Having a few problems

[elgicnola]

I'm having a few problems with my little men, they are happy little piggies but are getting worse instead of better around me and my partner..i spend as much time with them as i can talk to them keep my hand in the cage etc....i know they dont like being picked up so i use a tube...but they now will not go in it which is making cleaning them out difficult.
This is also my first time with boys and long haired piggies, i have contacted a local lady with a rescue to show me how to bathe, nail clip, hair trim and clean the anal sack. I am worried that they will never take to us and they wont have the best life they can have.
I dont know if it is better for them to be with more experienced people. I really dont want to give my babies up but i feel i may have bit of more than i can chew. Any help...thoughts would be greatly apreciated thanks

 

[Caviesgalore (EPGPR)]

How old are your little guys, not very from your profile pic. It can take youngsters a while to settle in and feel confident enough to trust us - after all we must seem huge to them, they've recently left mum, ended up for sale and suddenly they're in yet another environment. The tube is a fab idea and a great way to try to transport frightened pigs. Another trick is to try using a cuddle sack (which you can buy online), mine love these and will happily disappear inside making scooping them up more easy. Well done for contacting a local rescue to discuss their day to day care, just try using a soft brush to gently stroke them when you have them out for a cuddle, just a few minutes at a time, hopefully this will help them get used to the whole grooming thing, I work on the basis of little and often - you want to make the whole experience a positive one for them. I would start by just sitting and gently chatting to the piggies, try offering favourite veggies through the bars of the cage, then try popping your hand in with some tempting food, just leave it there for a little while and don't try to make a grab for the boys. Over time they will get used to you, some pigs never like being picked up but most, once caught, will settle down for a cuddle. I think you just need to give yourself, and the boys, time you will get there in the end.

 

[Pigjes]

I always state in simple words what I'm about to do when I close up on the cage. Pigs learn words fast. This means they will fee more secure when you come closer. You have to be consequent in the words you choose, so they will learn faster.

 

[Wiebke]

Be patient and establish firm rituals with the same words in the same tone so they can learn what is coming next and that they don;t live in a world of random violence. Give lots of praise and a little veg or herb treat when they go in the tunnel. Fuss over every little achievement and project your pride and joy onto them.

It can can take a few weeks until some very shy piggies operating on prey animal instincts get it, but it is well worth the patience and persistence to win their trust - once that is given, it will be forever! Your boys will be some very happy boys eventually if you give them more time to come to terms with the concept of being pets! The first few weeks and months can be very tough if you are confronted with piggies that have virtually had no human interaction. But I promise you, the emotional reward you get from that moment when you finally KNOW that they trust you, is one of the most special things you will encounter in your life!