[Gpdd] [BEHAVIOUR] re: Timid Piggies

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

How wonderful to have the Digest back again, and even more wonderful that AOL 
users can post as easily as anyone else - thanks team!

Before I lost my beloved five female piggies, I had overcome the problem of 
their timidness by letting them come to me out of the cage rather than my 
picking them up. When their cage was on a table, I would open the cage door then 
sit with my lap right up against it, and place a thick folded towel over the 
door and my knees. Then I would offer veggies at the open door,and gradually lure 
my babies out. Once they were on my lap, they were fine, and I could cuddle 
and pet to my heart's content. When it was time for them to go back in, I would 
again just direct them to the door and let them go in themselves.

When I moved them into a hutch on the floor, I just used to open the hutch 
and sit cross-legged at the entrance, again with veggies. And again, the three 
tamest would wander out onto my lap - they even each had their own particular 
spot there! 

Now I have five cagefuls, and I don't really have the time to have all the 
occupants file out onto me. Some are more "skittish" than others - I am sure it 
depends on the pig personality. But I have read that a hand swooping down from 
above ressembles a bird of prey to them, so it is best to approach slowly and 
gently from the side. Also, it is best to talk soothingly to them as one 
approaches - I tend to make that little purring noise they make when they're 
contented.

Oh, I nearly forgot - I have recently updated our guesthouse website, and you 
can see a little photo of each of our 13 current piggies if you go to the 
guinea pig pages of www.serendipity.eu.com - just click on the picture of a 
guinea pig! I didn't have room to put everyone's name under each little portrait - 
but you could maybe guess who's who!

Debbie and her Dolly Mixtures