[Gpdd] [BEHAVIOR] <piggy attitude>

[Susan Eastin]

Hi Allison-
It sounds like you have a couple of piggies with very
definite attitudes! Snowy can be very bossy, she wants
everything to be her way. If I try to change her blanket
or something before I explain what I'm doing, she some
times acts like she's going to snap at me. Often I can
just speak to her first and pet her then show her what
I'm doing, and she may decide it's fine. On the times
that she does act snappish, I can just give a tug on
the hair on the back of her neck, gently but firmly,
and that never fails to get her attention. Yelling would
be counter-productive, but I've read that this tugging
is how the gp mom's correct their babies. Also, since
she had the babies and has been in the larger cage, she
is sometimes harder to catch. She will sometimes even
let out a squeal like a coyote has her, which of course
gets the others worked up. I pick her up carefully in
case something is hurting her, but she is always just
fine once I have her picked up! She will sit in my lap
and go to sleep, content to stay there for hours on end.
CocoPuff, on the other hand, knows when enough is enough,
and I've learned to take his word for it. He will suddenly
climb up the front of me and urgently tug on my shirt, just
like a little kid trying to get mom's attention. He keeps
this up until I put him back down, so he can go and pee.
(Snowy could care less; she doesn't care who she soaks!
once I was sitting in the kitchen and she was reclined 
across my lap, and suddenly shot a stream of pee across
the room. I was so startled I just watched, since it wasn't
getting on me, and I figured it would only make it worse
if I tried to move her mid-stream! It seemed like it went
on forever!She would have been content to just stay right
there if I hadn't had to go mop the floor!)
I used to notice Snowy coughing occasionally, too, when she
was eating. It was usually just one or two coughs, then she'd
be fine. I guess she was just eating too fast, but she hasn't
done it for a while now.  I have noticed that they eat more
and faster when eating together, just like most other animals.
Like it's a competition.
As for the sudden flight behavior, the OP's do this, too. 
Especially when they're down on the floor. Usually it is a
loud noise or someone suddenly appearing that sets them off,
but the other day I was sitting in a chair 4 or 5 ft away,
watching them and the news, when I casually moved my hand like
to scratch my heat, and they 'exploded' and disappeared! I hate
to think that I startle them that much, but at the same time
it's so hilarious I can't help but laugh at them, which doesn't
help matters any!  I've found it helps to just sit in the floor
with them and talk to them and let them come and go, sniffing
and climbing on me. In general, I think the more you handle
them and work with them, the better they are. LW has gotten
a lot gentler since he's been in his own (and smaller) bachelor
pad. 
So I guess you could say Snowy likes to combine Fight and Flight
behaviors! Silly girl.
Susi of the OP's