How do you catch them in a run?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Newtopiggies

Newtopiggies

Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
Points
0
This morning we got a lovely second hand run from ebay - one of those traditional ones with an apex roof and a door at the side. It's a fantastic big run for our piggies and they love being in it, but it's almost impossible to catch them when it's time to put them back in their hutch! The run is so long that we can't reach right inside, and Vauxhall and Professor are very good at running away. In the end we put some cucumber into an old toy bucket, waited until they'd taken the bait then lifted them out, but it wasn't easy. Has anyone got any tips? Catching them in their hutch is much easier (as long as they're on the top deck), as the roof lifts off and we can get them in a corner and then lift them up.
 
Only thing I can suggest is putting igloos, hideys or boxes in that you can lift out with the piggie in. It can be tricky though especially when they know how far your arms reach :))
 
That's why I bought a square run with a lid I can remove rolleyes

I did think it would be impossible to catch any piggy in those apex runs :)

The other good bit about a square big run is you can take the lid off & sit inside it with them. They like to run around you, come up for a sniff etc, invaluable in my opinion in the bonding process :)
 
Id go out to them slowley and put something in front of the door to the hidey hole bit then they cant get in there. Then try and grab to your hearts content. Thats how I manage it with the hutches. I make sure they go in the sleeping bit cover up the hole and then reach in gently and get them out.
 
Cardboard box with a hole in or a pigloo it is the only way I manage haha. Especially when it suddenly rains and they don't want to go home!
x
 
If you put a hand in front of your piggie and a hand behind, then you can scoop lol. This is what i find easiest anyway. They should get more used to being caught with time.

x
 
lol they always learn how far your arms reach dont they! we lift one corner of our run, let them get out, and then corner them when they run under their hutch where they are easy to get out. or we put a small length of cardboard tube in there, they cant resist heading inside, then lift it out with a hand over each end. thankfully ours arent skittish they just potter to the furthest corner where they sit and continue to nibble the grass, we can reach to all but the furthest corner and dont they bliddy know it :))
 
I always use a carry box or cuddle sack, if you train them to get in it there will be no more chasing around.

Those type of runs are blumming not designed well to swiftly remove piggies rolleyes
 
i lived in a flat so everyday while at work i took my piggies to my mums so they could go on her garden in a pet carrier, at night when they saw the pet carrier they would line up and all walk straight in. It was very funny it was like they were at school queing up for the bus but looking back they were trained (by themselves not me) enter the box, might be worth giving it a go as made life so easy as didnt have to even bend down only to shut the door.
 
Thanks for all your replies.
Dylansmummy - how on earth do you get them to train themselves? Today we tried the toy bucket trick we used yesterday, and eventually managed to catch them, but they seemed to know what was coming and ran a mile as soon as they saw the bucket coming, even though we'd put cucumber in it to lure them in!
 
dylansmummy said:
i lived in a flat so everyday while at work i took my piggies to my mums so they could go on her garden in a pet carrier, at night when they saw the pet carrier they would line up and all walk straight in. It was very funny it was like they were at school queing up for the bus but looking back they were trained (by themselves not me) enter the box, might be worth giving it a go as made life so easy as didnt have to even bend down only to shut the door.
Click to expand...

i do this too! i tend to carry them to and from the hutch in pet carrier and leave it in the run too as a little snuggley shelter. i put a fleece in the bottom and tend to find that by the time they're ready to go back inside for bed one is usually already tucked up inside it so i have a head start. i then try to take out any other hidey holes like tunnels and igloos so eventually they give up and go inside. i usually have wet knees by this time from hanging around for so long! x
 
Newtopiggies said:
Thanks for all your replies.
Dylansmummy - how on earth do you get them to train themselves? Today we tried the toy bucket trick we used yesterday, and eventually managed to catch them, but they seemed to know what was coming and ran a mile as soon as they saw the bucket coming, even though we'd put cucumber in it to lure them in!
Click to expand...

The way to a pigs heart is food. Every time. Never fails!
 
dylansmummy said:
i lived in a flat so everyday while at work i took my piggies to my mums so they could go on her garden in a pet carrier, at night when they saw the pet carrier they would line up and all walk straight in. It was very funny it was like they were at school queing up for the bus but looking back they were trained (by themselves not me) enter the box, might be worth giving it a go as made life so easy as didnt have to even bend down only to shut the door.
Click to expand...

Haha... mine do that, problem is the carry box is getting too small for the amount i have now. :))

x.
 
I had a real scare today when one of them escaped from the run as I was trying to catch them. Luckily I managed to catch him, but only by grabbing on more tightly than I would have done otherwise (no damage done, but I was shaking at the time, as he could have easily run out of the garden and from there onto the road).
For those of you who use carriers to catch them, what type do you use? I've seen something advertised called the Super Pet Come Along Carrier, which looks good, but it seems like it's no longer available in the UK. With others it looks like they have to climb up to get in and then you put a lid on, so not so easy to catch them in.
 
We use a snuggle bag or the seagrass tubes - they soon get to know and they are a secure method of moving your piggies. Only problem we have now is one of my boars who had quite a few vet visits when poorly, still associates the tube with that rolleyes
I heard the apex runs were difficult when it comes to getting your piggies out so had the square ones with lift up tops so I can actually get in there myself :x
 
I use wine boxes filled with hay for my piggies to shelter in whilst they are outdoors.
If they are not already tucked up in the box I tell them its time for bed and in they go. I then push the flap closed and let them walk out of the box and into thier cage.
Only two piggies can safely be carried per box, and I always make sure the box has not got too wet underneath so that it would tear when lifted.
 
At first, I used to have to dismantle me piggies cage to get them out as I can't reach the back of it. A tube worked wonders when I took all the other hidey places out, but now, they come running into the cuddle sack so I can just lift them out, 1 by 1 without moving any hidey holes. It happened by pure luck, but I am so glad it worked!
 
Wilkinsons do a nice box at £9.99

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/cat-be...cDPfxIrYzUvEu76RzzM6wutKTeo9AOCB tDs76aYYKg==

I recently had one of my boys wandering round the garden when I had forgotten to close one of the doors on the run and I poppred his carry box down and he walked straight in it. Its just a matter of being patient and consistant so they understand what is normal and what to expect.

Sometimes one of my boys might stand gorping at the enterance, for what seems like ages but is most proberly just 30 seconds, but with patience and making their own mind up that it is safe will reinforce it in their own mind that nothing scary is gonna chase them.
I use the carry box for vet visit, to transport foster piggies and even to take them out their indoor cage to pop them down for floor time indoors.
You can guarantee when they are ready to go back 'home' they can be found snuggled inside asleep on their blanket waiting to be transported back
:)
 
I had a genius idea today - we've had sitting round for ages a plastic toy cat carrier that my mother-in-law bought for my daughter several years ago from Tesco, and which she never plays with now. It's a cheap plastic thing and wouldn't be suitable for use as a proper pet carrier, but for transporting guinea pigs from run to hutch it's absolutely perfect! It still took a while to catch the piggies today, but in the end I managed to catch Professor just by scooping him up (and then sat him in my lap and fed him cucumber as a reward - the greedy soppy thing just purred and purred), and then Vauxhall voluntarily ran into the toy carrier and was really easy to catch. I'm hoping that means they'll be a bit easier to catch from now on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top