Piggie Anxiety And A Stalker Animal

[SirCharles]

So my pig Charlie is about a year old and has been the calmest little guy I've ever met. My partner and I moved two months ago and it seemed like he was fine after the initial adjustment but in the past two weeks he's been wheeking more and more and getting less and less willing to come out of his cage, even for lap time with dad. There might be a couple of factors at work here, he's been getting aggressive towards me as well, our current theory on this is that I'm only at home 3 days a week since I'm still a student, so he feels abandoned. But there's an additional problem of a stalker cat. We live in a basement apartment with windows at waist height, and I swear that every time I turn around there is this feral cat outside the window. He'll scamper off if my partner sticks his head out the window, but we've regularly found the cat outside the door to the apartment and are worried that he's been scratching on the door all day and that Charlie has been able to hear/smell him and this is what's been throwing him into hysterics.

It's gotten so bad that this weekend Charlie wouldn't stop shrieking even after been petted (in the cage) and fed, until we had shut the cage door, which we've never done regularly in the past. In about two weeks we'll be moving again to an apartment on the second floor, so hopefully the cat thing will be less of a problem, but he'll have a whole new environment to adjust to. Is there potentially another issue at hand here? What can we do to calm the poor guy down when dad works full time (but comes home for cuddles at lunch time) and mom disappears from Monday morning to Friday mid-day?

 

[Tbag]

Hi, welcome to the forum!

My initial reaction would be that he is missing company of his own kind - piggies are very social animals and love to have a buddy, no matter how much 'hooman' fuss they get! As you've got a boy your options are to attempt boar-bonding him with another male pig which has its difficulties, or getting him neutered and pairing him with one or more ladyfriends.

The recent move and cat could be factors in his unsettled behavior too but the fact he seems to be distressed when you handle him could point towards a skin condition or another illness causing him some discomfort. I'm sure more knowledgeable members will be along soon to troubleshoot but I'd say a vet trip just to check his general health wouldn't be a bad idea!

 

[sport_billy]

Welcome to the forum to you and Charlie, I am in agreement with T-bag that this could be a loneliness issue. Has he always been on his own? TBag may have something in the skin issue also, it doesn't look dandruff at all does it?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! If a piggy suddenly doesn't like being handled, it is worth making sure that mange mites are not the cause. They have a tendency to hit whenever the immune system is somewhat lowered, either by illness or by stress. Please see a vet for a proper diagnosis or use a good quality high dosed product like xeno 450 for three rounds at the recommended interval. Shop brands are too low dosed for proper treatment; they are only intended for the prevention of mites.
here is our piggy savvy vet locator: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

How far away is the cage from the window? Guinea pigs only see well to about 1-2 feet away, after that they only react to sudden movements.Can he see the cat clearly at all times or could there be another reason for his change of behaviour?

Hopefully, you could consider looking for a companion for him in the long term. There are several good standard piggy savvy rescues in your wider area. Some of them offer boar dating at the rescue, so you only come home with a new companion if there has been success. here is our recommended rescues locator: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/pages/guinea-pig-rescue-locator/

Please weigh charles at leas tonce weekly at the same time of the day to make sure that his weight is stable.

 

[adelhide]

its possible, tho i know people will disagree with me, that the cat has given him fleas. and he is in itchy pain. i've had cat fleas before they are way tiny. look like a little tiny black line and sting more than itch. hearing the cat could also have made him upset, try soundproofing the windows?
hope he gets happier soon, good luck with studies

 

[Treacle]

There are things, like citrus and pepper that cats do not like, use something like that outside to deter the cat. I have kept piggies and cats together for years and in my experience a fully grown piggy has never worried about a cat.

 

[Lecie89]

Your piggie needs a friend for sure. Btw, my big brother lives in Cleveland , and I also know in this part of the country it's hard to find rescues at least in my experience. But if you happen to find one you could see if there's an already spayed sow there or you could try boar dates.
Also, my little old neighbor used to get annoyed with her cat getting on the furniture so shed sprinkle a little tabasco sauce on a paper towel and put it where she didn't want the cat to go because I believe they don't even like the scent of it.