I had to lift off his house and he was in the corner so i picked him up and put him on my chest on my jumper, he did seem to freeze motionless, is that normal? i brushed him and offered him some treats but he was'nt interested in them. shall i just carry on doing this for a while? and how many times a day and how often? any other tips would be very very helpful as this is all new to me and i just want him to be relaxed.
Answers:
Yes - totally normal for a new guinea pig to be like that.
They do relax in the end.. all 11 of mine have. He sounds very nervous so he probably wasn't handled often enough when he was a tiny bub. But he is sure to relax eventually. You have to be very patient. The best you can do is what you are already doing. Get him out every day, offer food (even though he won't be interested for a while), talk to him so he recognises the sound of your voice. Just do this everyday and he'll soon relax and WANT to be picked up!
Good luck
Contact Freddie Star he knows all about caring for Guinea pigs, saw it on one of his shows.
I would do this every day, but you need to be quiet, careful and gentle ( like you have been of course). Try a towel. And the idea of giving him some nibbles is good.
Don't worry, he's just a little freaked out cause you are so big and he's so small.
He needs to get used to you. I would try handling him twice a day for a few minutes each time. Make sure that there are no loud noises or sudden movements that may startle him. You will soon find that he will become much tamer.
every day pet him but dont hold him, just reach in and stroke his back. after a while them you can hold him!
you have done well to be able to lift him but it sounds as if he is still scared. Handle him and stroke or brush him at least twice a day and eventually he will learn he has nothing to fear.
He will probably relax eventually. I wouldn't hold him for very long, he might go to the bathroom on you. Plus you don't want to stress him out too much.
I have had one of my boys since Easter. He still hates being picked up. He got so scared the other night that he tried to bite me out of fear. So I let him be and don't pick him up near as much as my other pig. Some pigs are just more scared than others. I think it has something to do with circumstances in their past, sometimes. He was adopted from a family that did not take care of him properly and probably didn't handle him much when he was younger.
Rupert (my little one) was sick when I got him, and we went through a lot of medication doses and handling. Now he is not scared of me and loves to be held and picked up.
So, do keep handling and take time to bond with your pig. Just judge his stress level and don't over do it too soon.
It sounds like you are doing an excellent job with your guinea pig!
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