Ganon Trying To Escape During Floor Time?

MichelleM

Junior Guinea Pig
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So I've said before Ganon isn't super eager to get out of his cage for floor time while I clean it, but lately he's been more cooperative getting into the upturned pigloo so I can move him.

While he and Dibbler are on the floor, I've been trying to get them more accustomed to me so they can be lap piggies. I open up the side of the playpen and sit crossed-legged so they can climb up on me freely, but can't squeeze out and get loose. They get a treat every time they're in my lap, so Dibbler at least is all over me a lot.

My problem, though, is with Ganon. Usually during floor time he'll sit in his hidey log and munch on hay, coming out occasionally for treats and to watch me clean the cage, but he mostly sits in the hidey until it's time to go back. He's climbed into my lap quite a few times for treats, and has even stretched out and made himself comfy in my lap before (which I obviously loved!). But the past two times I've had them on the floor, he's climbed into my lap, and after eating his treat he's tried to make a break for it by trying to climb over my leg behind me. He hasn't been quick enough, and I've always been able to nab him and set him back down in the pen, but why is he so eager to bolt all of a sudden?

From what I can tell he's happy in the cage. He popcorns and wheeks and comes out of his cave to interact with me and look around the room. In the past he's been curious about what's outside his playpen, sitting on his hind legs and sniffing out over the sides, but suddenly he's trying to break loose.

My question is this: Is he just trying to go explore? Is he maybe just trying to get at the food bag (which is always on the floor behind me at playtime)? What can I do to give Ganon more freedom without him getting hurt? I'd love to arrange a way for him to free roam a bit, but unfortunately I live in a very small apartment. The other 2 rooms are occupied by my roommates, barring the living room (which can't be pig-proofed) and my bedroom where the cage is. There's too many places for them to get stuck, like the bed, closet, desks, etc, and we have too many wires about that could be chewed on, so there really isn't any easy/guaranteed way to make it safe for them to roam.

Sorry this is so long, I'm just not sure if Ganon's unhappy, or if he's just curious. Thanks in advance!
 
Some piggies are just like Houdini and make a bid for freedom whenever possible. Others don't leave their run even if you leave the door open. It's just personality. You will learn to be ultra vigilant around him and ensure you leave all doors closed, nothing near the sides for him to climb on etc so that he can't escape.
 
Looks like you have got a little explorer there! Best train the eyes at the back of your head and make as sure as you can that he cannot escape and cannot at any cables or under furniture etc. Some piggies have a fine sense of making a beeline for where you'd like to see them least and for finding any potential trouble spot before you realise it's even there!
 
So guys, guess what Ganon learned he was big enough to do today! :D

I bought a second of their playpen so I could combine them into a piggy paradise for them to roam around. I had hoped this would sate Ganon's desire to explore buuuuut...

Ganon's always done this thing I call meerkatting, where he stands up on his hind legs in the pen to sniff out over the sides. Apparently, he's been biding his time until he was big enough, because he hopped right over the side today and out of the pen! Luckily for me he only seems to do this on the cage side of the pen, i.e. the side I'm on, so I was able to nab him pretty quickly (twice!). Now he's zooming around the cage thinking he's all tough because he duped mom. As soon as he did it the first time I knew he was gonna do it again, so I was scrambling trying to finish putting the platforms back in the cage, but he decided to jump out of the playpen while I was doing that, so I had to move him back and finish assembling with him inside.

He's always been hesitant to climb into the "pig portal" as I call it to be moved into the pen for floor time, but the past two times he's been suspiciously eager to get in. Even when I put him back in the cage, he zoomed for a second and then climbed into the box again as if to say "Let's go again!"

Luckily, I saved the receipt for the playpen, so I can return it tomorrow and get a taller one. Now my only heart attack worry is knowing my little escape artist lives in a cage that's off the ground. :( Ugh.
 
I have a special place in my heart for naughty or cheeky piggies, and he's a real cutie to top it all!
 
Haha, Reenie, Ganon is named after a video game villain and I keep saying we set some kind of precedent for him. XD

I also know he's definitely fiancé's pig because I think he kept hopping out to find the magical food bag. :P
 
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