GPcrazy
Teenage Guinea Pig
I got my piggies out for their weekly weighing last night and decided to clip their nails for the first time too. I've been meaning to do it for a few weeks now but it just never happens. They are 4 months old now.
I always do cuddle/lap time and weighings in the (empty) bath because I feel most confident there as it's really hard for them to leap out of my arms and hurt themselves or disappear. Also, the cats can't attack them if I'm locked in the bathroom with them. So I got everything ready - nail clippers, cornstarch, 2 slices red pepper each, 2 fine green beans each, and a towel in case necessary.
I've been saying to dh for ages he must help me, as I figured I'd do the method where dh holds the piggy "sitting' on his lap, back towards his tummy. But dh was out and I felt the time was right so went ahead anyway.
It went sooooo well! I was really truly surprised and happy.
I did Nia first, simply becuase she was the first one to go into the cuddle sack (my mode of transport). She's the under-piggy. In the cage she is the most nervous, but in the garden and during lap time she's the most confident.
I held her lying on my arm and shoved some red pepper in front of her, and she just lay there munching away while I clipped her nails. Then I turned her around for the other side. I managed to do all her nails except one (just couldn't get the angle right). It really went well.
Patches was next. She is really cocky and super brave in the cage, but more nervous out in the garden (certainly not terrified though), and really quite scared during lap time. I almost never actually manage to hold her because she gets so scared and burrows so frantically into the cuddle pouch. So I was worried about clipping her nails. But she is also an absolute "vraat" as we say in Afrikaans (a total pig LoL) and LOVES her food so as soon as I had a slice of red pepper in front of her she attacked it hell for leather skoffing it as fast as she could.
With Nia I'm able to pick her up off the scales and hold her on my arm. With Patches she looked so terrified on the scales I just picked her up in the bowl she was standing in and held her like that. Gradually tipping the bowl till she was only on my arm (with a good amount of towel around her). I managed 3 of her paws. I was struggling to get the 4th out in a position I could clip and she started to get really frantic and even gently nipped me so I decided enough was enough and took her back to the cage.
Really pleased with how it all went though and feel more confident for the future
I always do cuddle/lap time and weighings in the (empty) bath because I feel most confident there as it's really hard for them to leap out of my arms and hurt themselves or disappear. Also, the cats can't attack them if I'm locked in the bathroom with them. So I got everything ready - nail clippers, cornstarch, 2 slices red pepper each, 2 fine green beans each, and a towel in case necessary.
I've been saying to dh for ages he must help me, as I figured I'd do the method where dh holds the piggy "sitting' on his lap, back towards his tummy. But dh was out and I felt the time was right so went ahead anyway.
It went sooooo well! I was really truly surprised and happy.
I did Nia first, simply becuase she was the first one to go into the cuddle sack (my mode of transport). She's the under-piggy. In the cage she is the most nervous, but in the garden and during lap time she's the most confident.
I held her lying on my arm and shoved some red pepper in front of her, and she just lay there munching away while I clipped her nails. Then I turned her around for the other side. I managed to do all her nails except one (just couldn't get the angle right). It really went well.
Patches was next. She is really cocky and super brave in the cage, but more nervous out in the garden (certainly not terrified though), and really quite scared during lap time. I almost never actually manage to hold her because she gets so scared and burrows so frantically into the cuddle pouch. So I was worried about clipping her nails. But she is also an absolute "vraat" as we say in Afrikaans (a total pig LoL) and LOVES her food so as soon as I had a slice of red pepper in front of her she attacked it hell for leather skoffing it as fast as she could.
With Nia I'm able to pick her up off the scales and hold her on my arm. With Patches she looked so terrified on the scales I just picked her up in the bowl she was standing in and held her like that. Gradually tipping the bowl till she was only on my arm (with a good amount of towel around her). I managed 3 of her paws. I was struggling to get the 4th out in a position I could clip and she started to get really frantic and even gently nipped me so I decided enough was enough and took her back to the cage.
Really pleased with how it all went though and feel more confident for the future
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