Advice on handling piggies needed

[kitabird]

I've had my two boys for 3 and a half months now, they are around 6 months old. Their cage is in the living room so they are around us alot and I chat to them and hand feed them a bit everyday, but they are still terrified and run whenever you move, even if you just reposition yourself while sitting on the sofa on the other side of the room. Is this normal? One piggie once you get him out is quite happy to sit for a while and let me stroke him until he gets bored and wants to explore. The other one is the dominant pig and makes it clear that he is the boss of me! When I go to pick him up he makes an annoyed grunt sound. Once out he doesn't want to be petted and will butt my hand away with his head or push it away with his paw. How can I get him used to being handled without annoying him?

 

[Merab]

Some piggies never like being petted or handled.
It can take a long time for youngsters to feel safe.
Remember that they are prey animals.
Talking to them and hand feeding them is good - it will still need patience from you for them to feel relaxed.
There’s an excellent Pigwhispering thread on the forum - have a look at that. There’s other good information on the forum for new owners which could also be helpful.

 

[Piggy1011]

I’m no expert by any means but I have this trouble with my new pig atm. Bearing in mind he is about 2/3 years old.

I left him for a week just chatting to him started hand feeding him, no problem. I then started to get him out of his cage daily, 4 days in a row and it’s like he has taken a step back.
He doesn’t like my hand near him and takes a lot longer to take food from my hand. I’ve decided not to pick him up until I know 100% he has trust in me, could take a year for all I know! Just means more gentle chatting and more hand feeding with treats.

Just build up their trust before picking them up is my advice.

Good luck!

 

[PiggyPoo]

Ours are in our living room too! They sound very much like mine. They’re 5 months and we’ve had them for 2 months. I’ve come to the conclusion that they will always run as instinct, it’s like us blinking if someone blows in our eyes! Lol. It’s just a natural reaction even though we know no harm will come to us.

One piggy will take food and will tolerate being held for while but now has the confidence to rumble when she’s had enough. The other used sit frozen but now has the confidence to wriggle away as fast as she can, she simply tells me that she doesn’t like it, but will happily sit close by and take food, just as long as you don’t touch her! I’m hoping that once she knows I’ve respected that she might change her mind about cuddles... or might not!

It’s a really slow process, much slower than we’dlike but it sounds as though your piggies are comfortable with telling you what they don’t like, which is progress in itself. Xx

 

[Livia Rabideau]

Give them veggies for lap time. Mine are skiddish too. I have one that is easy to catch. The other one acts like I am going to murder him the way he squeals . They both are fine once they are out. At first they weren't, but as long as I have veggies or uerbs for them, they enjoy laptime for a bit now. Good luck! It can take time for them to trust you.

 

[sport_billy]

We have had one of our girls for a year now, she still runs away from me in the cage if i go to touch her but I can hand feed her by the bars, she is quite happy for a time on laps being stroked and eating veggies and is confident enough to teeth chatter at me to let me know she'd like to go home which i always respect. One day I may be able to stroke her in the cage but I doubt it from experience.... some piggies are more skittish than others.

Do lots of hand feeding at the bars of the cage this will help build the bond

 

[Kindness]

Ive noticed the less piggies you have in the beggining the more terrified they are. Usually 5 piggies are non stop moving and running but 2 seem more reserved and take a lot longer to warm up. To them its like one of them will be eaten so they are a lot more shy. Daily handling really helps as well as daily cage cleans with them in the cage, don't chase them round let them know that everyday you clean the cage and won't pick them up or offer them food, come with a bowl of veggies, make lap time all about veggies they will soon be so brave you will miss the days they didn't constantly demand stuff from you.