Skittish Pigs

[TheQueen]

I know it's not of big concern, but my pigs are very skittish (Lola more than Queen). Whenever I walk into the room they scatter, or if I move my leg around if I'm laying down, they run! I don't know why, I handle them plenty and move slowly. I feel like I'm stressing them when I have to "chase" them around their cage to get them out for floor time. But they won't come to me to be picked up! Queen might come over, but then if I try to pick her up, she runs. They never do piggy laps, and they hardly ever popcorn, only once in a blue moon. They're healthy and active, but just not very social I suppose.

So, does anyone know how I can get them less skittish and get them to want to be picked up, etc, etc. Is the non-lapping/popcorning a health issue or are they just "unusual"? Thanks! =D

 

[cavy-cool-crazy]

Your pigs are obviously just laid-back pigs! Do you speak in a soft voice when you're near them to let them know that you're there? If you do this, they shouldn't be too scared about your movements as they know that you are around and it is you moving and making the noises. The key thing is to just take it at their pace. Some pigs never get used to being handled, even if you do pick them up regularly. How old are Lola and Queen?

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Piggies are prey animals and sometimes even the most lovable piggie outside of the cage will be skittish inside the cage and will always run no matter what. When you get them out for laptime/floortime the stress is actually very minimal. Just get them out as quickly as you can.

What I do to help my own pigs is I sit on the floor next to the cage or in the case of my girls cage, I sit in it. I stick my hand in the cage and let them come and smell me. I have some pigs that love to get scritched on the nose, under the chin or behind the ears and they will sit there contentedly and let me scritch them. When I sit in the girls cage, I let the pigs come smell and lick me. After a bit, I usually have one or two climbing up in my lap for a snuggle. Especially if I have a yummy treat for them.

Chatty, the pig I have had the longest, still runs whenever I go to get her of the cage. She thinks it's a game because she will run around popcorning waiting for me to catch her.

 

[TheQueen]

Cavy-cool-crazy, they are a year and a half.

Thanks Ly, I have gotten into the cage before, to try stuff like that, and sometimes Queen will come out. They are both fine once I get them out, Lola's such a lovey-dovey. I just wondered if anyone had any suggestions. I will try to sit in their cage longer and see what happens!

On a sort of related note, when the girls come out for floor time, Queen is so curious and running all around, trying to escape, etc. Lola is content to just sit there, once in awhile playing follow the leader with Queen. Today I had it her out for lap time on the couch. I was watching TV and Lola climbed up on my chest. She just sat there and "watched" TV with me for almost a half an hour! She didn't move, or poo, or anything! I set her down after that in case she needed a potty break. Sheesh if that was Queen, she would have jumped off the couch (she can jump across gaps almost 2ft!) and crawled under it to snuggle with the cat. Silly pigs!