Training Piggies to Drink from Water Bottle?

[Ashleigh825]

I have both a water bottle and a water bowl for my piggies that both get cleaned out and replaced daily (the bowl sometimes gets cleaned several times a day because it gets icky quickly).

Both my pigs are drinking from the water bowl instead of the bottle but I'd prefer if they drank from the bottle since the bottle water stays clean longer and is not as much of a hassle to keep cleaning out.

I bought them from a pet store where they had no water bottle and were drinking out of a water bowl, instead. My piggies will sniff at their water bottle, but will not drink from it, always going for the bowl. Is there a way I can teach them how to switch to the bottle so I can eventually take out the bowl that gets icky about a dozen times a day?

 

[Glynis]

Hi I tried to teach our boys to drink from bottle but they wouldn't!
Try offering bottle whilst in your lap maybe put a little juice in the end so it encourages them. Usually they learn from other piggies.
I still have both in my girls house as Onyx uses the bowl whereas Velvet loves her bottle.
Ahhh they're such characters aren't they
I'm sure someone will suggest something else too when they see your thread tomoro

 

[Glynis]

Sorry on mobile so a few spelling mistakes oooos!

 

[ajb]

They don't normally need teaching. If you are worried, take the water bowl out and give them some dry food, so they will want to drink, some time when you will be there and will hear them having a go at the bottle.

 

[Ashleigh825]

Thanks for the advice. They're both terrified to go near me so I opted to take out the water bowl and just leave the bottle with hay and pellets. I'll watch them tonight to see if they figure out how to use the bottle when they're thirsty, but if it doesn't happen, the bowl will go back in. I don't want my babies getting dehydrated, after all.

 

[Ashleigh825]

Just an update: I've taken out the water bowl and just left the bottle next to their food (where the bowl used to be) and it's been that way for a few hours now. While they continue to munch away on their pellets and hay, they have yet to touch the water bottle and normally, they nibble a bit, then immediately gulp down some water, then nibble, then drink and just repeat that cycle.

 

[Kestrel]

Try pressing your finger against the tip of the water bottle to make sure it's working. If it is, touch the water on your finger to their lips, then back to the bottle, then to their lips again. It's worked with some of my rabbits, so it's worth a try, but sometimes they are just determined to use their bowls! If the bowl keeps getting yucky, you can move it away from the food so they can't dump hay into it or anything of the like.

 

[Ashleigh825]

Thanks Kestrel! Just a few minutes or so after I last updated, Dean discovered how to work the water bottle and now can't get enough of it! Sam on the other hand is staring at his brother like "Do you know how stupid you look doing that right now? {:|" and hasn't attempted to touch it. Hopefully, Sam will decide to follow his brother's example.

 

[Kestrel]

Well, I'm glad Dean figured it out! I hope Sam does the same.

 

[Ashleigh825]

Yay! Sam just started drinking from the water bottle! xx>>>

It was so cute because the whole time, Dean was running around in circles near Sam and jumping about, then as soon as Sam finished, Dean jumped right in to have a drink. It was almost as if he was saying "Hey, quit hogging it! I want some, too!"

Goodness, I haven't had guinea pigs for a full 48 hours yet and I already adore them. They're so spunky. x)

 

[WDMMBT]

I'm glad to hear that they've learnt how to use the waterbottle.

Guinea-pigs smell water so when they're thirsty they know where to go

 

[Sharon.Mackay]

Thanks Kestrel! Just a few minutes or so after I last updated, Dean discovered how to work the water bottle and now can't get enough of it! Sam on the other hand is staring at his brother like "Do you know how stupid you look doing that right now? {:|" and hasn't attempted to touch it. Hopefully, Sam will decide to follow his brother's example.

Hee hee this made me laugh. I just love their little pigsonalities!

 

[ajb]

Thats funny. It's normally considered a good idea to have one bottle per pig, though. I don't know how necessary it is; it just says so in all the books.