I still cannot pet my male guinea pig after over 3 months - am I doing something wrong?
Hey, everyone! In truth, I don't think there's much I can do about this and I'm okay with it if this is just how he is (I'm not about to rehome him or anything), but I figured I'd ask if anyone here has also experienced this.
I had four female guinea pigs, all of them in the same cage. One was spayed and fell out with the other three in a bad way. Blood was drawn, bonds were broken. I kept her alone, monitoring her for a couple weeks, and learned quickly that no- she is not okay as a solo pig. I brought her to a rescue and did a playdate with a neutered male and it went *fantastic*. They bonded almost instantly and have been inseparable ever since. Both of them popcorn, cuddle, make happy sounds, you name it.
I don't know much about the male guinea pig, Dog (my grandpa has dementia and can't tell the difference between guinea pigs and dogs in the pictures I send him so it's a cute nod to that), in terms of his history. He was given to a rescue at a little over a year old and, while he was at the shelter, he had a falling out with his male cagemate. The other male bit him and, well, effectively neutered him. The rescuer brought him to the vet and the procedure was finished, but needless to say, Dog was traumatized. He's a submissive sweet boy who even rarely humps my female, just likes to be near her.
They are perfect together. I don't *need* him to love me to take care of him. But it would be nice if he did! Haha. He comes to the bars for treats and lets me put my hand in the cage/eats from my hand if I have a treat, but if I even so much as approach the cage without a bag rustle, he's on high alert. If I try to pet him or pick him up, forget it, he's bolting in the other direction. I've had over 24 piggies in my home before (I rescued six pregnant females from a hoarding situation) and not a single one of them has been *this* skittish after 3+ months. I interact with the piggies daily using a gentle voice, veggies, treats, the house is relatively quiet, I pet his female cage mate in front of him often and she doesn't mind being picked up, but while he now takes treats from me, that is as far as it goes.
I very much doubt things will change as there has been almost no improvement. If it doesn't, that's okay! He's a happy boy, I love watching him, and I still pick him up regardless for health checks, nail trims, etc. One of my girls in the other cage took almost a year to warm up to me, but I chalk that up to her being partially blind, while Dog is not.
Has anyone else been in this situation? Is there another method I'm missing? Thanks!