Understanding moods

[calitopgun]

Each time I take Georgia out for lap time it's the same thing. He makes a mad dash around the cage until I can safely get him out. I put him on my lap and there are a few minutes while he is calming down. Then as time goes by, when I pet him he wheaks for awhile. Then he starts licking my arm. Then when I put him back he make the noise that MGPR identifies as keep away. (Keep Away)

I don't understand the licking. He isn't hungry because his hay rack is always full. I have a large one that is full of timothy hay and the small on is for orchard grass. I give him the orchard grass about every other day because he eats it so quickly and I want him to get most of his nutrients from the timothy hay. He also food pellets and fresh veggies....so he's not hungry. I've been thinking that it's a sign that he wants to go back. So I don't know if his angry noise is him annoyed that I didn't put back sooner, or annoyed that I am putting him back at all.

[HowietheGreat]

Is he rumbling? If she is relaxed and stretched out rumbling-then she is content. She most likely is because she is kissing you. (Be thankful she gives kisses.) I have not heard of unhappy pigs giving kisses.

[calitopgun]

he rumble as I am putting him into the cage

[Slave to the Wheek]

Yes, my boys lick to say:

> mom, I gotta pee
> mom, will you be my friend?
> mom, what the heck is that salty stuff on your arm? It tastes kinda good!

[this_lil_piggy]

It sounds to me like he loves his human. My adult pigs that actually do enjoy lap time and being petted, will lick and very gentle nibble--almost as if they are grooming me. I take it as a sign of acceptance...I can tell by their body language that they arent "bothered" or upset.
The darting around the cage to get him, and rumbling when you pick him up may just be him being a bit afraid of being "in the air" ....being picked up and put down may frighten him a bit. My two adults dont care for the whole ordeal of picking them up and sitting them back in either, but they love lap and floor time.

[Slave to the Wheek]

I once read a thread where someone was saying that they would chase their pigs into a cozy basket thing every time they picked them up. Eventually, they pigs knew where to go and picking them up was easy as they would run to the object whenever it was put in the cage to pick them up.

I need to try that one, I'd forgotten about it.