[Gpdd] [BEHAVIOR] Missing Piggie

[butzm at ece.osu.edu]

Well, everyone is sharing stories of their escape artists, so I'll chip in
too.

We have 2 cages for our pigs.  One big on in the living room and a smaller
(not too much smaller) one in our bedroom, so every night the pigs get
"put to bed" with a bedtime snack.  The cage is right next to the armrest
of a loveseat we have in a window alcove.

Anyway, it takes me a little while to get to sleep.  My husband, on the
other hand, hits the pillow and he's out (how wonderful!).  So, I'm laying
in bed trying to go to sleep and all is quite for about 10 minutes.  Then
I hear clang, clang, clink, clunk...etc.  I'm wondering "what are they
DOING in there?!"  I've never heard them make that much noise.  Well, I
was worried that they were getting into something they shouldn't (although
I didn't know what) so I get up to check on them.  They both have the same
coloring with white fur around their middles so I thought I could get away
without using the light so I wouldn't wake my husband.  Well, low and
behold, I look in and see only ONE patch of white.  My heart stopped!  I
couldn't believe someone could have gotten out.  Now that I look back on
it, I'm so glad I didn't step on someone on my way to the cage.  I had to
turn on the light which woke my husband and he asked me what was going on.
 I told him only Sam was in the cage.  He shot out of bed and closed the
bedroom door.  We looked around for a minute and found Rosie sitting
underneath the loveseat (which we couldn't move for fear of hurting her). 
I still don't know how she got down from the loveseat to the floor.  Well,
with a little coaxing (without food, might I add).  she came out as if to
say "So...what's going on?"  I let her sit by me for a minute then threw a
shirt over her and picked her up.  Then I started to breathe again.

My theory is that Sam was doing his boy thing and trying to smell Rosie's
backside at the same time she was putting her front feet on the wall
(perhaps trying to get away from him??).  I think his nose gave her a
boost and she just climbed out.  So now they have a cardboard box roof for
their cage.  it still amazes me.

as a little aside.  Sam got out of floor time once when my husband was
home and I wasn't.  My husband was in a different room than Sam and when
he got up to go back to where Sam was he met Sam in the doorway.  I just
picture that as Sam getting bored and looking up at my husband say "Hey,
dad, whacha doin'?"  It always makes me laugh.

wow this is long!!
Sam, Rosie, and Maren