Pigs are scared to be out of their cage

[4boipigs]

Curious if anyone else has pigs like mine. One set is from an animal shelter and the other set abandoned outside. With my first pair of boys I tried to give them floortime in a play pen and they hated it and would hide unless I brought out food. When removed from the cage, one boy would try desperately to get back in, including climbing the wire door. Now when my heart failure boy (from the abandoned pair) is removed twice a day to get his meds, he moves from my lap and over to the cage. He will stand on his hind legs and look into the cage, and he's also tried to climb the wire door. I have to close the cage so he doesn't get hurt.

I don't get it- I thought from all I read they would enjoy free time, but instead they hate it! Which I am okay with, if they feel safe and comfortable in their cages.

 

[Mystic_corgi]

Curious if anyone else has pigs like mine. One set is from an animal shelter and the other set abandoned outside. With my first pair of boys I tried to give them floortime in a play pen and they hated it and would hide unless I brought out food. When removed from the cage, one boy would try desperately to get back in, including climbing the wire door. Now when my heart failure boy (from the abandoned pair) is removed twice a day to get his meds, he moves from my lap and over to the cage. He will stand on his hind legs and look into the cage, and he's also tried to climb the wire door. I have to close the cage so he doesn't get hurt.

I don't get it- I thought from all I read they would enjoy free time, but instead they hate it! Which I am okay with, if they feel safe and comfortable in their cages.

Maybe they really dont like being pick up or are scared of the environment? My guinea pigs always wiggle out of my hands when they see the cage in their view

 

[Mikatelyn]

Mine were like that!
I had them in a cage with the doors wide open to a play pen, effectively doubling their living space. I left it that way 24/7. For the first few weeks they acted like the doors were still closed. They would not venture out into the play pen area.
Eventually they became comfortable enough to explore, but only a section of the area at a time. There were definitely zones that they stayed clear of, then as the days went by they would slowly expand what areas they would wander through. It was quite interesting. Putting more hideys in the "new" area helped.