support from first time piggie owners needed

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barnyard

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Hi as some may have seen from previous threads I am a new piggie owner (well animal owner too, inherited a rabbit once and had fish!) I have 2 1yr old boys from a rescue centre.

I have done all my research have all the stuff they need and have had them 4 days. But today I'm having an attack of 'help can I do this and be a *** piggie mum' I think the bottom line is I'm not that confident when handling animals and I'm trying really hard not to be nervous. am so far only getting them out of the cage for 5 mins in snuggle cosys giving them a little stroke in these then putting them back. I'm very wary of being bit which I think would really put me of handling them.

I know it will take time for them to be comfortable with us but I'm trying not to loose my nerve in the mean time, my kids love them and i wnat to enjoy them too. hope I dont sound too pathetic could just do with knowing if any other first time piggi owners felt the same and did it get better. I see that they give so much enjoyment to people and I just want the same :)
 
i was so nervous when i got my first one, i didnt dare pick him up in case i broke him.

Confidence comes with time and you will get used to them and them to you, if they nip you it doesnt hurt too much, its more the shock than anything as they are so flipping quick.

Please dont worry, just enjoy x
 
dont worry remember when you first saw your child and you were like oh my what am i supposed to do with that now i bet you dont even think how to look after them its instinct thats what will happen over caring for the piggies soon it will be so natural just enjoy it.

ps they very rarely bite and i did have a little tinker that bit as had been very mis treated and it doesnt not hurt that much :(|)
 
just a thought, do you have piggy friends that live near or are you near to anyone off here that could come and sit with you whilst you handle them and you can see how they are with them?
 
if your comparing a piggy bite to a hamster bite its nothing like it hamster bites hurt piggies ones dont as karina said its more a shock, thye're more likley to nibble you :) using a cosy sack or towel is a good idea though :)
 
lauralucy said:
if your comparing a piggy bite to a hamster bite its nothing like it hamster bites hurt piggies ones dont as karina said its more a shock, thye're more likley to nibble you :) using a cosy sack or towel is a good idea though :)
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lol Lacey bit me last night in a place that should never be bitten by a Piggy....lets just say she snuggled down my top and latched on to you know where......it really hurt too lol:red
 
Beebs said:
lol Lacey bit me last night in a place that should never be bitten by a Piggy....lets just say she snuggled down my top and latched on to you know where......it really hurt too lol:red
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That Lacy needs the guinea pig equivalent of an ASBO! :))
 
New piggy Mom here too. I have been reading everything I can find. I also applied the same technique I used to train my horse; we trained each other. I observe Poppy (formerly known as Pig) and back off when he says so.

Beebs said:
lol Lacey bit me last night in a place that should never be bitten by a Piggy....lets just say she snuggled down my top and latched on to you know where......it really hurt too lol:red
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Ouch! @)
 
Dori said:
New piggy Mom here too. I have been reading everything I can find. I also applied the same technique I used to train my horse; we trained each other. I observe Poppy (formerly known as Pig) and back off when he says so.


Ouch! @)
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I would like to add that she doesnt normally bite but does have the occasional nibble and lick of my hands lol this was a one off lol
 
hi i was like that when i got mine they always ran away but they get used to you and now when i go past there cage they are up wanting stroked
 
thanks, maybe starting to feel a little more reassured, i do think its my lack of being around animals as i grew up, which is one of the reasons I didnt want my kids to not have the experience of loving and taking care of animals! I knew my nerves may hinder me when I thought all this threw but I really want to become confident and enjoy them, think I'm just feeling a little out of my depth at the mo :)
 
quick up date, Alan hass just let my son stroke him twice when we went to the cage....maybe it will be ok, think my biggest hurdle will be handling with confidence..but that little stroke has helped me feel bit better :)
 
Barnyard, please stop worrying! You must be one of the best prepared first time owners out there :)

Give it time, you and the piggies are just getting to know each other.
 
Over 11 years of having piggies I have only been nipped twice, our first Rex was a mardy madam & didn't like being handled at all.

However you have a pair of piggies that would have been handled by the rescue, so they are very unlikely to nip. Piggies really don't bite, unlike bunnies :)

Support them under their bottoms with one hand, & with the other under & around their tummies. Avoid putting your hand under their neck as they may think your finger is a carrot lol apart from that they will be fine, so will you :))
 
Stay calm and confident! sounds like you're already doing great, the cuddle sacks will help the pigs feel safe and cosy so they'll be less likely to struggle and panic. oh and when picking piggy up keep him close to you so he doesn't feel like he's being swung all over the place @)

Piggy bites don't hurt...much! no, really it's more of a "argh! bloomin heck" (or your choice of words!) then you get over it very quickly. I believe rat bites are one of the most painful rodent inflicted wounds you can get but a good owner always blames themselves, it's never the animals fault! :)) ;)
 
I have never been propperly bitten by my pigs, however they frequently graze there teeth over my finger to see what its made of :P This is not more painful than you grazing your own teeth over your finger. (however mine too like to see what my cleavage is made of and that can be more... *cough* uncomfortable *cough* so just make sure your not wearing a low cut top and your safe! :) Piggy teeth are not particularly sharp, nor are there jaws amazingly strong, ive never know anyone with a piggy that actually even drew blood so i really wouldnt worry!
 
Sarah, if you ever want me to come over, I'll bring sticky buns, you make the tea, and we'll have piggy cuddles together :)
 
Can you pop up the county to see me with sticky buns too please Salt and Peppers Mum?:)

Barnyard - too good an offer to refuse from S and P? Hope you feel more confident soon. You sound like you are a very thoughful owner and will soon get there. I was alarmed by how skittish my young boy pigs were when they arrived in May but if you keep trying they do come round. Snuggle sacks or a towel or similar to hold then in are just an essential bit of kit - you feel safer and so do they.:)
 
I had pigs before and never worried about picking them up, and this especially after a hamster as a kid (was 16 and she was my first pet of my own) that bit everytime you handled her, I just got on with it and never worried. But this time round I was scared that they would bite me as I had gone through a stressful dog bite incident a few months before. But I got reassurance from here back in the spring and I dont worry at all.

I have even been bitten twice by fudge when she was a baby and crystal once when she got in a strop, both pigs were told off (as in firmly said no to them) and they have not done it since, it didnt hurt, just felt teeth on my finger.

After having a hamster bite, and a feral kitten right through a fingernail and a few goats grabbing skin and hair, and horses grabbing my shoulder, or calves thinking my hand is a chew toy, and a dog nearly take off my thumb, a guinea pig bite is nothing ;)
 
thanx! may take you up on that offer :) james had a go at picking them up without the cosys but couldnt quiet manage it! Its really hard in knowing that it takes time for them to feel confident with us so we dont want to over do it but on other hand dont want to leave them so they dont get use to us!
 
I saw the lovely photo of your daughter having lap time with Pebble x)

I would always use the cuddle bag/fleecy bag to catch them... hands can be pretty scary and it becomes routine.
Be consistant, say the same thing i.e, "get in you bag" every time you want to get them out.
Give them rewards of veggies at lap time and make them a playtime run and they'll see that as a great reward for getting in their bag.

Just to add, My foster pigs Meego and Ugo are now so used to going into their playtime run about 1pm, today I had been out and didnt get home while 3pm, well ! Did they tell me! Their little noses stood looking and wheeking at me the minute I walked through the door!
I popped their run up before I took my shoes off! They have me trained :))
 
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