abused guinea pig....

Question
I sorry to bother you but I just inherited a piggy that my neighbor had bought her for her 5 year old daughter and she no longer wanted it,so I took her.Shes about 7 months old and I move very slowly around her but shes so scared and every time I try to pet her she screeches and bites.....do you have any idea what I can do to make her trust me?Ive had her for about 5 weeks now and have heard that they make great pets and would love to be able to hold the poor thing....any advice would be greatly appriciated!!!!thanks again

Answer
Hi
patience is the key here,and good on you for taking on such a feisty little piggy.
The screeching noise is fear - if the biting is a little nibble on your hand this is her saying hey put me down.
If the biting is drawing blood then you will need to wear thick gloves till she gets used to you.
I have never actually heard of a guinea pig that bites to be nasty,they do it out of fear.
You need to bond with her when you have plenty of time and theres no-one else about to scare her.
If possible pen her out somewhere where you can sit in there with her, I used to use the kitchen floor.
Have a cushion for your bum,and a hideyhole like a small box for her to shoot into when she is scared.
Talk to her gently,calling her name while offering her a small bit of cucumber or melon.
You could have some nice music on in the background or the tv just so there is some other background noise.
It might take weeks to get her to take a little food off you but they are very food motivated and this will be your weapon of choice!
Please keep in touch as I would love to hear how it goes.
Plus I am always here to offer any other advice on bonding with her