The key to handling your guinea pigs is to be gentle yet confident when picking them up. Guinea pigs can jump when being lifted, so make sure you have a secure but gentle grip on them.
Make sure you keep the spine inline as you lift. The best method is to put one hand under the front of the guinea pig and the other hand under the rear end.
Once you have picked up your guinea pig you can cuddle it to your chest to hold it securely. If you are walking around carrying your guinea pig then this is the safest position to hold it in.
Children should be closely supervised when handling guinea pigs as their bones are fragile and being accidentally dropped can be fatal for them. Children can also inadvertently squeeze guinea pigs when handling which can injure them.
Guinea pigs make numerous different noises depending on if they are happy, excited or scared as we discussed in our previous blog post about guinea pig noises. If your guinea pig starts whining or shrieking while you are handling them then they are unhappy, and you should stop and allow them to calm down. Although many will start purring when they are stroked and handled by their human companions.
