Hold a Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are fun pets and become tamer over time. However, they do not like being handled too much or too often, especially when they first enter your home.[1] When you do start handling them, you should know the right way to hold your guinea pig to keep her safe and happy.

Steps

Picking Up a Guinea Pig

  1. Leave your guinea pig completely alone for the first day or two. Cover the cage with a light blanket that still lets in light. Your guinea pig will feel safer and more secure. After that, you can move on to introducing yourself.[2]
  2. Let the guinea pig get used to you. Don't grab your guinea pig out of the cage the first day you take the cover off. Instead, take a few days to let her get to know you. Put your hand in the cage, and let her smell you. Softly stroke your animal so she learns to trust you.[3]
  3. Have a towel ready for poop and pee. If you're worried about your clothes, have a towel available to put under the guinea pig while holding her. Your guinea pig may not go to the bathroom while on you, but you should be prepared.[4]
  4. Be calm. If you're nervous, your guinea pig will pick up on it. Make sure you are calm and collected before you try to hold your guinea pig.[1]
    • When approaching the cage, do so slowly and calmly. Don't rush towards the cage and yank it open. Instead, walk up slowly, and let the guinea pig smell you through the cage. Gently open the door.
    • Take a moment to take a few calming breaths before approaching the cage.
    • Also, keep the environment calm. You should limit loud noises and sudden movements while your guinea pig is out. You don't want to startle her.[1] For instance, turn off the television and the radio. Turn off your phone so it doesn't go off while you have her out.
  5. Use the cage to your advantage. To catch your guinea pig, you need to gently trap her in the cage. One easy way to catch her is to trap her in one of the cage's pipes, if yours has pipes, and then pull her out. Put your hand out to encourage the guinea pig into the pipe, making sure to block the other side.[1]
    • If your cage doesn't have pipes, try guiding your guinea pig into her house, and then lifting one edge to pick up the guinea pig.
    • If your guinea pig seems very upset or tries to bite you, you should wait until another day to try picking your guinea pig up.
  6. Slip one hand under the guinea pig. Using one hand, slide it under the belly of your guinea pig. Gently start lifting her.[3]
    • Put a finger around the front of one of the guinea pig's legs. That hold will help keep her in your hands.[5]
  7. Pick the guinea pig up with two hands. Your guinea pig will feel more secure if you use both hands to pick her up. She may feel like she's falling if you only pick her up with one hand.[6] Use your second hand to support the guinea pig's back end.[1]
  8. Be firm but gentle. Make sure you have a solid grip on your guinea pig. Otherwise, she may jump from your hands. However, don't squeeze too hard, as you can hurt your guinea pig.[6]
    • Though you can move around while holding your guinea pig, it's best to sit down while holding her. That way, she won't be confused by your movement, and you're less likely to drop her.

Holding Your Guinea Pig

  1. Place the guinea pig against your chest. Your towel should be on your chest. Hold her against your chest with her feet towards your body.[3]
  2. Feed her a treat. You can use blueberries, lettuce, or carrots, for instance. If you feed her a treat while you hold her, she'll come to associate your cuddles with good things.[7]
  3. Talk to your guinea pig. Use a soothing voice to talk to your guinea pig while you're holding her. It doesn't really matter what you say, as long as you use a soothing voice.[3]
  4. Let her explore in a closed-off room. For instance, you can go into the bathroom with your guinea pig. Make sure there is nothing she can get into that she shouldn't (such as cleaning supplies). Also, make sure you cover any potential dangers, such as floor vents.[8] Close the door. Place her on the floor, and let her run around. She'll enjoy exploring, and she'll also take some time getting to know you, too. If you want, sit on the floor with her.[7]
  5. Do not put her down when she wiggles. If you put her down every time she struggles, she learns that all she has to do is wiggle to get back in her cage. If you continue to hold her, she'll learn to stay calm.[5]
  6. Hold her firmly when returning her. As your guinea pig sees the cage, she may want to jump, so keep a firm hold on her with both hands when placing her back in the cage.[3]
    • In fact, you can turn her around, bottom first, when setting her back in the cage if she's particularly prone to jumping.[5]
    • Wait to release her from your hand until she stops struggling. That way, she learns that she shouldn't squirm while you're holding her.[5]
  7. Be consistent. Get your guinea pig out of her cage everyday. That way, she'll slowly grow used to your attention over time and will eventually enjoy the cuddle time.[9]

Supervising Children's Guinea Pig Handling

  1. Always watch your children with guinea pigs. Children can harm guinea pigs without meaning to. If the child is under 4 years of age, don't allow her to hold the pet. Hold the guinea pig for her, and allow her to pet the animal.[4]
    • That is, practice safe holding practices, and let your child come up and gently pet the guinea pig while you have her against your chest. If you allow your child to hold the guinea pig, tell him how to hold her, and make sure he is not holding her too tightly or too loosely.
  2. Keep children from carrying guinea pigs. Children over four may be tempted to carry guinea pigs from room to room. However, if they're not careful, guinea pigs can jump from their hands and hurt themselves.[4]
  3. Have your child sit down. The safest way for a child to hold a guinea pig is to be sitting on the ground. That way, the child can't carry the guinea pig around, and the animal isn't too far from the ground if your child happens to drop it.[3]
    • For best results, ask your child to sit down, and then hand the guinea pig to him or her to hold.
  4. Limit the guinea pig to one person each time. That is, only let one person hold the guinea pig each time you get her out of the cage, especially if that person is a child. Guinea pigs are overly sensitive to being held, so limiting their exposure will keep them happier.[1]
    • You can hand the guinea pig to a child, but only let one child hold it. If another child wants to hold her, wait until another day.
  5. Lock the cage. Children may be tempted to pull a guinea pig out when you're not around, resulting in the guinea pig being unintentionally hurt. Keep the cage locked so that children don't have access to the pet when you're not in the room.[4]
    • You can use a combination lock or a key lock, but close up the main gate with a lock if possible.

Tips

  • Keep the door to the room closed when you take your pet out of the cage. If your guinea pig gets loose, you can keep her contained in the room. Also, try locking out any other pets, such as cats and dogs.
  • Take a handful of plain rice and a quarter of water in the water bottle. Shake the bottle really well and then empty in a sink or something like that it cleans it out really well. Only use this if there is hard to reach spots.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://nswschoolanimals.com/guinea-pigs/guinea-pigs-handling/
  2. ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/guinea_pigs/tips/bringing_new_guinea_pig_home.html?credit=web_id139895298
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 http://www.rngp.org/index-guinea-facts.shtml
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/handlingyourpiggy.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 http://www.guinealynx.info/handling.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/pets/other-pets/guinea-pigs
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-experts/guinea-pig/increasing-the-bond-between-guinea-pigs-and-owners-1206.aspx
  8. ↑ http://www.happycavy.com/how-to-host-floor-time-guinea-pig-guide/
  9. ↑ http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/30/19/1418/Natural-Guinea-Pig-Behavior.aspx
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