As an owner of a cute guinea pig, you might have a lot of questions in your mind regarding them. I am sure even you are a curious guinea pig owner like me. And looking at your cute little guinea pig you might feel like cuddling them and holding them in your hands.
But does your guinea pigs like being cuddled and held? I did some research and asked a lot of other guinea pig owners regarding their experience. So today I shall share you mine, as well as a lot of other community members, experience with you.
Are guinea pigs cuddly? Yes, guinea pigs are the cuddliest pet on earth. But that doesn’t mean they will be super cuddly with you when you first get them. However, if you give them time and develop a good bond with them then they will surely let you cuddle them.
However, it really depends upon the breed and temperament of the guinea pig you get. While some breed like Texel, Teddy, etc. are calm & social who will warm up to you quickly. Others are a little skittish at first and will take a considerable time period to get used to you and the new environment.
Don’t let this news turn you down! (This is quite natural in all the pets when you first get them.)
Just spending a few days time with your guinea pig, taking proper care of them and developing a bond with them they will turn out to be an amazing, lovely pet. (Like the one you cannot even imagine)
Do guinea pigs like to cuddle with humans?
Well, it might depend upon your bond with your guinea pigs. If you give them enough time to settle in the new environment, talk with them and provide them with everything they need they will bond with you quickly and might even let you cuddle you and hold them for a while.
On the other hand, if you make them feel in danger, or if they start considering you as a threat then they might not even come nearby, and if you try to handle them forcefully, then they may even bite you and escape.
So, in my opinion, it totally depends upon your bond with your guinea pigs. Also, some guinea pigs are aggressive in nature, and it might take a considerable amount of time before they let you handle them at all.
Thus, you should consider building a bond with them. Now if you are unsure how will you be able to do the same then don’t worry we have a few tricks up our sleeves which we will teach you later in this article. Just read along the way, and you will learn everything about building a bond with them.
How cuddly are guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs are super cuddly and would love to play with you and enjoy some gentle handling. However, it might depend upon your guinea pigs personality, breed, and where you get them from.
In my experience when I got my first pair of guinea pigs from a breeder they were quite social and cuddly, they enjoyed spending time with me while when I later got another one from a pet shop, he was a little skittish. It took me quite a while before he let me hold him.
I had some discussion with other guinea pig owners as well who responded that their guinea pigs are not cuddly at all and don’t like being held.
So, as per my experience, it really depends upon a lot of factors.
If you are planning to get a cuddly pet then you can go with a guinea pig, do spend some time in the rescue or pet shop wherever you get them from to make sure they are not very aggressive and you will be good to go in most scenarios.
Why are guinea pigs so cuddly?
Guinea pigs are cuddly because they are calm and docile as compared to other small animals like hamsters and chinchillas.
Guinea pigs are more social and usually warms up to their owners quickly if given the right care. So, that makes the guinea pig a lovely, cuddly pet.
Male VS Female Guinea pig? Which is more cuddly?
Does the gender of your guinea pig a deciding factor to how cuddly is your guinea pig?
Yes, it definitely is. The male guinea pigs(boars) have an outgoing personality and are less timid as compared to female guinea pigs(sows). So establishing a bond with a boar is more natural than a sow.
However, not all boars are the same, and you can have a boar which takes more time to get used to you than others. This is quite natural, and I recommend to be patient and kind towards your guinea pigs.
If you want to learn more difference between male and female guinea pigs, then you must read our article. I can bet you will learn some fascinating facts about them:
Male Vs. Female Guinea Pigs: Which Guinea Pig Gender Is Better?
How to make guinea pigs cuddly?
Guinea pigs are a rewarding pet, and if you can win their trust, you will soon be rewarded with lots of love, and cuddle.
Today I shall teach you some of the ninja techniques to make your guinea pig fall in love with you. So let’s begin:
Give your guinea pig some time: Go slow!
When you first get a guinea pig, it is quite natural that you are quite excited to get your hands on them, but you must take it slow.
If you try to handle them too much too early, they will get stressed out, which can lead to illness and injury.
Experts recommend that for the first few days you should let your guinea pig used to the new environment and do not attempt to handle them.
Have a Conversation with them
So, you got your guinea pig home and have given them a few days to get used to the environment. Now you need to associate yourself as the part of the environment so that your guinea pig get used to your presence and doesn’t consider you a threat.
This is a vital step which many new owners mess up. You must start building your bond by starting a one-way conversation with them.
If you don’t know yet let me tell you a fact: Guinea pigs are fantastic listeners. Just share any of your experience, your day or just talk anything.
Doing so will get your guinea pig used to your voice, and they will start warming up to you. You should call out your guinea pig names frequently while talking to them. It will ensure your guinea pig is attentive towards your conversation.
Understanding your guinea pigs behavior
Understanding your guinea pigs sound and behavior is an essential step towards building trust with them.
If you spend some time with your guinea pig and know what they like and what they don’t, then building a good bond with your guinea pig will be like a child’s play.
For example, if you learn what their favorite treats, where they like to get petted or what types of toys do they love are, then bonding with them gets quite an easy task to accomplish.
I would suggest you go ahead and read our article on what type of sounds do guinea pigs make and why do they do so to understand them better:
Understanding types of sound your guinea pigs make
Feeding your guinea pig with treats
It is an old saying that
The way to someone’s heart is through their stomach
The same is right with guinea pigs as well. Like any other animal guinea pigs also love treats. In fact, they will go crazy for one when you get one for them.
Feeding your guinea pig with some treat is a great way to win their heart as well as trust. Doing so will help the guinea pig associate their favorite food with you.
Although you must ensure you feed them with treats sparsely as treats are generally high in calories and your guinea pig can have a health issue if you feed it too often.
Fruits and some veggies are your best bet. You can offer your guinea pigs with treats like Grapes, Apple, Orange, Kiwi, Zucchini, Carrot, Bell peppers, and the list goes on.
You can also go with some commercially prepared treat. However, The Human Society Of The United States says that not all commercial treats are safe for guinea pigs as they contain a lot of fructose and sucrose, which is terrible for our guinea pigs.
Handle your guinea pig gently
By now, your guinea pig must have been quite familiar to you, and this is the time when you initiate the step of gently handling them.
Now the trick is to hold your guinea pig correctly. Guinea pigs are afraid of height, mainly because they don’t have depth in their vision and cannot judge the height well.
So, when you hold them and take them out of the cage, they may get stressed out if you do it wrong. The best way is to put a hand below your guinea pig supporting him from below.
You can also hold their front legs so that they don’t jump out of stress and hurt themselves. Also, use your second hand to carry them from their shoulder area so that they don’t jump out. Remember to be gentle and hold them like you hold a baby.
Make sure you keep them close to your body if you are carrying them to someplace around your house. Doing it right will be the ultimate step as by now your guinea pig will get used to you.
If you follow along with the steps, I can ensure your guinea pigs will fall in love with you and cuddle you a lot. But one crucial point to note here is patience.
It is not going to happen overnight. Building a bond with your guinea pigs takes time, and rushing the step will only make things worse. So, make sure you are right on those lines.
Conclusion
So, are guinea pigs cuddly pets? Definitely, they are, but you will need to treat them well, give them time to bond with you and love them so that they can love you in return.
If you are getting your guinea pig for the first time, then you must understand that like every human being is different, so are guinea pigs.
Some guinea pigs are easy going and will warm up towards their owner quickly while others are skittish, and thus they may take the time or even worse might not like cuddling or petting at all.
So, understanding this fact is also vital for new owners. However, the chances of that are 1 in 100.
In most scenarios following the steps above will create a lovely bond between you and your guinea pig and they will enjoy cuddling you as much as you do cuddling them.
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