Catching methods?

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Porcellus

Every Friday night (because they used to have good programmes on TV then-- until 'Have I got News for you' ended ¬¬) we let Cinnamon and Pepper out for a run on the sitting room floor. After about 20 minutes of popcorning and zipping after each other across the carpet, they often retire under the dresser or china cabinet. Now, when it comes to catching them again, it's a nightmare. I have to get on my hands and knees to try and get Cinnamon out from under the china cabinet, but she's such a big fatty that it's hard to pull her out. Pepper's the worst -- she's nimble as a cheetah and scurries out of my way easily. I have to trap her in a corner and grab, whcih takes about 15 minutes.

This isn't a fun end to their run. Any tips on how I can make it less of a hectic chase? I don't want to block up their retreats -- I stand no chance of catching them in a sprint across the floor XD
 
what i do is sit there with there fav blanket they come out to crawl under it then bam i got them and just pick them up or put tunnel near by and try and move them out with hand and they might run into tunnel and pick tunnel up with them inside .
 
With 2 of my baby piggies I need to use the snuggle sac method mentioned by shazbo. Just put sac infront of them then try to shoo them out and they will run into it ;)
 
get their fav veg and tempt them out with it - as you pull it back their noses will follow and bring them olut - do it slowly though and dont grab them when they just coming out as will just go back under!
 
My c & c cages are open when mine are out snd once they go back in themselves, I close it. But, if you had a car carrier where the door opens at the front and put a veg treat in there, they will go in for it(maybe obne at a time) and then you can get them from there!
 
Try Tube training them. Block off any hidey holes and put down a length of cardboard tube (or a grassy one that you can buy from pet shops), when it's time for bed. Then try gently rounding them up. They will run for the tubes and you can pick the whole thing up and pop it in the cage. After a while you'll only have to stand up and they'll know.

They will get used to being transported this way and it's so much kinder than the stressy chasing all over the place.

Besides, it's quicker by tube!

Samantha
 
my post should have said cat carrier not car carrier-sorry! :))
 
I also have a c&c type run and I just leave the door open and they go back in when I stand up and call to them 'Beddy Byes'..
Once they are in and the fence is closed I give them both a basil leaf as a reward :p
They will jump through hoops for basil....:))

Before they were used to this method I used a cuddle cup for them to run to and treats to coax them out from under the coffee table. (we have one of those low shelf ones - unfortunately it has perfectly piggy sized height gap underneath)
 
i have to pick my boys up by there bums (its the easyesit thing to get hold of them)

then i have aflie who just sits and lets me pick him up
 
Thank you everyone! I'll see how things get on. I may try tube-training with their Chube -- may be useful.
 
I'm so glad to see this thread - I thought I was the only one with piggy - catching troubles! Rufus and Rocky are still young and a bit jumpy though so hopefully they'll settle down a bit. My partner is much better at catching them (they're so fast!) than I am - I regularly resort to using a cuddle pouch that I made, and luring them into it - then picking it up!
Glad I'm not the only one :)
 
Yeah, it's a rollercoaster :rolleyes:

Well, I tried it our last night. Pepper pushed past my terrible trap of a Chube with a cuhion blocking the other end and dashed behind the sofa, so I put the Chube at the exit to that hiding place and tried to get her to go in, but she decided she was going to turn round and dodge past me. So i caught her with one of my old tricks: kneeling with my knees apart but feet together so she runs for the darkness and can be scopped up. So that was less traumatic than usual.
Cinnamon was the tough one: she's one of those "Sit still where you know you can't be caught and absolutely refused to budge" guinea pigs. I think she enjoys making me stick my hand into dark corners with potential spiders in it XD In the end, after lots of fussing, managed to make her get in the Chube and carried her home. Phew! Sweated like a... pig.
 
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