A few questions about floor time

mooshi00 · #1 06-23-07, 07:34 pm

I have a few questions about floor time that hopefully can be answered.

First, my 2 [female] guinea pigs don't seem to run around that much when I let them out. Is this a problem??
Second, Is it normal for my guinea pigs to try and avoid to be picked up?? ie run away from being picked up from in the cage... I've heard that they will eventually get used to it, or they just feel like getting picked up at that time, but it seems that EVERYTIME I try and pick them up from the cage they run away...Does that mean something is wrong?

**thalestral** · #2 06-24-07, 05:21 am

It's completely normal to try and avoid being picked up. As prey animals, even the most laid back piggie will still run for the hills whenever you try to scoop them up!

If your guinea pigs aren't moving around much during floor time I'd suggest reducing the floor time area so it's less daunting for them. Also make sure to place hideys around for them to feel safe and veggies are always good for getting them to explore a bit more

mooshi00 · #3 06-24-07, 06:46 pm

OK. I tried placing the hideouts within the area, but they just hide there and are [what seems to be] too scared to come out even with some of their favorite veggies and fruits. what should I do now???

**eyempaula** · #4 06-24-07, 08:29 pm

Mine pretty much do the same as yours does. I used to be concerned then I just gave up and made their cage by the entrance way to the kitchen and then I leave the door of their cage open so that they can go out to floor time in the kitchen any time their little piggie hearts desire. I close them up at night and when I am not at home or when company comes over. But for the most part the only time they come out of the cage area is when I feed them their veggies and then when they are done they go back on their own to the cage. As far as chasing them goes...I got a 4 inch PVC pipe and when they go in there I just pick the PVC pipe up and tip it so the piggie butt slides right into my hands. That seems to work fine for me and my piggie girls. Like I said. I have given up on even thinking that some day they wont run from me. Hope that works for you.

**5piglover1542** · #5 06-24-07, 09:29 pm

Yea, mine do the same. Everytime i goto pick any of them up..they run away as fast as hey can. Its so frusterating. I do the same thing with the PVC pipe.

**thalestral** · #6 06-25-07, 03:16 am

They just need time to get used to floor time - it took my first piggies several weeks to get the hang of it

**Jenni_Feathers** · #7 06-25-07, 06:30 pm

Ya, it takes time for them to get used to it keep trying in the same place and setup everyday, it may take a few days or so, at least thats what it takes my pigs when we go camping.

**Sugar** · #8 06-26-07, 07:48 pm

Hello,

Thats completly normal for your piggies to run from you, Sugar always does it. The thing is weather they are comftorble with you holding them, and the more you handle them, the more comftorble they will be with you holding them. But that doesn't mean they won't run from you when you try and pick them up.

Sugar loves to run in the Lounge Room, its a very big room but their are chouches to hide under (they are easily moveable if I need to get her out in a hurry) and its fun to give her a bit of a chase and she loves it.

I guess some piggies are more curious than others.

**Pablosmummy** · #9 06-27-07, 04:53 am

It used to take me ages to catch Pablo but now all I do is sit on the floor and rustle his bag of hay and hes comes running over every time. Also when we first got him he'd just hide under the sofa but now as he's got more used to us, he runs everywhere

**BeckyBoo** · #10 06-27-07, 06:34 am

Sorry, double post.

**BeckyBoo** · #11 06-27-07, 06:35 am

I've only given Bubble and Squeak floor time a few times. Every time I had to dis-assemble my room to find them behind furniture. I am now waiting for a delivery of cubes to my local B&Q to make a C&C cage with. I'm going to tie the spares together with cable ties to make foldy fences, to put up against the furniture I want to keep them out of. When I have done that, I will re-introduce floor time in a more controlled way! Hopefully this will be less stressful for them as well.

My girls love to cuddle and are getting better at letting me pick them up in their cage. I just need to remove anything they might hide in first!

**Jenni_Feathers** · #12 07-05-07, 12:41 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar

and its fun to give her a bit of a chase and she loves it.
.

You should never chase your Guinea Pigs, and Im pretty sure she would not love being chased around.

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