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We understand that you must be yearning to be able to groom and hold your guinea pig in your arms. You can certainly keep them, but you’ll need to be very careful with them. If you pick them incorrectly, they may even bite or scratch you if you are not careful. Now comes the question of when you will be able to handle baby guinea pigs.

A newborn guinea pig should not be handled for at least one week after it is born since it is extremely sensitive and vulnerable to being injured or killed. They don’t have particularly strong bones. If you pick them up carelessly, you run the risk of injuring them and even endangering their lives.

Picking them up should only be done when absolutely required. Alternatively, it is preferable to leave them in their loving home with their mother, who nurtures them with all of her her and concern.

You should only pick up your newborn baby to check their weight and to see whether or not they are growing properly.

Maintaining a constant watch on their weight might also assist you in maintaining a constant eye on their diet. Never allow a youngster under the age of ten to hold your piggie because doing so increases the likelihood of an accident.

 

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Can you hold a newborn guinea pig?

We would suggest you not to handle your newborn guinea pigs at least for one week as they are very delicate, and have weak bones.

Your guinea pig could suffer a serious injury or even die as a result of a simple misunderstanding.

The mother of these newborn infants will milk them as soon as her mother instinct kicks in, which will be quite soon. You must avoid any contact with them at that point.

Guinea pigs are not familiar with humans since they perceive them as predators when they are young.

On that topic, handling them as soon as they are born can be a very bad idea in some cases.

Be sure they are comfortable with your presence before you take them to the airport.

Also, avoid picking them on a regular basis because they are more comfortable on the ground than they are at great heights.

Pick them up only when it is absolutely necessary, such as when you are weighing them. Weighing them on a regular basis can also provide you with accurate information about whether or not they are receiving appropriate nutrition.

Allowing youngsters younger than ten years to hold your newborn guinea pigs is strongly discouraged due to the increased likelihood of an accident occurring with the animals.

Because children, in their excitement, will attempt to hold them, which may result in a mishap.

When can you pick up baby guinea pigs?

As soon as you put them down on the floor, a newborn guinea pig becomes completely enthused and begins to run around.

An infant male guinea pig emerges from his burrow with a white ring around his head, but a female guinea pig resembles a little rice grain.

After a week or two, we will recommend that you select your baby guinea pig.

You will be able to take them up more regularly as they grow older (3 weeks or more). In their first few weeks of life, they are extremely vulnerable, and it is best not to handle a baby guinea pig during that time period.

You should only take them up when absolutely necessary; otherwise, you should leave them in their loving home with their mother, who lavishes them with affection and care.

When picking up their kids, you must have a close link with the mother because if the mother does not understand your sign, she may fight you in order to protect her child.

As a result, we strongly advise that you refrain from picking up baby guinea pigs for at least one or two weeks. It will be possible to attempt to pick up the baby guinea pigs once they have been weaned.

If you attempt to pick them up, there is a possibility that they will become terrified and nervous because they will perceive you as a predator. Because they are not acclimated to you, they will attempt to jump out of your hands, which will cause them serious injury.

It is preferable to groom the baby piggies in the ground till and unless you become familiar with them. This is due to the fact that they are more comfortable in the earth. You will be able to pick them up once they have become accustomed to your presence.

Is it safe to hold baby guinea pigs?

We do not recommend holding a newborn baby guinea pig for at least one week due to the fact that they are extremely delicate and have fragile bones.

Holding a newborn infant is extremely dangerous because even a minor mistake in holding might result in the death of your guinea pigs’ lives.

They do not have strong bones in comparison to their mother; they can also perceive you as a predator and become stressed, which might result in cardiac arrest or other serious health consequences.

Holding them after one week will be much more comfortable, but you can try to become acquainted with the newborn guinea pigs in the meantime.

It is possible to detain them for one week in order to weigh them and determine whether or not they are receiving the proper nutrition.

And once the baby guinea pigs have reached the age of three weeks, you can try to hold them on a more frequent basis.

Avoid allowing any children to hold a baby guinea pig because children, excited by the prospect of holding one, will attempt to do so, which may result in an accident.

Do guinea pigs eat their babies if you touch them?

How does a mother endanger her child’s life? Because they are unable to do so, guinea pigs will not kill their young if you come into contact with them.

They are not compelled to kill their infant because of an unknown fragrance. Several legends circulate that guinea pigs destroy their young when they sense your presence, which is erroneous.

Guinea pigs have a highly developed sense of smell, which allows them to distinguish the aroma of a known object with ease.

Even the fathers of newborn guinea pigs will not consume their offspring if you come into contact with them.

However, do not allow the father to remain with the babies and the mother for more than a few days, as the babies will require food from their mother at this time, and there is also the possibility of a second pregnancy, which will make the mother of the guinea pigs vulnerable.

Guinea pig mothers do not require the assistance of their fathers to care for their infants because they are capable of providing adequate nutrition on their own.

Once the newborn female guinea pigs are 21 days old, avoid allowing them to meet their father alone, even for a short period of time.

Because mating is completed in a short period of time, there is a probability that their father will become pregnant. This can cause serious problems in the female guinea pig’s reproductive system.

Ideally, you should leave her alone when her mother is not present, and you should keep a close eye on her father’s activities as he goes about his business. If you must leave the newborn female guinea pigs alone with their father, make sure to do so immediately.

How to pick up a baby guinea pig?

  1. A newborn guinea pig should be handled with extreme caution since their bones are fragile and their skin is extremely sensitive.When compared to their parents, they do not have as strong of bones. Given the fact that they are not used to dealing with humans, it might even become anxious, which can result in serious consequences.In order to pick up your guinea pig, you must follow a set of procedures. We’ll walk you through the process of selecting your guinea pigs in just five steps:Get Down to your guinea pigs level: Instead of picking your baby guinea pigs from your level, it would be better if you get down on the floor and pick them up gently.
    • As guinea pigs are more comfortable being on the floor than on height, they can find an opportunity to run away from their predators if they are on the floor. If you pick them high, they can feel stressed.
    • So what you have to do is sit down on the floor closer to your guinea pig and let them feel your presence for some time and get used to it. Do not instantly try to pick them up as this can make them feel vulnerable.
  2. Try not to make sounds or movements: You must make sure not to make noise and any movements while picking up your guinea pigs as it may strike them as a predator, and they can be stressed.
    • So it is advisable not to make any noise while you are sitting in front of your guinea pig. To make it possible, you can take your cavies to a room where there is no interference from others.
    • Try to talk with your guinea pig softly, and if they seem nervous, gently put your hands on their head and groom them. Your aim here must be to lower the stress of your guinea pig as much as you can.
  3. Softly lift your guinea pig: This step is crucial, as you must be very focused. You can pick up your 1-week newborn guinea pig in the following manner:
    • Keep your hand beneath the chest and another side beneath their rump so that you can cover the whole body.
    • Hold their back legs against their body and pick them up very carefully.
    • If your guinea pig tries to jump, don’t panic as it is their normal behavior. Do not let them dance as they have fragile bones; they can injure themselves if fallen from height.
    • If they become out of control, then softly put them down and repeat the process.
    • Never try any other way to pick up your guinea pigs as picking up from ears, or legs as it can lead to several injuries.
  4. Hold your guinea pig carefully: It is advisable to hold your guinea pig very close to your chest so that they can feel comfortable and secured, and it also minimizes the risk of mishappenings.
    • Try to slowly while you are having your guinea pigs on hands. Do not rush as it can scare your guinea pigs, and they can try to escape from your hands. On any condition, do not let your guinea pigs jump out of your hands, as they can heavily injure themselves.
    • If you see them grunting or their ears are flattened against their body, it means that they are not comfortable with being on your hands. In that case, put your guinea pig back to the floor as soon as possible.
  5. Softly put your guinea pig on the floor: As soon as you complete holding your guinea pigs, kindly put them back into the ground.
    • Do the process very carefully; support your guinea pig’s entire body while putting them down and make sure that they do not jump out of your hands.
    • After placing them down correctly, provide them a treat as a reward for being cooperative. So once they adopt the behavior of reward after being cooperative, they will be less scared about being picked up by you.

How often should you handle your guinea pigs?

We do not recommend picking up your guinea pigs very often because they prefer to be on the ground rather than on a shelf or in a cage. Because they may perceive you as a predator, they may become fearful when you are picking them up.

So avoid picking them up until and unless it is absolutely required to do so. When you weigh your guinea pigs, you can pick them up and take them back to their safe haven, where you can also trim their nails.

Please do not lift them up for any type of playing activity because they are not very comfortable at high altitudes.

Due to the fact that newborn cavies are not accustomed to human contact, holding them frequently can leave them exposed, which is not a good sign.

Instead of picking them up, attempt to groom them by sitting close to them on a regular basis; this will make them more comfortable for you.

If they seem uncomfortable in your presence, don’t be concerned; it is in their nature to take some time before they become comfortable in your presence.

You may also provide them delicacies as a demonstration of your affection for them; they will unavoidably get attracted to you and comfortable in your company after a short period of time.

Finally, we recommend that you take good care of your guinea pigs by lowering yourself to their level rather than taking them up and holding them.