[Gpdd] (Housing)

[Susan Eastin]

Brad-
Remember, that oatmeal is good for you, too!  I always give my piggies
a pinch or two of uncooked oatmeal on top of their pellets in the mornings
when I'm having my oatmeal - they love it!  Of course, they
also beg for my toast, so I always leave the top corners un-buttered and
tear off mostly crust for each of them.  Their favorite is the 12-grain
bread with the goodies on the top!  The kind of oatmeal I buy has a top
that you pop off with a plastic ring, leaving it dangling and bouncing.
I hang that up just in reach and they love to play with it. And chew on
it, of course, so I peel the plastic edge back as far as possible.
On the housing debate, leaving the hidey places in probably does make
them a bit more reclusive, at times, but I think they need a safe place
to feel secure.  A safe pig is a happy pig.
I have noticed that since Snowy had her babies she is much more
jumpy, and runs away to a safe spot when she thinks I'm going to reach
in.  She's still just as calm and lovey when I'm holding her, so maybe
she's just training Lil' Whistle to be safe.
At first Snowy and CocoPuff were in a simple wire cage on the floor,
usually with a small box open on one side.  They would run at first
when I'd reach in to get them, but quickly calmed down.  After they
got into their 'apartment' they are more independent.  There are too
many places they can get out of reach - under the 'stairs', behind a
post, waaaayyyy baaack in the back bedroom (far back corner), or
under something, like a hammock or the curtain across the 'bathroom'.
Now that CP is in the upstairs apartment, there aren't convenient
places to hide, and he'll often come up to the door to be petted or fed
or picked up.
One other thing (sorry to be so long!) on the subject of housing.
Has anyone else had concerns with the babies squeezing through the
squares in the cube sections?  I have clear acrylic strips 4 inches wide
across the bottom of the downstairs, all the way around, but am worried
that if I let Lil' Whistle hang out upstairs with Dad that he might try to
squeeze through a hole and fall out.  Once on the floor, as I cornered
him to pick him up, he stuck his head through a hole like he thought
he could escape (I was just quicker).  He is a bit larger now, but I still
worry . . . plus, if there are any more babies in the future . . .
Any thoughts or experiences along these lines would be appreciated.
Susi and the OP's