Cavys Thinking Owners Have Died

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Cavyhappy

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Hi all,

I have been away for 5 days and just came back. The guinea pigs are fine (hutch blew over again, lucky they weren't in it), but they're acting a little weird around me. I read somewhere on here that when owners go away they start to believe that they've died. Is this true? And if it is, how long approximately does it take for them to believe this?

Thanks for help in advance.
 
Your piggies will come round quickly! You can get all kinds of treatment from cold shoulder to pocporning depending on the shape of their bond and the nature and duration of your absence. It also makes a difference whether you are away more regularly or whether it is the first time; piggies will get used to you coming and going.

PS: You may want to fix that hutch either to the ground or to the wall even if you have got the piggies inside. ;)
 
I don't think that guinea pigs can really have a concept of death or even really think about what happens to their owners when they are not around. They are probably just annoyed with you for leaving them and being sulky pigs!
I am glad your hutch was not occupied when it blew over. I agree with Wiebke, I think you need to think about fixing it down somehow!
 
I think they are probably just sulking or giving the cold shoulder.

I went away for the first time in 2010 and my parents phoned me. I answered and they put me on loud speaker so the pigs could hear. The boys went insane popcorn and wheeking, looking all around for me. I returned 3 days later and excited to see them popcorn and happy to see me, I rushed to their room. They gave me the cold shoulder.
 
Mine have given me the cold shoulder when I have left them with a pig-sitter, particularly if it was for a long time. I got the cold shoulder from Linney when I left them with my parents for two weeks while the family and I went to Disneyworld. Alternately, they have sometimes been really happy to see me when I come back after an absence (typically if they have been somewhere they haven't enjoyed- I got a popcorn when picking Linney up after surgery at the vet's office. She got very excited once she heard my voice. I think she very much wanted me to get her out of there!)
 
Julesie said:
I think they are probably just sulking or giving the cold shoulder.

I went away for the first time in 2010 and my parents phoned me. I answered and they put me on loud speaker so the pigs could hear. The boys went insane popcorn and wheeking, looking all around for me. I returned 3 days later and excited to see them popcorn and happy to see me, I rushed to their room. They gave me the cold shoulder.
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HAHA I think maybe you teased them by lettnig them hear you then not appearing for another three days!

Mine just give me the cold shoulder when I have been to work they just like to make me feel bad! but as soon as I go near them they run away Oblivion is the biggest tease! He calls and calls me for attention, lets me get a millimetre away from giving his nose a little stroke then bolts!
 
MyGuineaPigPals said:
HAHA I think maybe you teased them by lettnig them hear you then not appearing for another three days!

Mine just give me the cold shoulder when I have been to work they just like to make me feel bad! but as soon as I go near them they run away Oblivion is the biggest tease! He calls and calls me for attention, lets me get a millimetre away from giving his nose a little stroke then bolts!
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I think so too. They were upset at me. :));
I dread to think what they think when I have my holiday in May. They probably won't talk to me. I have 4 different piggies now and one of them is a proper attention pig. Hopefully mum can give him the attention he wants.
Aww Oblivion. He reminds me of another of my pigs who used to do that.
 
Thanks for all your help and advice guys :) they smell real bad so I'll give them a bath today, maybe they'll appreciate me more :))
As for for hutch, I am unable to fix it to anywhere because I move it around a lot on the grass, but the yard is fully fenced but I'll pin chicken wire under the fence so that if the do get out again they can't escape. Can guinea pigs climb up stairs?
 
might sound a bit crazy, but would small tent pegs work with guide ropes/strings i guess curtain cord or similar type thickness?
That way you could move the hutch & keep it intact &secure all at the same time?

Bet the bath will make them love you more :whistle:
xx
 
GPTV said:
might sound a bit crazy, but would small tent pegs work with guide ropes/strings i guess curtain cord or similar type thickness?
That way you could move the hutch & keep it intact &secure all at the same time?

Bet the bath will make them love you more :whistle:
xx
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Thanks for the idea, will try that as well as building a shelter to go over it :)
 
I regularly go away, every three months or so, but when I get back, my pigs just carry on as normal, barely acknowledging I have even returned. They do stay at my mums though in a huge pen with loads of veggies for supper each evening and they get to socialise with my mums piggy all the while they're there!
 
GeorgesHuman said:
I regularly go away, every three months or so, but when I get back, my pigs just carry on as normal, barely acknowledging I have even returned. They do stay at my mums though in a huge pen with loads of veggies for supper each evening and they get to socialise with my mums piggy all the while they're there!
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Sounds like a piggy hotel!
 
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