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QUESTION: I just got a guinea pig yesterday - she is i think five weeks old. My problem is she HATES ME! She's completely terrified of me, and soo jumpy. She is eating and drinking water which is good. How can I get her to calm down and realize she can trust me?

Secondly - I'm afraid she is eating her bedding. She has aspen bedding and I think she may be eating is because she behaves as if something is caught in her throat. She doesn't squeal or anything, just moves her mouth around a bit. I don't know what to do!

I really want her to be happy, and healthy so any advice you can give would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thank you

Brittany

ANSWER: Hi Brittanty,

First of all, don't worry. Your guinea pig doesn't hate you; she's just shy in her new surroundings! Guinea pigs are skittish by nature as in the wild they are preyed upon, so until she learns to trust you, she will be afraid. Guinea pigs from pet stores are usually the most skittish of them all, as they are not handled regularly and are not kept in particularly good conditions. The good news is there is lots you can do to turn your fraidy piggy into a very affectionate pet!

Stroking her in her cage is a good place to start. She will feel safe in her home, and will enjoy being stroked. If you do this regularly she will start to realise that you're not a predator, you just want to stroke her. To start with you'll have to stroke her in the corner, but as she gets braver and learns to trust you, she'll come closer and closer.

Hand-feeding her is also a great idea. Start by holding out a tasty treat that is long, like a carrot stick, so she doesn't need to come close to eat it from you. Make the treats smaller as the days go by, so she has to come closer to eat. Eventually as soon as she sees you she'll be waiting by the cage door to receive her snack :o)

Being picked up is a scary experience for a guinea pig to start with, so I recommend you get her used to being stroked and eating from your hand before you try to pick her up. Start by not actually picking up, but positioning your hands on her as though to lift her, whilst she's still in her cage. Do this a few times, on different days. Then try lifting her up in her cage (don't bring her out), and putting her back straight away. Again, do this over a number of days.

Finally, when you take her out of the cage for the first time, there are a number of things you can do to make her feel more secure. Hold her very close to you; she will trust you by this point, and will feel safe from predators. Remember, it will be the first time she's out in the room you hold her in, so she won't know that she's not going to be eaten! Give her a snack, and make sure you sit on the floor. Stroke her (under the chin and behind the ears are always winners!) and make her feel safe and loved. Put her back in her cage (hold on tight; she will jump!) after about 5 minutes. The next time, keep her out for 10 minutes, then 15 and so on.

I don't know what aspen bedding is, but your guinea pig definitely shouldn't be eating her bedding! I find the best way to line a piggy's cage is to use a layer of newspapers, followed by a thick layer of dust-extracted wood shavings (available from most pet shops and equestrian stores). Guinea pigs with allergies need megazorb instead (I think it's called carefresh in the USA), but this is more expensive, so only use it if needed.

If you have any other questions ... just ask!

Best wishes,
Jenny.

If you have any other questions ... just ask!

Best wishes,
Jenny.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: That's great thank you so much!
I do have another question
I got her a little house thingy because I wanted her to have somewhere to go so she can feel safe/comfortable etc.
The only problem is she stays in it all the time! When I'm in the room she will immedietly go inside, and when she thinks I'm gone she will come out :(
She even pushed her food dish so she can eat while she lays in her house/dome thing (that's actually pretty smart!)

My question is - Do I just let her be? Will she eventually realize I'm not their to hurt her, and come out? OR am I supposed to take her out of her dome/house and socialize with her?

Thanks again!
Britt

Answer
Hi Britt,

Do get her out and socialise with her; she must be a very shy piggy! She'll be even more timid than most piggies because she lives on her own. Have you thought about getting a second piggy to keep her company? My boys sometimes take their food into their hidey hole; I think it's just because they're very greedy and are scared we'll take it away if we see it.

Try to get her into a routine, so she knows she can go into her hidey hole when she wants to be alone, but that it's fun to come out to play too. I usually get my boys out about an hour after they have their dinner; this way they're less likely to poo/wee on me, and not so hungry that they'll be naughty. I also give them a small treat (called a carroty) when I leave the house; they've got used to this and whenever I put my coat on they start squeaking and rush to the front of the cage.

Try fussing her inside her cage a lot; this way she'll feel safe, but will gradually start to enjoy being stroked/tickled.

Good luck!

Jenny.