Skittish Pigs

[5Cs_Piggies]

My herd is full of rescues who I can fairly say have seen it all, including being thrown in a dumpster by a unknown past abuser. Currently, they’re all roaming happily in my 24 square foot cage (not extremely large but good enough for four pigs). But I’ve had a bit of trouble taming a three-year-old pig named Coffee, even though I’ve had her for nearly a year. She doesn’t squeak, just chitters in annoyance and bounds away like lightning everytime I try to touch her. She eats from my hand perfectly fine, and if I manage to rangle her up into lap time, she liquifies instantly and begins to lick my hand (which I’ve heard is a sign of love and affection). Her siblings are perfectly well adjusted to my hand stroking them, it’s really just her that’s being extra skittish. To be fair however; she was the one thrown in a dumpster, stuffed in a little cage for two years, sold for free at a garage sale, and watched biological her sister grow increasingly sick with cancer. I’ve read before that much like people who suffer from depression, guinea pigs do best on a routine. I’ll be trying to be very exact with my timing, but for now, does anyone have any useful tips for taming a horrified pig? Or is Coffee one of those see-not-touch pets? Thank you

 

[pig in the city]

My herd is full of rescues who I can fairly say have seen it all, including being thrown in a dumpster by a unknown past abuser. Currently, they’re all roaming happily in my 24 square foot cage (not extremely large but good enough for four pigs). But I’ve had a bit of trouble taming a three-year-old pig named Coffee, even though I’ve had her for nearly a year. She doesn’t squeak, just chitters in annoyance and bounds away like lightning everytime I try to touch her. She eats from my hand perfectly fine, and if I manage to rangle her up into lap time, she liquifies instantly and begins to lick my hand (which I’ve heard is a sign of love and affection). Her siblings are perfectly well adjusted to my hand stroking them, it’s really just her that’s being extra skittish. To be fair however; she was the one thrown in a dumpster, stuffed in a little cage for two years, sold for free at a garage sale, and watched biological her sister grow increasingly sick with cancer. I’ve read before that much like people who suffer from depression, guinea pigs do best on a routine. I’ll be trying to be very exact with my timing, but for now, does anyone have any useful tips for taming a horrified pig? Or is Coffee one of those see-not-touch pets? Thank you

It sounds as if you have done extremely well with her, l pick up skittish pigs in a fleece sack or tunnel. They soon learn to hop in and it makes it all much less stressful for them.