How to Bond with a New Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are notoriously skittish creatures. They are prey animals, so it's their nature to run and hide whenever something bigger approaches them. But with a little time, patience and love, guinea pigs can grow into extremely social, vocal creatures. If you've recently adopted a guinea pig and are concerned because it always seems scared of you, don't despair. Here are a few tips for bonding with your new pet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Towels
• Floor space
• Raw vegetables

1. Give it a couple of days to adjust to its new surroundings. Don't be surprised if it never seems to come out of its hiding place at first; it just needs time to grow more comfortable.

2. Give your new pet some floor time. Take it out of its cage and let it run around a little—just don't let it get near anything dangerous, like electrical wires or small spaces that it could get stuck in. Put out a few veggies (and, if you don't mind the cleanup, some hay) for the guinea pig to find. Stay in the room while your pet explores, to give it a chance to get used to you being there.

3. Start giving your guinea pig some quality lap time. Take the guinea pig out of its cage and let it sit in your lap or on your chest. Stroke it and talk to it. Your guinea pig might be uncomfortable and nervous at first, but will soon grow accustomed to being handled. Guinea pigs are rarely toilet-trained, so it's a good idea to let your guinea pig sit on a towel during lap time in case of accidents. In time, your guinea pig will give you signals that it's time to return to the cage, and you'll learn to interpret them. But in the beginning, expect at least a couple of accidents if you hold it for more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• Guinea pigs are social animals, so adopting two guinea pigs together will help them both adjust much faster.
• Guinea pigs love vegetables and fruits. If you want to make your guinea pig more comfortable with you when you hold it, offer it a treat to munch on.
• Before long, you'll be greeted with a chorus of wheeks and chirps whenever you walk by the cage.
• Even after you've bonded, your guinea pig will still probably try to run from you when you try to pick it up. That's just its nature kicking in. However, you'll notice that it's much more relaxed when you are actually holding it.