Does anyone else's piggie do this?

[gingerpig]

Hiya!

Smudge is about 6 months and she has always had the habit of lying on her side whenever she is picked up, she likes her tummy pressing against you. Her eye is then uppermost, looking at you.

Smudge is the most nervous of all my piggies; do you think she lays like this so she can keep an eye on whoever's holding her?

And does anyone else's piggie lay like this?

 

[Cavy Crazy]

None of my guineas have done this. Does she move about when your holding her or just stay still? ?

 

[gingerpig]

She stays still. Rigid actually. Is she playing dead? :o

 

[Jane]

Can't quite imagine how you mean but I don't think my piggies do that...? It's great how they're all different though isn't it :smitten:

 

[Cavy Crazy]

;D To my knowledge guinea pigs don't play dead. Since she is quite a nervous guinea she is probably to scared to move and will get better with age.

 

[Sehnsucht]

one of our piggies used to do that before she died :'(

 

[gingerpig]

one of our piggies used to do that before she died :'(

Did she always lie like that, from a baby?

 

[Pampered Piggies]

I've just taken on a young boar who does that.. but when I put him down in the cage he runs around etc
Hes absolutly fine just very nervous. I've had him 3 weeks now and hes getting better so as long as you piggy is eating and running around when in its cage I woudn't worry

If shes not eating and not doing other normal piggy things like running around then maybe worth poping her to a good cavy savy vet- just to be safe.

It is an unusual behaviour pattern and the new guy I've taken on is the first one I've ever seen. but with gentle handling, soft talking and no sudden movements he seems to have come round.

 

[gingerpig]

Smudge is fine in every way, just really nervous. Does she need more handling or less? I'd guess at more, but what do others think?

 

[Sehnsucht]

one of our piggies used to do that before she died :'(

Did she always lie like that, from a baby?

yup as soon as we got her she did,it was really weird

 

[Cavy Crazy]

Smudge is fine in every way, just really nervous. Does she need more handling or less? I'd guess at more, but what do others think?

Not necessarily, it's more the quality of time rather then the quantity. Handling her a couple of times daily, for small periods of time would benefit her greatly. I would even just sit her on your lap with a piece of food so she relates handling with food, meaning she will relate handling as something good. I personally don't believe she has anything medically wrong with her, I simply think it is fear. If she still shows this behaviour in a couple of weeks time, then it wouldn't harm having her checked out, but I really think a bit of handling will get her out of this habit.

 

[Lucinda]

Rocky has always been like this :

Rocky can also almost lie on his back to go to sleep

I told you he is eccentric :

 

[baby-wilson]

Cindy lays on her back sometimes... probably to rest after carrying that fat belly around ;D

 

[Glynis]

Awwwww Rocky and Cindy both like to lie on their backs sooo cute :smitten: :smitten:

 

[newpiggies]

Scamper has always been the more nervous of our two piggies - Pip is likely to be out and about in her run while Scamper prefers to be under cover. I used to wonder whether she had been mishandled before she came to us. Scamper used to stay stock still when handled but over time with a lot of patient handling (and some food on laps) she is a lot more relaxed during lap time. Sometimes the piggies seem more restless so we might sit (still) in the run and let them run around, coming up to us for food etc - not forcing them to sit on our laps. We've noticed quite a difference recently in how relaxed they are on laps - Pip even fell asleep on my son's lap recently! :laugh: