How Soon Can I Handle My Guinea Pigs?

If you’ve just brought your guinea pigs home for the first time, it’s recommended not to handle them for the first week. This gives the new GPs time to settle into their new home.

If you are bringing a guinea pig home after treatment at a vet's, ask the vet how long you should wait before handling the animal again. Picking up a guinea pig too early in these circumstances may put stress on the injured area, so you need to follow the vet’s advice in order to get the guinea pig back on its feet ASAP.

Guinea pigs enjoy being handled - but not in all circumstances

If you have a pregnant guinea pig, it’s best not to handle them unnecessarily during the month before they give birth. They will be feeling a bit tender and very protective of their babies after the birth, so it’s best to leave them alone for a month afterwards too.

Baby guinea pigs should not be held at all for at least one week after birth, and must always be handled very gently.