The Death Leap

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TheAurora

TheAurora

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Does this happen to anyone else or am I just the worst piggy owner in the world...

Was taking Jemima and Casran out to their hutch from the indoor cage and when I got Casran out I squatted down and let go with one hand to open the hutch door ... at this point Casran decides to attempt 'the death leap'.

I quickly grabbed him with both hands again but at this point he's upside down, kicking and flailing, and headbutting the hutch door in his struggles.

I get him back in my arms and place him in the hutch where he just starts eating hay. The whole thing is literally seconds but makes my heart stop and convinces me I've nearly killed him!

God, I find it so distressing when they do these random leaps :-(
 
My Crow Feather is terrible like that! After she's had her lap-time, she knows its time to go back upstairs to the cage and will start to wriggle. Its a real job to hang on to her and stop her falling! The little wriggly minx!:)):))
 
It is a horrible feeling when that happens!
I'm relieved I caught them before it's too late!
 
7squeakers. said:
My Crow Feather is terrible like that! After she's had her lap-time, she knows its time to go back upstairs to the cage and will start to wriggle. Its a real job to hang on to her and stop her falling! The little wriggly minx!:)):))
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It's quite frightening how strong they can be for such little critters isn't it! X
 
Chief Guinea Pig said:
It is a horrible feeling when that happens!
I'm relieved I caught them before it's too late!
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I know what you mean ... I only just kept hold of him. He would have been off like a bullet had he dropped to the floor. And he's such a huge boy ... when he puts his shoulders into a tussle I only just win!
 
Oh my, its not you. I think its happened to all of us, and on more than one ocassion. Its a horrible feeling when they do. One of my girls always gets really wiggly when she realises she is going to be put in the run and will try her hardest to leap away. I've literally gone across the garden grabbing at her like she's a bar of soap in the bath on a number of ocassions.
I also had one take a leap of faith from his hutch once, which is about 4 1/2 ft off the ground. Luckily he landed on fleeces!
 
Our guinea pig used to regularly lean too far out of his hutch and fall out, just used to shake and then explore the grass he landed on. We also used to have very wriggly pigs and have also ended up chasing them round the garden. It happens to everyone, they do get really wriggly when it is time to go back, just do you best to hang on to them. Daisy always jumps off my lap, hutch open or not. They always seem none the worse for wear.
 
katanamoon said:
I hate this at bath times when soaking wet, indignant guinea pigs decide to try and launch themselves out of the sink!
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Oh, I know! When they slip and slide it's just awful. I've started putting a folded towel on the bottom of the sink so at least they are sure-footed. Nightmare x
 
:DCrow Feather, as I have said, is a terrible wriggler and so is Swan. They will both try to jump out of my arms when I am putting them back into their cage, or into their grass run. Its a struggle to hold onto them.
Although they both stop wriggling as the floor gets nearer! :hmm: Swan is the Minx apprentice and has, I think, been coached in human-foiling tricks by Feather! :raz::)):))
 
The answer is to put them into their pen/cage backwards. By putting them down backwards their back feet touch the ground first and they feel safer. If they decide to launch themselves, it will be towards you not a lethal gap. Placing them down forwards at an angle can bend their spine at an unnatural angle.
So remember, BUM FIRST.
 
One of mine does this, it scares the life out of me! Hes very lively and small and all of a sudden sometimes just decides to jump, i dont know what must be going through his head! He can run really fast too so i do worry when I'm getting him out of his run to go back in his cage, i dont trust anyone else to get him, i always make sure its me who gets him because i worry so much!
 
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