Toilet training?

[LennyPig]

Is there a way of training pigs to use a litter tray.

both mine pretty much use a corner most the time anyway and I have been moving poos to the corner to encourage cut they still wee and poo in their bed area and main cage area.

I wonder whether this is a space issue ... they are in a Nero 3 cage EACH at the moment and I am upgrading to alot bigger cage soon? just a thought.

Also, how about wees and poos when sat on my lap? I can usually tell if one is about to "go" and I have a towel on my lap anyway.

also, I read of people allowing floor time in their living rooms etc ... do they not wee/poo on the carpets etc?

 

[MrsM]

there are ways that you can train piggies for out of the cage. I think the whole cage is home and if they pee and poo every where so be it. I think they do it when they sleep...zzz

out of the cage you can use a litter tray with their own stuff in it to encourage them to go in the tray. I use a puppy method my mum showed me years ago which consists is catching the sinful piggy immediately after they've weed where not aloud and firlmy put their nose in their business. It sounds cruel but if handled correctly it shouldn't hurt. It worked for Rene (avatar pig-RIP buddy) and he never weed on the floor or on my lap (except at the end when he was ill). He would go back to the cage, do his business and go back out again. Bertie hasn't quite managed it and he's a stress pot so when we moved home he started weeing on the floor again but he was too old (2 1/2) to be trained again. At the mo, I use a piece of cheap carpet that I unroll for the boys as a run and they can do what they want with it, although they will usually use the hay box or the paper bag hidey-hole to do it in. They're quite private and do't like to do it in front of people! :red:red:red

As for poo, I'm not bothered because it's dry so it's hoovered quickly.

Hope this helps...

 

[LennyPig]

there are ways that you can train piggies for out of the cage. I think the whole cage is home and if they pee and poo every where so be it. I think they do it when they sleep...zzz

out of the cage you can use a litter tray with their own stuff in it to encourage them to go in the tray. I use a puppy method my mum showed me year ado which consists is catching the sinful piggy after they've weed where not aloud and firlmy put their nose in their business. It worked for Rene (avatar pig) and he never weed on the floor or on my lap (except at the end when he eas ill). He would go back to the cage, do his business and go back out again. Bertie hasn't quite managed it and he's a stress pot so when we moved home he started weeing on the floor again but he was too old (2 1/2) to be trained again. At the mo, I use a piece of chep carpet that I unroll for the boys and they can do what they want eith it, although they will usually use the hay box or the paper bag to do it in. They're quite private and do't like to do it in front of people! :red:red:red

As for poo, I'm not bothered because it's dry so it's hoovered quickly.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the advice. That really helps. Piglet is doing it alot less now on my lap so I think she is just learning with age.

So people out there who use litter trays IN their cages ... are these a success?

(I'm not going to even go into the number of dogs I see with various infections from people using that training method but couldn't not mention it........)

Thanks again |)

 

[MrsM]

(I'm not going to even go into the number of dogs I see with various infections from people using that training method but couldn't not mention it........)

Are you talking about what I suggested with puppys? I edited my post with 'IMMEDIATELY' for obvious reasons
1. health
2. animals have a short term memory so they can't understand why they're punished for something that happened hours previously

We've never had problems potty training our dogs (parents have doggy #3) it's more fiddly with piggies.

I didn't mean to upset anyone... :Ayociexp118::laluot_20:

 

[LennyPig]

Are you talking about what I suggested with puppys? I edited my post with 'IMMEDIATELY' for obvious reasons
1. health
2. animals have a short term memory so they can't understand why they're punished for something that happened hours previously

We've never had problems potty training our dogs (parents have doggy #3) it's more fiddly with piggies.

I didn't mean to upset anyone... :Ayociexp118::laluot_20:

not upset ... many, many people don't realise the damage this can cause which is the only reason I mentioned it.

p.s. I agree with point 2 completely, however the health implications are no different whenever this happens.

as a training method this DOES work with dogs ... sometimes. it is just not a wise idea health wise ... as you prove, the problems don't happen for ALL dogs but it does happen alot.

also, training wise, it is proven that for alot of already naturally nervous dogs, doing this can cause a dog to be scared to wee or poo at all! and even leads to behaviour of dogs eating/drinking (yes drinking ... sucking the wee out the carpet!) of the evidence in order to avoid repercusions.

as you say it hasn't been a problem for you and your folks but there is always those to whom this has been a problem as well.

don't worry, shall we move on ...

 

[MrsM]

i wasn't aware of such extreme reactions. soz.

moved on now...

 

[LennyPig]

forgotten about ... really don't worry ... no need to be sorry.

where were we ...

do you think they will both learn in time not to pee & poo on my lap? Piglet seems to be doing already as when she first arrived she did both pees & poos on me ALOT and loads of poos too. maybe this was nerves to begin with?

 

[Pigglywink's Rachel]

I think part of it is the individual animal. I have admittedly limited experience with guinea pigs, but I noticed that Pigglywink had a distinct preference for order, always using the same corner of her cage to pee in, although the poos would still be scattered. I think that's mainly because poos are a source of food, as well as excrement, so the guinea pigs treat them differently.

I think the first sign of illness, that I completely missed, was that Pigglywink started peeing in her house.

Anyway, I digress... if your guinea pigs show a preference for peeing in one corner, you should be able to set up a litter box for them there, but you might have to accept that the poos might be anywhere. It seems to be a matter of the guineas pulling them out and checking if they're the right kind to eat or not, and if not, they leave it where they fall.

 

[LennyPig]

kinda what I thought. I'd just seen websites saying you could train them thats all.

They are both alot tidier in their cages now compared to when they arrived. maybe a case of them getting used to a new pad.