Floor time not a hit

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lizzie_71

lizzie_71

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Usually when I clean out the piggies in winter, I put them in a cardboard box whilst I wash the vetbed. They seem to be perfectly happy with this arrangement, but I decided to try to give them a bigger area to play. So today I blocked off one corner of the utility room, put down some newspaper, and put them in with one igloo and some treats.

Well, they hated it. They both shoved themselves into the igloo (a tight fit as they are big boys) and refused to come out, even for cauliflower leaves. They were in there for over an hour whilst I washed and dried the vetbed, and didn't venture out at all.

I don't know whether to try it again with no hiding places so they have no choice but to explore, or just go back to the cardboard box arrangement.
 
I would try it again, but I wouldn't take the igloo out they need to feel safe. They are probably wondering what is this new arrangement? :) If after a while they still hate it you could go back to the cardboard box. I used to put Sunshine and Twinkle in a basket but they can escape from it now so I clean the hutch with them in it and they try to help.

Could you not get a couple of fleece blankets, put them in the cage with the pigs while the vet bed dries?
 
I could leave them in the cage with just newspaper, but I thought it was a bit sad that they spend all their time in there in the winter, because in the summer they spend most of their time in a large outdoor run.

Everyone else seems to give their guinea pigs floor time, so I thought it was worth a try.
 
I agree with you Louise, they do find it a bit daunting sometimes if you change things on them :o :o Try again but perhaps add another pigloo or even an upturned box with a cutout for them to see out of and lots of treats right near them so they might be tempted to pop out and grab some ;) Keep chatting to them also, i find if i do anything new i chat non stop to Duke so he knows i'm there and it's the reassuring tone and the familiarity of your voice that they'll think OK mummies still here :)
Good luck love :)

Edit: Floor time might work better for you if you can do it separate to clean time... have them out with you on the floor and you have treats in your hands... i'm sure once you've done this a few times they'll get the idea it's good fun time :D :D :D :smitten: :smitten:
 
Yeah keep trying them, Twinkle is a with floortime he tries to escpae! 98) :smitten: I agree with Glynis lots of treats and fun things for them and they will soon come round. :)
 
Update - they are a lot better today. Could be something to do with the large quantities of lettuce dotted around their run ::)
 
Aww thats great! Glad to hear they have settled for floor time! :)
 
What flooring do you have?
Mine will not walk on a slippy type of floor. They're too scared!
We have a wooden floor and when they have floor time I put a big blanket down with houses and tunnels etc. They will run around on that as they can get a grip on it.
 
Aww! glad they seem a little happier.
Mine took a while to get used to floor time, they just used to cower in the box. But now wendy has the run of our 30ft long lounge and loves it!
Alice on the other hand likes her little square of carpet in the hallway, she doesnt like the slippy laminate! If we put wendy in the hall she has now worked out how to scale any barriers we put up so we just let her go where she wants to! ;D
I think its very scary for them at first. :)
 
We have lino, but it is covered with a layer of newspaper when the piggies are out. They seem happy enough on it.
 
aww bless them. If i put newspaper anywhere within 2 seconds its being dragged around the floor and chewed! ;D
Forgot to say its so worth it, keep trying, Alice enjoys it so much she runs round in crcles as fast as she can for ages and thne comes and dives on my knee when she's had enough. it fab to watch them run just for fun. popcorning everywhere! ;D
 
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