Should I 'force' handling?

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NocturnalRapport

I have two boys. One HATES being touched and held whilst the other one "tolerates" being held and actually closes his eyes when I stroke his ears whilst he's in the cage.

So Obviously one is tamer than the other but they still run like mad when I try and pick them up. I have learnt this is natural BUT ... one REALLY, REALLY runs. He leaps through the air (not popcorning, more panic), bedding flies everywhere, he squeals like mad and when I do catch him, he carries on squeaking, shivers like mad and looks very scared and upset :(

I'm worried I'm going to give them (him especially) a heart attack by chasing them around the cage once a day.

But then, if I don't handle often, they'll never be tame.

Is it harmful to force handling on them?
 
One of my girls doesnt really like to be touched but shes a big softy really. I've just gradually picked her up more and more and she's got used to it and now she even doesnt mind me stroking her :) The other is not so bad, shes just a little skittish and runs away but once i've got her shes fine. But it's not at all bad to force handling, at the end of the day your giving them love and that gives them a better quality of life.
They are probably very wary of you at the moment. They need time to settle down and learn that they can trust you but at the moment its just instinct for them to run.
Piggie's can be so dramatic though :) I used to feel awful..almost like i was a piggie torturer! But once they start to trust you they'll calm down.
Goodluck! x :)p
 
my rubren dosent like to be touched either - even tho he lives with his 3 borthers

he likes coming in for cuddles now tho

but like this time last year he used to scream the house down when i was holding him but he is so much better now he still makes some noise but its not that loud and he like having a cuddle now too he has started to rub his face agaisnt mean now too and he will sit next to the other pigs now too

I would try to get them out for cuddles most days and try to make it a nice thing for them made have some fav food of theres out and give to them as a treat when there sitting on your knee
 
You are not forcing handling on your piggies. You are being a great owner letting your piggies know that you are their 'mum' and they can trust you. :)

Handling piggies is essential for 5 main reasons that I can think of (although there may be more!):

1/ Your piggies need to be able to get to know & trust you as their new 'mum.

2/ Piggies will have a 'spot' - a point on their body where if you stroke it for a few minutes they will fluff up & sink into your lap or arms & enjoy the touch & closeness between you both.

3/ Stroking animals is known to have a beneficial effect on your stress levers & reduce your blood pressure (medical fact there!). But it mostly is wonderful to sit holding your piggies & chill out, especially after a very crappy day! x)

4/ Your pigs need to know human touch, especially if they ever have to go to a vet's or be looked after by someone else whilst you are on holiday.

5/ You need to know your pig. You need to know what is 'normal' for them - skin, fur, eyes, ears, bottom, nails, teeth, feet etc etc. To do this you have to handle them & ideally be confident at it, especially when you turn them upside down to check their undercarriage. (It's how I check their undercarriage) You need to be able to check your piggy regulary to know if and when any problems occur.

The fact is though that babies or new piggies to you don't know who you are.?/ they don't know that you love them & want to care for them. The only way you can let them know is by looking after them & touching them. They will soon become confident in you - even if they don't want to come out of their cage! x)

I have 2 examples for you:

2 weeks ago I got 2 rescue babies. They were literally terrified when they were rescued. Thanks to the care of their brilliant foster carer they learnt to accept human touch. Since I have had them I get them out of their cage 2 or 3 times a day (depending upon work as I am a childminder) & spend a few minutes with them - 5 or 10 to start with & gradually increased it as they got to knwo me more. I always talk to them & their older, bigger 'brothers' (poor piggies!) & stroke them. But even now it is chase me, chase me round the cage before I catch them! :p But they know when I have them that they are safe. The trembling has gone & they will snuggle for cuddles (or in Bobby;'s case, sit on my shoulder like a parrot!)

The other pig is Legolas. He is 2.5 years old & I got him at about 5 or 6 weeks old (he was a pet shop pig & separated far too early. I wouldn't do that again!) Anyway, even now he isn't a cuddly pig. He likes to run of & if he is in a good mood he will sit where I can get him. But mostly he runs. However, he is used to being checked & handled. When I catch him he might only sit with me for 5 or on a good day, 10 minutes. He isn't a touchy-feely pig. That said when he lost his best friend recently he was happy to sit with me for 30 mins or more. He knew we both needed the love. :0

So keep perservering. Try picking them up only 2 or 3 times a day & for short periods. Stick to cuddles & strokes until you & they are more confident & then check them all over, so they know that what you are doing isn't painful, scary & only takes a couple of minutes. They will get used to you. And even if they never become totally snuggly piggies remember that is them. Don't take it personally - some humans don't like to be touched. They will let you know what they want when you are holding them.

and lastly after this essay & quite possibly the most important thing:

LOVE & ENJOY YOUR PIGGIES! x)x) It is worth every minute - trust me!

Hugs & squeaks from manly quintet to your 2 boars - Jerry, legolas, Pippin, Billy & Bobby!

Michele
xxxxx
 
Yup, I'd carry on handling them. It's unfortunate that your boys don't trust you (or humans, in general) enough to be held, but by ignoring the problem, it will only get worse. They are expected to live within the homes of humans and they need to learn that they are safe, otherwise they'll spend all of their lives being terrified. I've had lots of rescue pigs who are frightened and it just takes perserverance. You are being a good mommy to your pigs by handling them. Good luck! :)
 
Agreed. More handling= less nerves. Took home the school guinea pigs over the summer; they were part of an animal care course and though they had been handled, it was really only for about 10 minutes at a time and by lots of different (though lovely) students. The girls also tended to favour the more dominant sow as she was easier to catch and seemed a little bit more 'in your face'. The other one was terribly shy and tried to hide all the time. As a result of spending a lot more time on them (though she obviously found this terribly unpleasant at first!), Sugar was a remarkably changed Pig when she went back and is now brave enough to go up and down her ramp too, which also means she has firmed up! x
 
My Llewelyn is a runner, too. At first, it was so bad that I had to leave the romm for him to come out and get his food, never mind picking him up!

I only pick him up from his hut in the cage, and I have a little phrase "May I have a cuddle with you?" with a certain melody. So he knows then I want a cuddle and, with a gentle touch to his backside, will go in the hut to be picked up. That way, I avoid triggering the flight instinct and he feels safe around me. After a good year of first going "dead" and then wiggling like mad, he's now finally starting to relax properly!
 
One of my girls was a right wriggler, she will be 2 years old in June, it has taken until the last few months for her to get used to me picking her up. She still doesn't like it but she'll let me do it. My other girl has never really been too much of a problem, she has started playing up recently for some reason though.
 
My girls run like heck whenever it's time to take them out for cuddles, but once I have them on the couch they're totally content. Of course, the fact that I bribe them with some of their favourite foods every time I'm cuddling them probably helps. It might be that you're just going to need to "chase" them whenever you take them out.

On another note, I've found that putting my hand in and using it to herd them towards the corner helps, as I'm then able to get one hand in front of them, and the other behind them, so they don't run as much (since there's no way to get away). But they do still kick some when I'm actually picking them up, so best to wear a long sleeve shirt.
 
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