Is it OK to pick up a guinea pig?

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Guinea pigs, like any small animal, need to be handled gently and carefully. Guinea pigs specifically need to always have their back legs supported in order to ensure they do not hurt their backs.[1]

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   Approach your guinea pig calmly. Animals can sense nervousness in humans. When handling animals of any kind, including guinea pigs, you need to remain calm and confident while around them.[2]

   • If you aren’t able to keep calm for any reason, wait to handle your guinea pig at a time when you are calm.
   • Try talking to your guinea pigs so they aren't startled when you try to pick them up.

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   Place your right hand around your guinea pig’s front end. There are two possible ways to place your right hand on your guinea pig’s body. The two methods are outlined here:[3][4]

   • Method 1 — Place your right hand on top of your guinea pig, across his shoulders. Place your right thumb behind your guinea pig’s front legs. And then place your right fingers in front and behind your guinea pig’s front legs (e.g. one or two fingers in front of his front leg, two to three fingers behind his front leg).
   • Method 2 — Place your right hand under your guinea pig’s chest, near his front legs. Put your index finger in front of your guinea pig’s left front leg, and the rest of your fingers behind his left front leg. Use your index and second fingers like scissors to hold your guinea pig’s left leg still.

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   Avoid squeezing your right hand. Your hand should be placed on your guinea pig gently but firmly and without applying any pressure. Squeezing your hand may cause your guinea pig to squirm, which in turn may cause him to injure himself.[5]

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   Put your left hand under your guinea pig’s bum. Once you’ve gripped your right hand around the front of your guinea pig, place your left hand behind his bum. Make sure you have his behind fully supported with your left hand.[6]

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   Lift up your guinea pig horizontally. Lift your right hand up so your guinea pig’s front legs are off the ground. Then support the back end of your guinea pig with your left hand. Make sure your guinea pig’s back legs are always supported, do not allow them to dangle.[7]

   • If your guinea pig struggles when you pick him up, you may need to hold his back legs still with your left hand and fingers.

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   Hold your guinea pig close to your body. Once your guinea pig is off the ground, move your arms so that he’s close to your chest and body. Cuddle your guinea pig against your body while he’s off the ground and you’re moving around.[8]

   • Guinea pigs feel safe and comfortable when they’re either against your body or if they have their feet on the ground.

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   Use treats to entice your guinea pig to like you. When first trying to pick up your guinea pig you need to gain his trust. Start by allowing your guinea pig to sniff your hand and fingers before you touch him. Use treats as incentive for your guinea pig to get closer to you and like you.[9][10]

   • Treats can include small pieces of fruit like oranges, plums, berries, grapes, bananas, watermelon, or cantaloupe.
   • Treats can also include small pieces of vegetables like basil leaves, turnip greens, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, clover, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, corn, dandelions, kale, and chard.
   • The following food can be fed to your guinea pig as a treat, but no more than two times a week: parsley, carrots, and apples.

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   Handle your guinea pig often. The best way to allow a guinea pig to build a bond with you is to hold him as often as you can. At a minimum you should hold your guinea pig at least once a day.[11]

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   Be careful when your guinea pig struggles. Guinea pigs, unlike hamsters and gerbils, don’t usually bite when they’re scared. Instead, a guinea pig will squirm and struggle in your hands, hoping you’ll drop him or put him down.[12]

   • If your guinea pig struggles while you’re holding him, be careful not to squeeze him in an attempt to stop the squirming.
   • If your guinea pig decides he wants to bite you, make sure your place your hands where he cannot reach them.

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   Put your guinea pig into his cage backwards. When you move to put your guinea pig back onto the floor, or into his cage, be aware that he may attempt to jump out of your hands. As jumping out of your hands could injure your guinea pig, a trick you may want to employ is to put your guinea pig down backwards.[13][14]

   • If your guinea pig can’t see where he’s going, he will be less likely to jump out of your hands.

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   Wait to release your guinea pig when he stops squirming. When attempting to put your guinea pig back into his cage, do not release him from your hands until he stops squirming. Hold your guinea pig firmly, but gently, a few inches off the ground (or floor of the cage) and wait until he stops squirming. Once your guinea pig stops squirming, place his feet on the floor of his cage. Do not release him from your hands until he stops squirming.[15]

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   Do not hold your guinea pig too long. Even a guinea pig who likes to be held may eventually want to be put down. For example, your guinea pig may need to pee and want to go back into his cage. If your guinea pig starts to struggle and lick your hand, he may want to be put down.[16]

   • If your guinea pig starts to lick your hand, but then settles down again, he may be okay. But if he continues to lick your hand and struggle, you should probably put him back in his cage.
   • On average a guinea pig may only want to be held for 10-20 minutes at a time.
   • If you hold your guinea pig for too long, it is possible he’ll pee or poop on you! You may want to hold your guinea pig on your lap, on top of a towel, in case of an accident.

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• Always use two hands to pick up a guinea pig.[17]

• If you own more than one guinea pig, only pick one of them up at a time.

• Always make sure you have your guinea pig safely and securely in your hands before you lift him more than an inch or two off the ground. If your guinea pig’s cage is on the ground, you may want to kneel or bend down to get a hold of him before you stand up.

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• Not all guinea pigs are going to be fans of being picked up. Some may simply prefer to stay on the ground, on their own four feet. While it is certainly worth trying to pick up and hold your guinea pig, if you aren’t successful after several tries, give your guinea pig a break. If your guinea pig doesn’t like being picked up, you may cause him stress and anxiety if you attempt to pick him up too much.

• Do not put a guinea pig near a hamster or the guinea pig will try to kill it. Also make sure to keep the guinea pig or hamster a safe distance away from each other. Try to put a hamster and a guinea pig with there cages away from each other.

• Because a guinea pig needs to be handled gently, and with two hands, it is best if only older children and adults pick up a guinea pig. Young children can play with guinea pigs on the ground, or pet a guinea pig while it’s being held by an adult.[18][19]

• If your guinea pig is a pregnant female, avoid holding and handling her late in her pregnancy. If you need to carry her from one place to another, use a box or basket.[20]

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To pick up a guinea pig, start by placing your right hand gently across its shoulders and carefully wrapping your thumb and fingers around its body. Next, use your left hand to cup the guinea pig’s bottom to fully support it and keep its legs from kicking out. Then, slowly lift your guinea pig up and bring it close to your chest so that it feels secure and safe. Try to hold your guinea pig at least once a day so that it gets used to being handled. For tips from our Veterinary reviewer on how to get your guinea pig used to being held, read on!

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