squeakysmallpaws
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone had advice.
Quick Background:
Manny - is the big teddy. Floyd - smaller tri-colour.
They are both around four months old. They get on ok, Manny is deffinitely the dominant one. They both live indoors.
My question relates to Floyd. He appears to have what I can only describe as a phobia. If you attempt to pick him up, he squeaks like mad and has now started teeth chattering and kicking back with his back legs, he lunges in the air and really really kicks and squeals. He does this even if you stroke down his back and get anywhere near his bum area. He also does this with Manny whenever he's too close to his bum. I have a feeling it's because Manny nipped him a few times on his bum in the past. I don't think it was aggressive, more of a 'get out of my way nip'. Obviously to pick him up properly, you need to get a hand under the rump.
I can stroke him - no issue there really, but it takes ages with alot of teeth chattering at me when I try to get him out the cage, so for floor time I usually get him into some sort of hidey or if I'm lucky and he's in his hay tube I just pick that up and place it on the floor! But he's not happy to sit on my lap at all, but he loves a head rub when he's not being moved anywhere.
Do I need to accept that for Floyd this is one piggie who isn't ever going to be one for being picked up for a cuddle and I should settle for a head stroke through the cage? Or does anyone have some tips that I could try to help calm his nerves really and help him overcome this paranoia with his bum bum?! hehe.
x
p.s. on a seperate note, I can completely relate, as a child the favourite thing to do was to chase me up the stairs at bed-time shouting 'penny for a smack, penny for a smack' and I'd be legging it as fast as I could to my bedroom, but now if anyone is too close behind me on a set of stairs I just feel like I need to start running and often will break into a quick jog to get away! So I kinda get this piggies point-of-view......lol.
Just wondering if anyone had advice.
Quick Background:
Manny - is the big teddy. Floyd - smaller tri-colour.
They are both around four months old. They get on ok, Manny is deffinitely the dominant one. They both live indoors.
My question relates to Floyd. He appears to have what I can only describe as a phobia. If you attempt to pick him up, he squeaks like mad and has now started teeth chattering and kicking back with his back legs, he lunges in the air and really really kicks and squeals. He does this even if you stroke down his back and get anywhere near his bum area. He also does this with Manny whenever he's too close to his bum. I have a feeling it's because Manny nipped him a few times on his bum in the past. I don't think it was aggressive, more of a 'get out of my way nip'. Obviously to pick him up properly, you need to get a hand under the rump.
I can stroke him - no issue there really, but it takes ages with alot of teeth chattering at me when I try to get him out the cage, so for floor time I usually get him into some sort of hidey or if I'm lucky and he's in his hay tube I just pick that up and place it on the floor! But he's not happy to sit on my lap at all, but he loves a head rub when he's not being moved anywhere.
Do I need to accept that for Floyd this is one piggie who isn't ever going to be one for being picked up for a cuddle and I should settle for a head stroke through the cage? Or does anyone have some tips that I could try to help calm his nerves really and help him overcome this paranoia with his bum bum?! hehe.
x
p.s. on a seperate note, I can completely relate, as a child the favourite thing to do was to chase me up the stairs at bed-time shouting 'penny for a smack, penny for a smack' and I'd be legging it as fast as I could to my bedroom, but now if anyone is too close behind me on a set of stairs I just feel like I need to start running and often will break into a quick jog to get away! So I kinda get this piggies point-of-view......lol.
