Hello! I'm new here so I thought I'd start of by asking a question
Right so whenever I get them out for floor time, I normally hide food around their pen, but after they've stuffed their faces they always just sit there. They never run around of explore or even play with their toys. They often chase each other around but only when rumble-strutting.
Is there anything I can do to help encourage them to play more?:S
I use those PVC tubes from the hardware stores as fun floor time hidey spots. Moving them around during their time in the pen encourages them to get back up and see what's changed. Works with my piggies, anyhow.
If they decide not to run during a floor session, least they still get a change of scenery.
Okay, I will buy some straight away
Thank you!
I've had mine nearly three years, and floor time has been a total failure with both of them. They do nothing but huddle under things. I gave it up as a lost cause long ago.
I'll continue trying for awhile then if it doesn't work i'll give up.
You are voicing a common complaint from many of us. Never mind that I built a very nice covered run where they can eat grass and dandelion greens to their hearts' content. Mine will sit in the same spot where I place them.
This is one reason that it is important to have a large cage so that they can exercise on their own timetable, not when I decide to put them out for floor time. I've seen the young one do zoomies at 0530 in the morning......not exactly a time when I would put them in the yard.
My piggies just sit there, and stare up at me as if to say, ummm. thanks? Floor time, for them, is the horrible vacation to Disney World that your parents put thousands into, and then it rains the whole time. They're the little kids that it was aimed at, who say: This is boring. Can we go home now?
I think most of us can relate. It's kind of nice, as lately, floor time has been harder to put together, and is almost a waste of time. But 4 times a week, I drag out the play pen and the shower curtain, and plop them down for an hour. They're just going to have the suffer through the rain.
@SuperTim , you're going to want at least 4 inch PVC. I got 3 inch, and my girls fit through, but it was a bit too snug. But beware! They will lie down, and stay there, hogging the pipe for a good amount of their day.Very cute, but gets on the other pigs' nerves! I got a piece of pre-cut pipe at the hardware store that looks like a Y. I would suggest you get the Y shaped one, and a plain straight one. My piggies will CONTEMPLATE which direction of the Y they want to go! It is so cute!!!!!! I recommend a 4" Y shaped piece of PVC to anybody who wants PVC for the pigs!
drokka (10-26-12)
I like to think of them as little cows when they're outside!Originally Posted by spy9doc
Mine love floor time, but I try to do a lot of enrichment to keep them interested. I put out piles of hay, which they love to play in, and several different types of tunnels, which seems to encourage them to run through. I hide pieces of veggie to encourage them to explore, and I rotate other playthings in and out, like boxes, paper bags, etc. They also have hideys, and I leave them out for several hours, so they seem to go through spurts of energy, followed by resting, then another spurt.
They just sit there.......period. They don't much on the grass at all.......and yet if I pick the grass and feed it to them, they will "pig out". Chester is litter box trained, and he won't even poop in the grass. He holds it until he gets back to his cage.
Thats pretty funny! I grow my own wheat grass, as we use chemicals in our grass. My pigs love it! If its on a plate they try to sit and lay on it. So im gonna grow it in large low sided tubs so they can sit in it like outside in their playpen.They just sit there.......period. They don't much on the grass at all.......and yet if I pick the grass and feed it to them, they will "pig out". Chester is litter box trained, and he won't even poop in the grass. He holds it until he gets back to his cage.
My two pigs were like that for a long time! I tried keeping them in a pen but I like having them run around on the floor freely (mine only really go to the bathroom in their plastic carrier for some reason during floor time). One day they had to spend the night in their carrier (with some hay and a few water rich veggies) because I was washing their fleece and towels and didn't have extra at the time. In the morning I let them out on the floor and they ran and popcorned and played. I thought it was because they were cooped up all night but since then all they do is run and they don't even hide under the ottoman anymore. My suggestion is to give them time.
Hi. I am also new here, well I've been lurking the site for awhile but just registered,. Anyway...my guinea pigs do the same thing! They won't run around and explore, nothing! I also just bought a piece of the pipe at Home Depot last weekend and they love it!
My pigs just sit and hide as well during floor time, but I've only had them for 3 weeks. What I have noticed is every night at about 10pm they seem to be energized and start running and popcorning in their cage. I'm glad they've got enough room so they can run on their own schedule. We are planning on adding another level to give them even more space soon.
If I put a paper bag out, they will sit there, lay down, and pee in it. All in within 15 minutes. Needless to say, paper bags are NOT a regular item! Yuck!
They start to get a bit freaked out if they're out of the cage for ever 1.5 hours. They start to run around, freak out, and generally act terrified. I'm afraid of leaving them unattended, even if the kitten is unable to get inside the room where they're in. I'm just a little paranoid that something is going to happen, and I won't be there, or whatever. I honestly don't have the patience to sit there for about 2 hours. I'm sorry, but I can't.
I work at home, and my "office" is the family room, so I just set up the playpen (a large kids' swimming pool) nearby since I sit there for hours anyway. I like my piggies to have as much floor time as possible, since they're in connected pet store cages right now. Technically they have the recommended amount of space, but it's broken up by the cage trays, so I want them to have as much time as possible in the bigger space. I think they think of their playpen as an auxiliary cage.I honestly don't have the patience to sit there for about 2 hours. I'm sorry, but I can't.
@mufasa , I need one of those pools! I use extra grids, a shower curtain, and a sheet.
Ahh. The one room that people are constantly in and out of, and I am constantly in, is the room where she is. I can't lock her out for an hour or two, since she has to get to the litter box through that room. Ugh. That leaves my bedroom, but since I'm not in there a lot during the day, it's not ideal. ARGHH.
Loving this thread...I need ideas too. We use a plastic shower curtain and another shower curtain and towels. They pee every single time they are out and I'm always wiping down the shower curtain, washing the towels, and then washing the other shower curtain (it has plastic and fabric) It's a mess!!!! I need ideas for "playpens."
I feel you, @sugarbunnies ! I feel like the laundry and salad slave. I'm constantly in and out of the basement doing piggy laundry, as they stuff their face with salad. Totally worth it.
The swimming pool is a great way to reduce/prevent messes. I line it with newspaper, which I replace a couple times while they're out because I don't want them sitting in big, wet spots. They tend to pee in the same spots so I put extra paper there and toss the top layers as they get soiled. then I just roll the pool outside after floor time and hose it down. No muss, no fuss!
sugarbunnies (07-17-12)
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks