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Piggy thoughts.

Merv987

Merv987

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
66
Reaction score
34
Points
220
Location
Hampshire, UK
Hello, we've had our 3 little girl Teddy pigs for 3.5 years now and I'm after some advice. They have a lovely big cage and seem happy enough, we put them in an outside cage on sunny days and they have a heat pad in the winter. One of them loves cuddles, one suffers cuddles for a short time, but the other one hates it, and anytime her sisters are out of the cage having cuddles she stands at the cage door squeaking for them till they're back. So they don't come out very often. I worry that they are bored and sometimes wonder if they might be happier with someone who has more time to give to them. I've always believed if you get pets you have to keep them and look after them, you shouldn't give them up just because you're bored, but I've always been sure my pers were happy before. So firstly, how can I make them happier, but also what do you think about finding them a happier home?
 
I spend a lot of time with my boy Finn and Lara as they are indoor piggies. Their cages are centrally located on the first floor of my house so I give them a lot of attention. They are loved and I make sure they know this by spending a lot of time with them. I look after them by cleaning their cages often, and feeding them regularly on scheudle, three meals of veggies a day. They stay in clean environment partly due to being indoor becuase if I don't clean their cages, my house will start to smell. They are my family and I treat them like family.

All of my pets that have been with me have died of old age. Currently, I am also raising my friend's abandoned Lara. I brought her home after my friend appointed me Lara's pet parent, bought her a seperate cage, and have raised her for over a year.
 
Mine don’t get cuddles - they don’t enjoy them, only tolerate them for a very short time, so I don’t subject them to them. They get floor time in my dining room at the weekends and spend the week in a large cage in my spare bedroom. I don’t spend hours an hours with them during the week - they’re not interested if I don’t have food!
If they have a big cage with plenty of enrichment, that is kept clean, with good food and opportunity to exercise I think they’re probably happy.
 
I doubt that they are un happy.... some pigs are just not fans of cuddles and I am.sure the time you interact with them is enough.. I work from home but dont spend hours with them... just let them get on with piggy life...
 
My piggies don't get cuddles as often as I would like to give them cuddles mainly cos they don't like being picked up. Dennis is much tamer since I paired him up with Betsy as she can see hardly anything now so rarely runs away when I go in the hutch and as she doesn't run off neither does he cos there isn't anything to be afraid of. They are not fans of being picked up though. Meg just runs off whenever I get within about 6 inches of her and is very hard to catch, Velvet normally runs off into a hidey and Christian lets me pick him up after a quick game of "catch me if you can" only cos he thinks he's going to get some Metacam for his back problem. The best stimulation a piggy can have is another piggy to talk to and do bimbly piggy things. If you think they are bored, give them something to do.

Guinea Pigs are bored
 
Much as we like to think we're the most important thing in their lives, guinea pigs generally prefer the company of other guinea pigs. I don't cuddle mine often, although I do hand feed and talk to them for a while most days. My pleasure is in watching their antics, and being a woman of a certain age with an empty nest and no grandkids, I like having someone to look after. As long as you are meeting their health and wellbeing needs, they have plenty of space and lots to do, and they have each other for company, I don't think they're going to be unhappy.
 
My boys really enjoy cuddles and lap time, but it’s not the same with every piggy
I enjoy leaving them be and just sitting and watching as they play and run around, they’re very amusing
 
I don’t tend to do much in the way of lap time, mostly because I don’t think the pigs care for it much. They prefer to be exploring, eating and sleeping! I think they do prefer being on their own turf, they get the odd chin rub or nose scratch in their cage if they allow it. More affection in their own language I suppose?

Iggy comes out twice a day as he requires medicine, we do a weekly health checks and weigh with brief cuddles and sometimes Bella will ask to come out for a cuddle but the other pigs don’t. When they go into the run etc they have their “magic carpet ride” (in a box or hide) as it’s less stressful for them and it’s quicker.

I don’t think they’re unhappy with our little routines and I doubt they’d like to have lap time every day. We have lots of interactions in other ways which they seem to enjoy. I guess it depends on them and what they prefer!
 
Lots of piggies don't like cuddles, every time I have a new one I say maybe this will be my lap pig! I've never had a guinea pig that would rather sit on my lap than run around with his friend. My guinea pigs are in my living room so I'm in the room with them for a big chunk of the day, they come out for floor time and go in runs on the lawn when the weather allows but they are only interested in me if I have food! It sounds like your girls have a lovely caring home, I wouldn't rehome them, just make sure they have lots in their cage to keep them occupied.
 
I don't think it's particularly unusual for piggies not to like cuddles. I'd love for mine to be cuddly, but only one is (and I think that's just because she likes chewing on everything). They'd much rather be in their cage eating, snoozing, destroying things, or popcorning about. They're very keen (Merlin in particular! The sounds he makes!) to let me know how much they do not care for being picked up! Most of my enjoyment comes from simply watching them potter about their daily lives and interacting with them while they're still in the cage. It honestly doesn't take much to make a piggy happy! A cardboard toilet roll stuffed with hay, a paper bag full of hay, can keep them entertained for hours. It honestly does sound as if your girls have a wonderful home and are happy.
 
While you are cuddling the other two, could you place the non cuddler on a blanket next to you and the piggies being cuddled? She may watch and see it’s not too bad after all. Or is it a question of the non cuddler not liking being picked up.
 
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