I am very confused

Lorcan

Lorcan

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I wasn't sure whether to put this in with the stuff about making the cage, but here I am. I made the goblins their new cage today, and they're apparently quite happy with it. They're out in the open, not hiding under cover, they went in without any real fuss, and everything's fine. Except they're being extremely vocal, constant high pitched wheeking, and I can't work out why.

If this was in the other room I wouldn't be so antsy, but the room they're currently in backs onto my neighbours bedroom (I think) and I don't want them disturbing the neighbours and yes, they are that loud. Am I missing something? It's not a dominance issue, the heat in the room is just over 20C so I doubt it's that, and the only thing I can think is that now, they have a straight line of sight (so to speak) when you're coming up the stairs. In the other room they were in like a recessed alcove behind the door, but they're right at the door in this new room and it's the door straight ahead of you coming up the stairs.

I love wheeking noises and they make me feel wanted (lol) but I don't know what's caused this sudden vocal surge and I don't know what to do about it.
 
🙉

I feel bad for my neighbours if this keeps up, Camowen's bad enough it's like he vibrates the house. I'd feel better knowing what keeps setting him off, assuming anything does. Even if it's nothing, at least I'd know.
 
Maybe they’re just having a running commentary about their new digs. Is it when you are upstairs or coming up the stairs that the chorus starts? Can they hear rustling plastic bags or anything like that?
 
Siikibam said:
Maybe they’re just having a running commentary about their new digs. Is it when you are upstairs or coming up the stairs that the chorus starts? Can they hear rustling plastic bags or anything like that?
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The first time they did it a plastic bag was involved. Well, a couple actually because they got a bagged salad for dinner but I was also throwing something else into a black bin bag at the top of the stairs. They started just before I hit the top of the first landing (not one straight staircase). I figured that was cool, it's dinner time. Louder than usual, but dinner time.

Second time, I was on the stairs because I was heading for the bathroom. No rustling noises, no obvious triggers, but they went off again. Loudly.

Third time I got up the stairs fine but decided to move the bedside cabinet as it was still in that doorway. Only when I started moving the cabinet did they get started again.

They're not doing it when I'm downstairs but there doesn't seem to be any real pattern to when they do it upstairs, and I don't know if it's just the acoustics in that room but they sound much louder than they did before they moved.
 
It may be they’re wanting to get your attention. Now they can see you/hear you more. Do the stairs creak?

The boys (99% Toffee) wheeked whenever ANY bag rustled. But funnily enough they only ever wheeked when I opened the door and my keys jingled, or I walked downstairs. Never the rest of the family. They’re clever things.
 
It might be the stairs, it might be my jeans, it might be the coats hanging at the bottom of the stairs that swish every time I go upstairs.

They're also leaving piles of poop and pee everywhere on the woodshavings. So much poop. So many pee patches.
 
I’m no expert, but could it be them just settling in?
 
See I wondered that, but they're not staying under cover. By the time I get to the door they're standing in the hay pile screeching at me. They're clearly not uncomfortable doing it and they have been in their beds (because they've been pooped in too, really boys?!). I'm leaning towards the "they can hear things better" idea because I just had to finish a bag of Doritos as quietly as possible while sitting downstairs because they got excited every time they heard the bag.
 
Lorcan said:
See I wondered that, but they're not staying under cover. By the time I get to the door they're standing in the hay pile screeching at me. They're clearly not uncomfortable doing it and they have been in their beds (because they've been pooped in too, really boys?!). I'm leaning towards the "they can hear things better" idea because I just had to finish a bag of Doritos as quietly as possible while sitting downstairs because they got excited every time they heard the bag.
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Well with the poop and the wee and the noise - I think they are still having their dirty protest - just to show you who’s in charge around there! 🤣
 
Ruth1 said:
Well with the poop and the wee and the noise - I think they are still having their dirty protest - just to show you who’s in charge around there! 🤣
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I mean, I washed some of their stuff today. I took out fleece blankets and brushed the gunk off them (onto the kitchen floor where I can sweep it up), I shook out the beds and I even turned the beds inside out to find those poops that like to get themselves snug into a crevice. I *still* had to clean up poop from the rubber seal around the washing machine door. THERE WAS NO POOP IN THAT BEDDING. Like there really, really can't have been. And yet, poop in the washing machine. :td:
 
Maybe your neighbor is eating a bag of crisps in bed and that is why the piggies are wheeking more? Or perhaps the two of them can hear you more now that they are in a new room and assume that every time they hear you is when food arrives....then again isn't that how it always works?
 
Ah, this morning is much calmer. I have to announce myself halfway up the stairs whereas I used to be able to do it just before I went in through the door but that's fair enough. Cam had his head poked out of his bed again watching me but Bann was conked out in the other bed, I could spy a bum and a chooken and nothing else lol. Normal business resumes!
 
If it's connected to sounds, they are probably associating those sounds with attention and/or food and reacting with excitement. My pigs are excited at the sound of plastic bags, but also get excited when they hear people in the kitchen because they know that sometimes after those noises they get treats... they also get treats at regular times of the day and get worked up when they know that someone is bringing them a morning snack soon or that it will soon be time to be let out to run around. In the evenings they get free time to run around and if they hear my chair creak at that time they get really excited because they know that means I'm coming to let them out.
 
Freela said:
If it's connected to sounds, they are probably associating those sounds with attention and/or food and reacting with excitement. My pigs are excited at the sound of plastic bags, but also get excited when they hear people in the kitchen because they know that sometimes after those noises they get treats... they also get treats at regular times of the day and get worked up when they know that someone is bringing them a morning snack soon or that it will soon be time to be let out to run around. In the evenings they get free time to run around and if they hear my chair creak at that time they get really excited because they know that means I'm coming to let them out.
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Yeah. Where they are now, the other sounds in the house would be louder, or more accessible. I know their hearing can be decent but there's less in the way of walls and doors to muffle the sound. I was putting a vape juice into a plastic bag earlier and they started shrieking again. What I wouldn't give for a door at the bottom of the stairs lol. Or even a wall around the banister!
 
Mine squeak at the fridge door opening, my foot steps, rustling bags, veg being chopped on the chopping board, my voice sometimes haha... The list goes on. They just sound happy piggies to me.
 
Honestly if I'd realised they might be able to hear downstairs noises better when I moved them, I'd've thought twice about giving them that room lol. I'm trying to cut threads for braids and of course threads are in plastic bags or wrappings. Got no peace at all 🙉 :))
 
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