So, you've got your prospective piggy's home all made up ready for her [refer to Piggy Care section for further info] - you've got food and supplies in and you've just arrived back with the new member of your family - it's a very exciting time isn't it ! It's so tempting to start cuddling and playing with her and introducing her to everyone including the family dog but the kindest thing to do is check she looks ok after the journey then pop your little piggy into her prepared pen with a little fresh food, hay and dry food [see if you can find out what she was being fed previously as it would help to give her the same at first - changing food should be done very gradually] and water - you may like to also give her a little cardboard box with some hay or bedding in it for her to hide in if she feels a little vulnerable, which she almost definately will do. Then, leave her in peace to settle in and work out where she is and to discover her new little world.

Oooh where am I ?

For the first day try to minimise movement and noise around her pen to allow her to settle. She will be very nervous of all the new smells and sounds and missing her litter mates - everything in her pen will be different and she will feel disorientated.

When you go to check in on her go quietly into her room, talking to her so she hears you coming. Bring a little slice of cucumber or something similar in with you. You will probably find she'll scamper rapidly away and hide in her little box - don't be offended, this is completely normal - guinea pigs are prey animals which means that in the wild they are hunted down by other animals so they have developed an instinct to be naturally wary and to run and hide if they sense any threat. Don't worry - with care and patience you will earn her trust and she will know you as her friend and look forward to seeing you.

Gently talk to her and attend to her food & water, don't try and pick her up yet - she has enough to contend with for today - a journey - a new house - new sounds and smells - she doesn't need to be picked up and examined and carried around the room. Leave the slice of cucumber near her - when you leave the room she will smell it and go and investigate - she will begin to associate food with your visits. She may even be brave and stay out in the open when you go to visit her - it very much depends on the pig - however it's much more normal for her to hide away. You may think she's not eating anything but look for signs of fresh food or hay having been nibbled, she will do this on her own when she feels brave - you may see little poops in the bedding - all good signs she has found her food.

It is always so exciting to wake up the next day and get to go and see your new pig for the first morning - but remember that she is still nervous so it may not be as exciting for her !

After a day or so try offering her a little titbit from your hand so she gets used to you and knows you are her friend. See if she will let you stroke her. She may let you or she may still run and hide - remember, this is normal ! Just remember that each time you go by her pen, stop and say a little hello to her to help her feel at home, she'll be too scared to show she appreciates it, but she will.

Hoorah ! A box to hide in - hay and fresh food - it's not so bad !

Handling: If you are making good progress, on about the second or third day, it is time to try and pick her up. With a new nervous piggy you will find they are very skittish and will make a huge effort to run away from you - this is normal, don't be frightened of her as she won't hurt you - she might have little sharp nails that might catch you if she struggles but if you hold her securely it shouldn't be a problem. Guineas also very rarely nip.

You should be able to pick her up if she tucks herself into a corner or her box, which she probably will do when she realises your hand is coming down to get her ! Yikes ! It will probably be easier to cup your hands around her (if she is small) so you have a secure and safe grip, pick her up and as soon as you can, sit her down in your lap. She'll not get used to being picked up if she isn't picked up - so best just to get on with it as gently as you can - it will pay dividends in the end.

Pick a smaller pig up by sliding one hand underneath and holding her securely on top with the other hand	Pick up a larger pig by supporting her weight with one hand under her bottom and the other underneath her front paws	Once you have picked her up you can twist your hands around to this position and hold her snugly against you so she feels secure

I find it is easier, if you are kneeling by her pen, to just lift her up & over and straight into your lap. Don't try to carry her around the room at this stage as this may prove a little scary for her at first (they don't have a great sense of heights and it must be a weird sensation mustn't it ?). Now you have her on your lap [hoorah !] she'll probably be sitting stock still and looking petrified - she might shake or make a 'brrr' noise - don't worry - it's normal - she's just wondering what an earth is happening. Just give her a gentle stroke and gently rub her ears [well, mine like that !], talk softly to her and resist the temptation to lift her around and look in all her nooks and crannies ! You can try giving her a little something to nibble too, maybe a little fresh picked grass or cucumber slice - however she'll probably be too tense to think about eating the first couple of times ! Have her on your lap for just enough for it to be a nice experience and put her back before she's too stressed.

If your piggy is still struggling after several attempts to lift her up like this you can try putting a small towel in the pen and moving her onto that and pick her up in the towel, or you can try a cavy cosy - she might go into one of these if you leave it open in her pen and then you can pick up the cosy gently with her inside - supporting her weight. This should make her feel secure and be easier to handle and will help you if you are not confident of handling piggies.

You can move on to picking her up by sliding one hand underneath your piggy and securing her with one hand over the top of her or by slipping one hand under and around her front 2 paws and the other underneath her bottom to support her weight. Whatever works best for the two of you - you'll soon work it out.

You may want to sit her in your palm facing up your arm with a securing hand on top - a safe position to carry her across a room	She may struggle less or you may feel more confident holding/carrying her in her cosy to begin with	When you put her back in her pen - lower her down bottom first so she doesn't try and jump back in

When you put your piggy back, lower her in bottom first so she doesn't see the pen and struggle to try and jump back in. Some can be real wrigglers with little feet and nails everywhere - some are frozen into stillness - some are just laid back from the beginning !

I would recommend handling her little and often to get her used to this whilst she is young. Being handleable is essential as you will need to perform tasks such as nail-clipping and carrying out general health checks etc - if she is happy to be handled it will make all these experiences less worrying for her.

Awww well what do you know - we quite like it after all !

Also, I wouldn't pick her up each time you go to her pen. Sometimes, just stroke her or offer food - wait until she starts to become inquisitive and comes over to you rather than continually chasing her around into a corner. This way she will not automatically run away thinking she is going to be picked up.

If she really doesn't want to be picked up, or grumbles when you have her in your lap (you will soon recognize her disgruntled low rumbling noise), she may just not be in the mood or she may want to spend a penny, learn from your piggy and put her back. Try again later.

Similarly, if your piggy is happily sleeping, don't startle her by waking her up just because you are in the mood for a cuddle.

Incidentally, it can really help a new nervous piggy get used to sitting on your lap if you get one of your 'old faithfuls' out first [if you have one!] and then settle them both down together, the new piggy should learn from the purring contentment of your old piggy that you are not to be scared of !

Gradually move on to letting your piggy out for floor-time - and see how she can really charge around when she has sufficient space - and how she leaps for joy [especially if you've hidden little bits of veggie around for her to find] ! Make sure your room is safe and secure for her [no electrical wires she can chew, nothing she can get stuck in, fall off, that can fall on her etc] - refer to the Entertainment page for more info. Introduce her to floor-time gradually as she may find a large open space daunting at first - perhaps section off a portion of your room and let her get used to that first, gradually increasing the area, you may want to sit on the floor with her so she knows you are there. She may not venture far at first and may even just sit still and look scared, sit and reassure her and she will become inquisitive and begin exploring once she feels safe to. You can let her out free-range in your room or some people choose to pen an area off with eg, cube grids or a puppy pen and line the floor with a sheet etc. My pigs have free-range of my lounge, they leave a few poops around but go back to their pen for wee's - it helps that they can go in and out as they please, in and out of their own front door.

They do like me !

One day you'll suddenly realise that your pig/s are waiting eagerly [and noisily] at the front of the pen when you go into their room in the morning, they might be standing up on their back legs peeking over the top of the pen to see what you have bought them, they'll happily be picked up and quickly snuggle down for a snooze ! You'll let them out for floor-time and they'll trundle over to you for a stroke or a little piece of food - and you'll wonder what you were worrying about those first few weeks when you thought she'd never get used to you !

Please now refer to: My Piggy Care Routine to see how I care for my pigs on a daily basis which you may find useful as a guide - or click here if you will be introducing a new piggy to your existing herd after her quarantine period. The next page shows you how to sex your guinea pig.

Next >>

Why a Guinea Pig ?

What Do I Do ?

Preparation Checklist

Sexing Guinea Pigs

Joining your Existing Herd

Cavy Names

Breeds & Varieties

Cavy Books

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Last Updated: 26/03/06