.
How Do I Stop my Guinea Pig from Being Scared?
Does every guinea pig owner have this question in their mind that what to do to stop guinea pigs from being scared?
Well, one needs to bond with his/her pet and know all the ways by which guinea pigs get scared. I have explained all the reasons in the article, Why Is My Guinea Pig Scared? If you have not read then have a look at it.
How Do You Know If your Guinea Pig Loves You?
Guinea pigs are loveable and the cutest pets on the earth. Yes, they need a period to bond with their owners, but once they get attached, there is no going back.
But how do you know if your guinea pig loves you?
One sign that indicates guinea pig’s love for their owners is that they start wheeking when their owners arrive home.
Wheeking is a high-pitched sound that guinea pigs make when they are excited or feel happy. It also indicates excitement for food and play.
However, other signs that guinea pigs show if they love you are:
- Your guinea pigs follow you around
- Your guinea pigs like to eat by your
- Your guinea pig does not bite
- Your guinea pig nibbles you
- Your little pet climbs on you
- Your pet responds to your voice
How Many Times a Day You Should Hold Your Guinea Pig?
Guinea pigs are social animals, but it does not mean that you should be holding them all day long. Yes, you love each other and have a great bond, but you must keep your guinea pig only once a day for few minutes.
Final Thoughts
Guinea pigs are amazing creatures, and I mean it. On the starting days when you pet them, they can be moody, and it takes time to bond with their owners.
Here in this article, I have discussed everything related to guinea pigs and what to do if your guinea pig is skittish. Your little guinea pigs need time to settle with you when they first come to you. So, you don’t need to worry if they are skittish at first.
SmallPetsX.Com does not provide veterinary advice. Our aim to help small pet owners understand their pets a little better so that they can provide their pets with the life they deserve. All content is therefore for informational purposes only. If you're concerned about the health of your pet you should seek medical advice from a vet.