Rescues Fostering tips :)

[4boipigs]

Your foster piggy is absolutely beautiful and doing very well with you. I'm looking forward to hearing continued progress. I have a brand new snuggle sack that is way too large for my piggies. If it would be helpful for your foster pig, send me a message.

I have a penchant for tan and white piggies, even though my favorite, Lily is tri-colored.

Thank you for the offer; I think we will be okay without it for now! We only use the snuggie sack for when they get scared at the vet. Otherwise, all these fleece items they just flatten instead of go inside.

What a cutie! It's a good thing I don't know where you live......I might just kidnap him. I have been in love with Abys for probably more years that you have been on this earth. I have had any other breed (Texel) only once and that was Maya with similar coloring as your boy.

View attachment 110321 . View attachment 110322

We are in Texas. Looks like you're in New England.

 

[4boipigs]

Update! He did finally try to bite me. He dislikes his front legs being touched and being touched around his arm pits/shoulders. He whips his head around and nips. It's just a warning, not a full-on bite. He will also kick with his back legs. He did this to me because I wanted to tidy up his nails and I finally got to experience why it was recommended to use 2 people to cut his nails.

I did buy him some Kaytee beds since they were only $5 on Amazon. Unlike the tunnel, he had no fear of the beds. I put one in the cage and he was happy to lay in it.

 

[4boipigs]

I could use some training treat tips!

My precious little boy of course loves his treats. I started to let him have a bit of floor time even tho the rescue said he didn’t enjoy it yet. I’ve been letting him explore and will call him to me with treats and a shake of the treat can.

He is so cute and will come running over to me like a dog to get a treat!! I learned today he also responds to kissy noises and comes running over to that (expecting a treat of course).

I also am trying to get him to accept touch and that requires treats so he doesn’t bite. This is very necessary when it comes to nail trims. Mostly it is a warning nip but he will keep at the biting til the touching stops. With treats his mouth is occupied but he will still verbally complain.

I bought some pea flakes a bit after I got him and I am almost done with them.

Are there other treats I could using that are healthy and okay to feed often? Obviously I don’t want to cause any harm with so many treats. My other boys also have to get some too, but they don’t get nearly as much.

Alternatively how can move away from using treats so much? Is there a better way to train?

 

[ItsaZoo]

You have more experience than I do, but when I trim nails I use something like long strips of frozen corn husk or lettuce. That keeps their mouth busy and they don’t fidget as much.

 

[4boipigs]

I’m considering adopting him…just all that laundry is a pain. Recently I noticed he seems/looks really happy with me. He is a great pig aside from biting lol. He likes floor time, he is friendly and socially (with humans) the opposite of my other pigs. He has gained some more weight and I noticed some coat changes too - thicker/spikier hair down his back basically like a little shark fin.

I did find a good way to restrain him during nail trims. If I hold him in my lap and cover his face with a hand so he can’t move his head, he is not able to bite as easily. Hopefully that doesn’t sound too cruel! Trust me it is not.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

He's adorable. I always think about fostering but I don't have the room. And a big problem for me without the room would be the foster fail. I would end up keeping them all.

Sounds like you're heading down the foster fail path yourself. He couldn't be in a better home.

 

[ItsaZoo]

In addition to a tunnel, I sometimes use binder clips to attach a wee pad on the side of the cage at an angle like a lean-to. Gidget liked liked crawling under these, and she’d give it a flip as she ran through.

 

[4boipigs]

More tips needed! My foster loves floor time! However he will flee from me and try to bite when it's time to return to the cage. I bought a snuggie sack to lure him in/out of the cage but it doesn't always work. How can I keep him from running away? We end up going in circles around the other cages in the room that he loves to run around. He knows all my tactics to box him in a corner or wall. He will come running when he hears the treat bag but he is also suspicous and runs off once he has the treat.

 

[ItsaZoo]

When you figure that out, please let everyone know! I’ve only had 3 pigs, all very friendly and sociable. However, they hated being picked up and would run and/or nip, and/or squeal. I’m planning on making a fleece tunnel for my current girl to see if it helps when picking her up.

 

[4boipigs]

On a more serious note...I haven't heard from the rescue group in over a month. I have texted/emailed about them watching him while on vacation, and there's been nothing. They have some personal life stuff going on, but I'm a bit worried. I do enjoy my foster and don't mind keeping him of course. I just wonder when/if I will hear from the rescue.

 

[4boipigs]

Great news! Apparently I had the rescue’s # saved wrong and they didn’t vanish on me after all. How embarrassing. They asked me if I still want to foster to adopt! I love my foster very much but if I adopt him then I will not be able to foster anyone else in the future due to space.

 

[4boipigs]

Well it is official…he is adopted. I stalled because if I adopt, I can’t foster anyone else…I also stalled because I thought I had a limit on how many pets I could add to my discounted pet insurance. So he only costs me $8. If only I could settle on a name. His foster name is Bacon Bit which I hate but he responds to it. I learned my lesson giving the other boys complicated Yugioh monster names…

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Well it is official…he is adopted. I stalled because if I adopt, I can’t foster anyone else…I also stalled because I thought I had a limit on how many pets I could add to my discounted pet insurance. So he only costs me $8. If only I could settle on a name. His foster name is Bacon Bit which I hate but he responds to it. I learned my lesson giving the other boys complicated Yugioh monster names...

Congratulations on your new addition, although I can't say I didn't see it coming. Enjoy your new little fella, no matter what you name him! And thank you for saving him. I already know he's in the best of hands.

 

[4boipigs]

I've decided on a name. I tried as many Yugioh names as possible but none fit. Someone suggested Walter, so his name is now Walter Adam.

 

[ItsaZoo]

That’s a good name, I like it and I’m sure he’ll figure it out when he hears his name and then gets a treat.

 

[SSLee]

Congratulations on the adoption of Walter Adam, which to me fits him way better than Bacon Bit.

About the extra laundry, I see you are already using the chenille bath mats for him which should help. I've pretty much switched totally from using fleece liners to the chenille bath mats. It is so much easier to brush off hay and fur from the bath mats than from the fleece liners. And it dries much faster too, especially in your hot Texas sun.

Walter is just too adorable and I look forward to seeing more pictures of him.

 

[ItsaZoo]

Mine always end up with nicknames, so he’d be Wally Pig and Good Golly Mr. Wally in no time.

Right now Millie is Willy Nilly Millie, Silly Millie, and Millie Vanillie.

 

[4boipigs]

Mine always end up with nicknames, so he’d be Wally Pig and Good Golly Mr. Wally in no time.

Right now Millie is Willy Nilly Millie, Silly Millie, and Millie Vanillie.

I will have to steal those

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

My pigs get named.............and then they are rarely used again. Only when I discuss them with other people do I use their given names....... Each pig has had, at minimum, 20 different nicknames. Each. ROFL

 

[4boipigs]

My boys have nonsense nicknames

Talwar is Taltal
Maple Leaf is Mape or Leafy Maple
Gungnir is Goongan
Trishula is Trish or Trishuloo
When he was Bacon Bit, I called him Bacon Butt, Bacon B and Beggin Strip