How to tame, handle and bond with a guinea pig

How to tame guinea pigs, step by step

Guinea pigs are prey animals, so taming is about teaching yours that you are safe and that good things come from your hands. Purdue's vets describe guinea pigs as extremely docile animals that rarely bite, and PetMD says a properly socialised guinea pig will come to its owner's hands to be picked up. Getting there takes patience, not tricks.

1. Let it settle. PetMD says to give a newly homed guinea pig time to adjust. For the first few days, just feed, clean and talk quietly, without trying to pick it up.
2. Be part of the room. Sit beside the enclosure for a while each day, reading or talking softly, so your voice and shape become normal.
3. Hand-feed. Hold out a strip of pepper, a lettuce leaf or a sprig of coriander (cilantro) and let it take the food. Keep your hand still and low.
4. Let it sniff you. PetMD suggests letting it sniff your hand before you touch it, with relaxed, unhurried movements.
5. Start stroking. Stroke the head and cheeks while it eats. PetMD advises against touching the lower body at first, as it can startle them.
6. Try short lifts. Once it stays calm while being stroked, lift it for a few seconds, low over its bedding, and put it straight back with a treat.
7. Build up lap time. Move to sitting on the floor with a towel in your lap and some greens, and slowly make each session a little longer.

How long does it take to tame a guinea pig?

It depends on the guinea pig, and none of the welfare charities or vets we used give a set number of days or weeks. A young guinea pig that was handled gently from birth may take food from you within days. An older or nervous rescue can take much longer. Measure progress by what it does, not by the calendar:

• Stays out in the open when you sit nearby
• Comes to the front of the enclosure when you arrive
• Takes food from your fingers
• Wheeks when it hears or sees you
• Lets you stroke its head without flinching
• Purrs with a deep, low purr in your lap
• Settles and eats while being held

A deep, bubbling purr is a good sign, but PetMD notes that a short, high purr means annoyance. Our guide to guinea pig sounds helps you tell them apart.

How to pick up a guinea pig

Pick up a guinea pig with two hands, one under the chest and one under the bottom, and bring it straight in to your body. The RSPCA says to handle guinea pigs gently but firmly and to approach from the front at a low level, because they are easily alarmed from above.

1. Get low. Kneel or sit so you are not looming over the enclosure.
2. Calm it first. Talk, let it sniff your hand and stroke its head. If it is running about, guide it gently into a tunnel or hide rather than chasing it.
3. Hand under the chest. Slide one hand under its chest, just behind the front legs, as PetMD describes. The RSPCA says hold adults around the chest and youngsters around the shoulders.
4. Support the bottom. Put your other hand under its rump and back legs straight away. All four feet should be supported.
5. Lift and tuck in. Lift smoothly and hold it close against your body so it feels secure and cannot leap.
6. Sit down. Sit on the floor or a low seat with a towel on your lap before you settle it there.
7. Put it back carefully. Lower it all the way to the floor with both hands, facing into the enclosure, before letting go.

How to hold a guinea pig so it feels safe

A guinea pig feels safest held close, with all four feet supported, low to the ground. PetMD suggests wrapping a nervous one loosely in a small blanket or towel, and holding firmly but never squeezing. PetMD's care sheet notes that timid guinea pigs may jump or bolt when picked up, which is why sitting down matters: a jump from your lap is far safer than one from standing height.

Keep early sessions short and finish before it gets restless. If it starts wriggling or trying to climb off, put it back with a treat so the session ends well.

Where do guinea pigs like to be stroked?

Most guinea pigs like being stroked on the head, the cheeks and behind the ears, in the direction the fur grows. Guinea Lynx notes that many give a worried squeak at first touch, and a burr of displeasure when stroked all the way down to the base of the spine. PetMD also advises against stroking the lower body early on. Purdue's vets say many guinea pigs love to be petted, but too much stimulation can stress them, so stop while it is still relaxed.

How to bond with a guinea pig

Bonding happens through small, regular moments. PetMD's care sheet says guinea pigs need daily social interaction, and the Humane World for Animals says daily attention and time out of the cage are essential to their wellbeing.

• Talk softly every time you come near
• Hand-feed part of their daily veg
• Give daily floor time and sit in the space with them, letting them climb on you
• Keep the same routine for feeding and cleaning
• Offer lap time on a towel with food, at the same time each day
• Never chase them round the enclosure to catch them
• Use their name; PetMD's care sheet says they can learn to respond to it

Floor time is the best bonding time of all, because your guinea pigs choose to come to you. Our guide to guinea pig floor time and playpens shows how to set up a safe space.

Guinea pigs and children

Children can help tame guinea pigs, with an adult in charge. The Humane World for Animals says young children may drop, squeeze or frighten a guinea pig into biting, and PetMD's care sheet suggests young children stroke guinea pigs inside the enclosure while older children, supervised, do the handling. The safest way for any child to hold one is sitting on the floor, with the guinea pig on a towel in their lap and an adult close by.

Common taming mistakes

• Trying to pick it up on the first day
• Reaching in from above, which the RSPCA says alarms them
• Chasing it round the enclosure
• Shouting or punishing, which the RSPCA says makes them more nervous
• Holding it while standing up
• Long sessions that end with it struggling
• Stroking the rump or back end before it trusts you
• Keeping it alone in the hope it bonds better with you

That last one matters. The RSPCA says guinea pigs need at least one friendly guinea pig companion. A pair still tames well, and the confident one often shows the shy one that you are safe. See our guide on guinea pig pairs.

What if my guinea pig still won't let me near it?

Go back a step and slow down. Spend more time just sitting nearby and hand-feeding, and give it more places to hide so it feels secure enough to come out. If a guinea pig that used to be friendly suddenly hides, nips or squeals when touched, think about pain or illness first. The RSPCA warns that guinea pigs often hide pain, and hiding more than usual is one of its listed warning signs. Our guide to guinea pig behaviour explains what each sign means, and our complete guinea pig care guide covers everything else.