Rescue piggy - still nervous

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debbierudd

debbierudd

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i will probably answer my own questions here - but would like to hear any similar stories.

about 4 months ago i rescued a piggy (sookie) who had had an awful start in life, i got her to keep my other piggy, trixie, company (her companion sadly passed away).

sookie is incredibly nervous, although she has calmed down a lot - she will still do anything at all to get away from yuo if you try to approach her or pick her up. once you get her she is ok-ish, but it is so stressful for us both when trying to pick her up. i have accepted that she will always be a little bit skittish and i understand completely, but wondered if this behavious is normal. i still love her to bits, and she gets on fine with trixie - just wondered if theres anything else i can do?

environment wise they live in luxury - a massive homemade 2 level cage, always clean, fresh food, water etc so i know she isnt unhappy with her surroundings!

any similar stories out there?
 
one of my boys, chip, is the same, he has been with me for about 6 months now and is still very very nervous, he has only just started taking food from my hand through the cage this week. very slow progress, but we're getting there. its sooo rewarding though when we have these little breakthroughs! :))
I just talk to him a lot really!
 
Llewelyn has been with me for over two years. It has taken a very long time to get past his extremely well developed survival instincts, but we have got there eventually. He still doesn't like being handled, though!

At the moment, I'm working on Taffy, who was the most nervous of a lot of 50 rescue pigges. She has come on a lot since she joined me at the end of August, but I think in months rather than days or weeks and enjoy every little success - there is still a lot of work left!

Persevere and be patient - you are doing a good job!
 
I have one like this from a rescue and I have been pondering the same thing today. I am going to guess it will take a while longer. She's very scared still even though like yours she lives in luxury. She's lived here 5 months so far and I am hoping by a year she will be more relaxed.
 
thanks all. i think the key is definitely patience, you're right about the little breakthroughs though, they make it all worthwhile.
 
I have a girl like that too (live snake feed rescue). I've had her for almost 3 months and she won't even eat her favurite veggies while I hold her, she's that scared still. Catcing her is tricky too. I now do it quickly, usually by cornering her with a towel or so (because she's sneaky, fast and slippery!) thinking it will stress her less.

I just try to spend a lot of time around the cage and I try to make her take veggies from my hand (she does it in the cage). The rescue just told me to handle her lots so I try to :). Nice to know there are others in the same situation.
 
skrikopanik said:
I have a girl like that too (live snake feed rescue). I've had her for almost 3 months and she won't even eat her favurite veggies while I hold her, she's that scared still. Catcing her is tricky too. I now do it quickly, usually by cornering her with a towel or so (because she's sneaky, fast and slippery!) thinking it will stress her less.

I just try to spend a lot of time around the cage and I try to make her take veggies from my hand (she does it in the cage). The rescue just told me to handle her lots so I try to :). Nice to know there are others in the same situation.
Click to expand...

My girl accepts the veggies - just started but isn't as comfortable taking food off you when she's on your lap.
 
debbierudd said:
i will probably answer my own questions here - but would like to hear any similar stories.

about 4 months ago i rescued a piggy (sookie) who had had an awful start in life, i got her to keep my other piggy, trixie, company (her companion sadly passed away).

sookie is incredibly nervous, although she has calmed down a lot - she will still do anything at all to get away from yuo if you try to approach her or pick her up. once you get her she is ok-ish, but it is so stressful for us both when trying to pick her up. i have accepted that she will always be a little bit skittish and i understand completely, but wondered if this behavious is normal. i still love her to bits, and she gets on fine with trixie - just wondered if theres anything else i can do?

environment wise they live in luxury - a massive homemade 2 level cage, always clean, fresh food, water etc so i know she isnt unhappy with her surroundings!

any similar stories out there?
Click to expand...

DOn't forget that rescue 'pigs have possibly had a very bad life and could scar them for life!
 
I though I would just post a little bit of an update on Sookie and her scared little ways.

She has now been with me for about 8 months, and she has made so much progress.

Sookie will still run away if you try to catch her, but I have noticed its only when there is something for her to hide in! I took out the little pigloo's for a minute, and Sookie let me fuss her in the cage, even purring a few times so I know she wasnt frightened! I have put the pigloos back in since, because I think its important that she has somewhere to hide if she feels it necessary.

She is much, much easier most of the time to catch - the key is being quick. Sometimes she *** bolt into her pigloo, i just take the lid off and get her out, then within seconds she is lazing on my shouldger and chest having a little looks-see and sniff! She loves cuddles now, and relaxes so much that she stretches out her back legs, and her eyes look all heavy when you storke her head!

She will never be a confident piggy, but thats fine - she is happy and content, and I have found ways to work with her to make things less stressful for both.

Proof that with time and dedication, things turn out well!

:)
 
I've found that all three pet-shop bought guinea pigs I've had were like that. At first Lola and Sukie (almost same name!) were really scared and stressed out. They didn't like to be held so I didn't catch them much or pick them up unless I had to. I think that's important as it stresses them more. If I have to catch them then I try to do it as quickly as possible with little fuss, without chasing them all around the place, because it makes them more scared I think.

But after looking after them for a few weeks they got brave enough to come out into the run and squeak at me for food! Now if I put my fingers through the bars then they'll come up and sniff them.

I find the best way to tame them, is not to pick them up and take them out, but if you have somewhere they can run around safely, then to sit with them, while they run around, and let them come to you. The girls will run around me and jump onto my legs and all. :) Now when I pick them up Sukie will squeak happily when I rub her, and Lola will stay quiet, but she used to growl at me! So quiet is better than that. :) She also likes getting her nose rubbed.

I think just sitting quietly with them, with some nice treats, and talking softly to them is the way to go. :)

It's great that your Sookie is getting friendlier and I'm sure she'll be a really nice friendly pig soon
 
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