Feisty Silkie, care advice needed

Hayley_Bayley_Haybale

Hayley_Bayley_Haybale

New Born Pup
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Hi everyone, thanks in advance for reading this! I am a new owner of two female piggies (Hayley and Bayley, age roughly 6 months but I've had them for 3 months). They live indoors in a C&C cage (60 × 180cm) and get lots of human contact time as the cage is in my study and I work from home. So far things are going well, both piggies are well settled, take food from my hand, popcorn and zoom around. Bayley will even enjoy being stroked between the ears while in the cage without a food bribe!

My problem comes with handling and I'm looking for some tips.

Hayley is fairly easy to catch and sits calmly during lap time, getting fidgety when she wants to go back to the cage but Bayley is a different story. She is FAST (sooo fast that I can't catch her with my hands), so I take her out of the cage in a cuddle sack. As soon as she's on my lap and has had a token nibble of veg, she is desperate to escape. She will push my hand out of her way and try to race off in any direction. If I hold her in my hands she will wriggle like crazy, squeaking and struggling to get away. This results in me getting her back to her cage asap as I'm terrified that I might drop her. I understand that some piggies will never enjoy cuddles, but as Bayley is a Silkie I need to be able to handle her for grooming (she seriously needs a hair cut!) and for nail trimming of course. She had a nail trim 2 months ago during a vet check-up but she is in need of another one and I'm not able to do it.

I'd be so grateful for any suggestions/tips/strategies for what to do to help Bayley get more comfortable with being handled.
 
When it comes to doing that essential grooming and nail clips, you will need to just do what you can in the time she allows you to do it - don’t set out with the intention of doing everything because it isn’t going to happen!
When my two boys were newly with me (Ive had them for four years now), it would take several days to do all their nails - id usually manage to get one foot done at a time. One of them is long haired so grooming was also done in sections.
It took time (much longer for one than the other) but eventually I was able to do two feet, then three etc. Now nail clipping is not a battle. My long haired boy still isn’t keen on grooming and cutting is even worse but even if it takes me two sittings, it is still got easier as he got more used to it.
I would recommend you do the clipping/grooming with Bayley while you sit in her cage - you don’t have the risk of a fall nor of her running off.

You are doing the right thing by using a cuddle sack. Most piggies will never like being picked up with your hands - it cuts close to the prey instinct and equates to being eaten by a predator.
 
Great advice from @Piggies&buns .
Another possibility for nails is one of the vet nurses if that’s possible for you.

There is a forum guide on fur trimming written by @Betsy which is very good.
I lack the tech skills to link it but I’m sure someone will.

I have a feisty diva with long fur.
The general consensus when I do her fur trim is “don’t give up the day job”
I also use unscented baby wipes for her bottom which helps keep her clean.
 
Here is my guide for you that @Merab's Slave mentioned.

An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

Please bear in mind that it took a couple of years of 6 weekly trims for The Ever Beautiful Betsy 🌈 to sit still enough as she does in the videos. First of all Son No 3 had to hold her so that I could do a quick trim. Most of the time she would wander around for a couple of days to calm down after a trim and she would look most odd as only a part of her was trimmed. Eventually she got used to it.
 
My Finn is also silkie just like your girl and just as feisty. I use towel during his nail cut, but tunnel is what I use when cutting his bum hair. I put some photos for you below.
Finn is 6 years old, and still doesn't like being handled so I still use towel even after 6 years.

IMG_4769.webp

IMG_4763.webp

IMG_0637.webp
 
I have a boar whom is a fidget, not keen on anything lol I if cuddle sack fails, get them in a tea towel and take them to another room away from the cage, when cutting nails I tend to sit them with their back to my stomach, keeping calm and quiet and trim bit by bit, I hope you find your solution good luck 🤞
 
Piggies&buns said:
When it comes to doing that essential grooming and nail clips, you will need to just do what you can in the time she allows you to do it - don’t set out with the intention of doing everything because it isn’t going to happen!
When my two boys were newly with me (Ive had them for four years now), it would take several days to do all their nails - id usually manage to get one foot done at a time. One of them is long haired so grooming was also done in sections.
It took time (much longer for one than the other) but eventually I was able to do two feet, then three etc. Now nail clipping is not a battle. My long haired boy still isn’t keen on grooming and cutting is even worse but even if it takes me two sittings, it is still got easier as he got more used to it.
I would recommend you do the clipping/grooming with Bayley while you sit in her cage - you don’t have the risk of a fall nor of her running off.

You are doing the right thing by using a cuddle sack. Most piggies will never like being picked up with your hands - it cuts close to the prey instinct and equates to being eaten by a predator.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for all of this really helpful advice. The cage sits on a table and I don't want to risk it collapsing by climbing in myself, hehe! I do have a playpen though which I can set up on the floor and sit in with her. That would definitely take away some of my concerns over dropping her while trying to trim nails/hair. Thank you also for the reassurance/ realistic expectations about how long this might take, both in terms of multiple sittings to get the care jobs done and the fact that getting used to things like this will be a gradual process for her (and me!). I think she is really sensitive to touch, not just from humans. And unexpected brush-past by my other piggie will sometimes result in her jumping away in shock.
 
Betsy said:
Here is my guide for you that @Merab's Slave mentioned.

An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting

Please bear in mind that it took a couple of years of 6 weekly trims for The Ever Beautiful Betsy 🌈 to sit still enough as she does in the videos. First of all Son No 3 had to hold her so that I could do a quick trim. Most of the time she would wander around for a couple of days to calm down after a trim and she would look most odd as only a part of her was trimmed. Eventually she got used to it.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link, that is really helpful - and good to know that it took a long time for Betsy to get used to trims. I'm definitely benefiting from some expectation management after watching several YouTube videos of guinea pig hair cuts with very patient models :D I'll have to share some dodgy haircut pictures when I finally manage it. Poor Bayley :-)
 
Seven7 said:
My Finn is also silkie just like your girl and just as feisty. I use towel during his nail cut, but tunnel is what I use when cutting his bum hair. I put some photos for you below.
Finn is 6 years old, and still doesn't like being handled so I still use towel even after 6 years.

View attachment 212711

View attachment 212712

View attachment 212713
Click to expand...
Awww, look at this face! Too cute. I'll give the food + tunnel strategy a go. I reckon I can manage to trim some of the side hair in stages, but she really jumps a mile when I touch her bum, so this might keep her still enough to do a few snips at least. Thank you!
 
Tnoz said:
I have a boar whom is a fidget, not keen on anything lol I if cuddle sack fails, get them in a tea towel and take them to another room away from the cage, when cutting nails I tend to sit them with their back to my stomach, keeping calm and quiet and trim bit by bit, I hope you find your solution good luck 🤞
Click to expand...
Thank you! It makes me feel better to know that I'm not the only one with a non-compliant piggy, hehe!
 
Merab's Slave said:
Great advice from @Piggies&buns .
Another possibility for nails is one of the vet nurses if that’s possible for you.

There is a forum guide on fur trimming written by @Betsy which is very good.
I lack the tech skills to link it but I’m sure someone will.

I have a feisty diva with long fur.
The general consensus when I do her fur trim is “don’t give up the day job”
I also use unscented baby wipes for her bottom which helps keep her clean.
Click to expand...
I'm loving all these replies which reassure me that I'm not the only one with a piggy who doesn't love haircuts! I think it might help to get the vet nurse to cut Bayley's nails, at least while I'm getting used to it. I can practice on Hayley who is much calmer when it comes to handling! Poor Bayley is definitely going to end up with a dodgy haircut!
 
Hayley_Bayley_Haybale said:
Poor Bayley is definitely going to end up with a dodgy haircut!
Click to expand...
She won't know, Hayley won't care and Bayley will just feel cooler and more comfortable. You should have seen my first attempts with Betsy! It takes time and practise for you and Bayley. Just remember it's not a beauty contest!
 
Hair trim update! We have a layered look going on at the back - still a bit more hair around her bum than I would like, but it is a start 😂 In the end I trimmed the hair a little at a time while she was eating veggies in her cage. She jumps a mile when you touch her bum, but a bit of distraction meant that I was able to get a few snips in 🙂

PXL_20221026_153145518.webp
 
Hi,
I am in a similar situation but with a 4 months silkie, who I had for almost 2 months now. There is no way I can cut her hair yet nor nails, so hoped for the veterinary to do it at our first visit 1 month ago but he told me not to cut her nails? I did not say anything but have then managed to cut the girls's back feet nails when they eat veggies from my daughter's hand, without holding them nor touching them. For the haircut I have to try the tunnel method from Finn's owner. Good luck with it!
 
Guinessandus said:
Hi,
I am in a similar situation but with a 4 months silkie, who I had for almost 2 months now. There is no way I can cut her hair yet nor nails, so hoped for the veterinary to do it at our first visit 1 month ago but he told me not to cut her nails? I did not say anything but have then managed to cut the girls's back feet nails when they eat veggies from my daughter's hand, without holding them nor touching them. For the haircut I have to try the tunnel method from Finn's owner. Good luck with it!it
Click to expand...
It is so tricky isn't it! Especially when all the videos I've watched on YouTube seem to involve very compliant piggies who sit still, or very experienced owners who manage to handle wriggly pigs 😂
 
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