Bonding Separate but equal [lap times].

[ginipigsinspace]

As I've mentioned in several threads, my boys tend to bicker. Nothing too worrisome--a lot of rumblestrutting, chasing, nose-offs, etc. However, it can get a little frustrating during laptime when instead of cuddles, we are navigating thirty minutes of "let me at him!" Alternately, solo laptimes are generally filled will adorable moments with chill, affectionate piggies, like this cuddlebug who spent the better part of an hour between my and my husband's laps. Here you can see him doing an adorable flop-down, sprawl-out, head down thing:



So, for the foreseeable future, lap times will be an individual sport.

 

[PiggieWigglies]

Ive always had 1 pig out at a time, the occasional 2 but its hard because they both get nervous when you have 2 out at once.

 

[maddy harper]

i just have 1 pig out for lap time
i cant handle 2 of them on my knee

 

[LifeAsItMayBe]

Even though my girls are two years old now, they still do the "Ack, she's gonna kill us! Run away!" act every time I try to take them out of the cage. Thus, laptime goes in shifts at my house. I don't have a big enough lap for three pigs anyway.

 

[GuineaPigMania2]

I have one at a time out. My male gets the jitters sometimes due to his past life. I can't handle both!

 

[GuineaPigMania2]

Even though my girls are two years old now, they still do the "Ack, she's gonna kill us! Run away!" act every time I try to take them out of the cage. Thus, laptime goes in shifts at my house. I don't have a big enough lap for three pigs anyway.

Exactly the same for me!!!!!

 

[ginipigsinspace]

i just have 1 pig out for lap time
i cant handle 2 of them on my knee

Well in this case my husband and I each have a pig, so no lack of laps. However, they are just totally different temperament-wise: riled up and focused on what the other pig is doing instead of calm, relaxed, and affectionate.

There is probably both competition and jealousy at play.

I agree this is part of it. There have been times I felt like they were fighting over me. However, this is actually one of the reasons that I end up feeling bad about having only one out. Any time I just have Chewie out, Han will look so sad and hurt.

 

[sallyvh]

I like to give my girls individual lap time. This way they each get one on one cuddles and bonding time!

 

[Rywen]

I usually do separate lap times, but if Penny sees or hears Ferb she spends the entire time "talking" to him and trying to find a way back to him. Ferb is usually fine with being away from Penny but last night he could see her in the playpen and kept talking to her and trying to jump off my lap to get to her, it was sweet.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Mine are completely separate personalities when it comes to lap time. Minnie's fine with me petting her in the cage 80% of the time, and she never runs away when I go in to stroke her (as long as I stick to the head area), but as soon as she senses I'm trying to scoop her off, she's gone and there's nothing but a trail of dust left behind! lol She's a wiggler, and lap time with her is kind of like when you have a spider and you have to keep crossing your hands over so as they don't fall off you. She's also a nipper so I have to be careful where my hands are!

Daisy on the other hand, spooks at pretty much any loud noise or movement, but on the rare occasion she doesn't run off, I can pick her up first go without any chasing. She's getting more and more confident when it comes to noise and movement too. After I've had her out for about 5 minutes, she either settles down in to a completely flopped position, or climbs up/around me sniffling me and making cute noises.