Do piggies respond to their names?

Status
Not open for further replies.
SallyG

SallyG

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
124
Reaction score
1
Points
175
Location
Hull, E Yorks
Hi all,

we'll be getting our first piggies in a few weeks and I'm thinking we'll get 2 females as I need to make sure they'll be friends, we won't have the room to have seperate cages if males decided to fall out with each other.

I've just looked on the rescue centres website and there's quite a few pairs of girls to pick from. Just wondered, do piggies learn their names and respond to them? We are getting them for my little boys birthday and for instance there is the most gorgeous pair of girls called Susie and Sarah but my son really isn't going to be impressed with those names, I'm sure we're going to end up with Spiderman and Alien X or some other such (ridiculous) names. Would it confuse a piggie if their name changes or are they not that sensitive?

Thanks
Sal
x
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.
My pigs will recognise their names. The girls won't come to me when I call them, but they will look up at me. Archie however will come up to the side of the cage when I call him.
I don't think changing their names will affect them much though. They will soon learn the sound of your voice.

Good luck on getting your new piggies :)
 
Yes, of course you can rename piggies!

I try to stick to names that are as similar to their old ones whenever possible, but with a Welsh theme some things just don't work out!

Piggies can learn their names (and the names of their comrades), but they will adapt to a new one just as easily. I have just renamed my latest addition, 5 year old Oscar, to Bryn Oscar, simply because he doesn't look like an Owen to me; and that is the only Welsh name that starts with an "O"! But I have been able to turn Betty and Freya into Bethan and Ffraid; they are my two permanent fosterers.

Some rescues have a policy of never using the same name twice, so after a decade or two, you get very unusual things (I know a rescue that has worked their way from pasta dishes, breads (I rehomed a Chapati, now Terfel) to cheeses (a forum member rehomed Boursin; she's now Bernadette) and has now arrived at dances... Cinder Toffee and Dolly Mixture were also rescue names not meant to be kept!

PS: If you rehome a well established boar couple from a good rescue, the risk of a fall out is a LOT smaller than in your usual chucked together shop pair that have been bought for looks and not for character compatibility.
I would also keep an open mind as to character and handle-ability when rehoming piggies and not just go for looks! Boars are often more laid back and cuddly than girls, frankly. Ideally, you leave it until you have met the piggies at the rescue and see which pair clicks with you when you meet them pigson.
PS2: Why don't you make a deal with your son that the piggies should have real names?
 
Last edited:
Hiya,

Thanks for your advice. That's good then that we could change names if necessary. I am going to visit the rescue on Friday and see how we get on. My son doesn't know he's getting piggies, they're for his 5th birthday and he adores animals so we know he'll be delighted. I do realise that although they're his, it will be me that does the majority of the care. I am secretly so very excited about having the piggies hanging out with me during the day when the boys are out at school :(|)

The plan is to build the cage (have bought a c&c) on his birthday eve so it's there when he wakes up, and then after school take him to get the piggies. His birthday isn't until November though, I had wondered about me going to pick them now, and making a couple of visits a week to the rescue to see them beforehand, so that they start to recognise me, do you think that would help them at all (or is it just helping me get extra cuddles?!)

I'm so excited, like a big kid. I am vaguely obsessed with this forum too!
 
Penny and Luna respond to their names. They look up at me, come to the edge of the cage and start squeaking. It's so cute. I don't think re-naming them will be a problem at all.
 
Will your piggies be waiting for you to pick them up until November? That's an awful long time, I know myself I wouldn't be able to stay away. Many years ago I adopted a little cat from the SPCA. She had to wait the mandatory 2 weeks before she could be adopted as she was picked up as a stray. I went there every single day for cuddles, then of course on the day I was able to adopt her, she got sick. They quarantined her and she had to stay another 2 weeks! I still went every day even though they wouldn't let me take her out for cuddles, I think I really drove the staff crazy - lol.
 
Most rescues won't reserve piggies for that long; there are simply too many piggies in need for a rescue space. You also will have to have your cage ready beforehand so you can pass a home check.

Why not let your son then choose the piggies he likes best at the rescue as a special birthday gift? I am sure that between you and the rescue people you can steer him to a pair that is suited for him! It certainly doesn't hurt to contact the rescue you want to rehome from now and talk with them about what they are looking for etc. Not all rescues will rehome to families with small children if they have had some very bad experiences.
 
Thanks guys, I'll ring the rescue tomorrow and see what they say. Hadn't thought about the high turnover of animals.

I want to get the piggies for my son's birthday so really can't get them before November (as much as I want to!). Maybe it's best I don't visit any in case I fall in love...
 
Frankie sort of does; he'll look at me when i call his name but i don't know if that's just because he knows my voice.
Bobby doesn't seem to (he's a lot more nervous so he could be blocking me out) but he will listen out for my initial voice.
 
two out of our four recognise their names quite clearly, Luna will look up and come up to the cage bars when you call her name and Gnocchi will come bounding across the sofa and jump on your lap when he hears his name being called! It's very cute!

I think Peanut and Daisy Mae know their names but they don't respond as clearly as the other two!

I am sure renaming them should be fine as they will get to know you and your voice in time :-)
 
Cats tend to come to their name all the time but you can change their names when they are somewhat similar or by putting the new name after the current one then just using the new name after while. I'm sure they will be fine with a name change! They will be happy with having a bigger cage and a loving family either way!:) They will learn the new names once they have been used enough and will learn your voice. Hope you have fun with your new piggies when you get them!:(|)
 
Hi my girls know their names...... but as Wiebke said yeah of course you can change their names, they'll soon know that the rustle of a bag and your voices mean food drool
Hope to see some pigtures of the babies when they arrive..... now i wonder if you can wait till November? rolleyes

Glynis, Velvet and Onyx x
 
I think all my pigs so far have thought their name was Piggy Treats as that's what they would come running to.
 
This may answer your question, my little man was a legend.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gixrU3tFAds&list=UUL0pbVMXk69UPEKe922dR2g&index=2&feature=plcp"]A good mannered little piggy - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXmvlhLKTg4&list=UUL0pbVMXk69UPEKe922dR2g&index=20&feature=plcp"]006 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mciZ_cW5dqc&list=UUL0pbVMXk69UPEKe922dR2g&index=79&feature=plcp"]Can they get any cuter.MOV - YouTube[/ame]

RIP Little man x
 
lol I don't know if my two will ever know their names - I keep 'tinkering' with them!


Benson started off as Ben but I think we are settled on Benson now as it seems to suit him.


Poor Stanley though! He gets Stanley, Stan, Stan the man, Stanners and the latest is SPANNERS!


Poor boy!
 
ps - I am really wanting to watch your clips there Flintstones - but dh is watching telly and I know he is not going to appreciate a guinea pig related interruption! I will take a look when I can though
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top