Assistance Needed In Catching The Wild Pig

[RuckusMom]

Both my boys are Super cuddly pigs. When out for couch time Reeses will literally jump from my lap onto my chest just to cuddle closer to my face. Reeses loves having his chin and cheeks rubbed. It seems I could rub them for hours and he would just lean his head from side to side to make sure I get just the right spot. Ruckus also loves to be right in my face, and will lick (and nibble) my chin and cheeks without cease. Ruckus will let me pet the white patch between his eyes over and over, and will close his eyes if I use the palm of my hand to stroke from his nose to the back of his neck. They both truly enjoy sitting in my lap and being the center of my attention.
With that being said, Reeses does not like to be picked up from his cage. If I go to pick him up he will run, and the cage is big enough he can get out of my reach... So, it's not uncommon to walk around the cage once or twice before I get him out. Veggies work grand to coax him, but I don't always have them right at hand. He use to squirm fairly bad when I would place him in his cage, but we have just about worked through that. When he squirms, I pick him back up and reattempt to put him down. He is only set free when he sits still in my hands until I release him into the cage. I felt it was important to break the squirming habit, since he could potentially fall and injure himself while doing so. Does anyone have any suggestions on making Reeses more comfortable about being picked up? Ruckus will allow me to pick him up anytime, anyway so this is new to me.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Well, it's nice to hear that you have such a big cage !

You're going to have to work out a tactic for making catching Reeses simpler. What sort of cage is it? I have a C&C cage and have cable tied a few spare grids together to make a free standing "wall". When I need to catch them I can section off the part of the cage they're in - making it easier to catch them.

 

[LisaAli]

Hi have a look at the forums video guide, hopefully it may make it easier for you to pick him up..

It sounds like Reeses is beginning to trust you but not quite there yet, using the methods in the video should help the picking up process less stressful for both of you...

Lisa & Ali..

 

[RuckusMom]

Great! Thank you. I will need to look for the forum video section. I hadn't found it yet.

 

[RuckusMom]

Ok, I found the Video section, right up top! :-)
Oh and as for my cage I will show it to you. I have rearranged the "furniture" since the picture, which I try to do every couple of days. It's fairly wide, and I am not able to reach across obviously.

 

[Black Jack]

Fab cage setup - lucky piggies! As for catching Reeses, I am sorry I have no suggestions as all my piggies have either been easy to pick up or I have trained them to leave the cage at my request.

 

[RuckusMom]

Feeling honored. Reeses was laying down for a rest, and allowed me to give him a good cheek and chin rub without even standing up. He is such a sweet pig. I have overcome the running by repeatedly going in and loving him without picking him up. He now will stay still for some loving's. I still use the round up method for taking him out of the cage. I have a litter pan for "free time", so I just place that in the cage and gently push his little butt in there. I was doing the same with Ruckus, but I noticed it was making him not want to be picked up. So, I think I am going to try and get everyone comfortable with being picked up. I just think that this is better for both me and the pigs. If there is ever a reason I need to quickly pick them up, I want them to be comfortable and not attempt to run away.

 

[RuckusMom]

Oh! I also have moved from shavings in the "hay rooms" to pellets. The shavings where getting everywhere from my longhaired pigs. I also like the pellets better, because it is easier to see where the wet spots are.

 

[Wiebke]

Great! Thank you. I will need to look for the forum video section. I hadn't found it yet.

You can find our tutorial videos on the top bar.

if you are putting a squirming piggy back into the cage ot the hutch even with a tunnel, always do so bum forward to prevent him from jumping early and injuring himself badly (usually front teeth or jaw).