When To Start Lap Time & Floor Time?

[SBilling88]

Hi.
I got my two sows, Pip & Tulip, 9-10 weeks old, yesterday.
I've been told different things so would like your opinions please?
I'm willing to be as patient as possible to tame my piggies and get them comfortable.
But when is the best time to start lap time and indoor floor time in their playpen?
I don't want to rush and scare them, but I'm unsure on when to start as they're going to be scared for a while I imagine?
Thankyou. Steph.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi.
I got my two sows, Pip & Tulip, 9-10 weeks old, yesterday.
I've been told different things so would like your opinions please?
I'm willing to be as patient as possible to tame my piggies and get them comfortable.
But when is the best time to start lap time and indoor floor time in their playpen?
I don't want to rush and scare them, but I'm unsure on when to start as they're going to be scared for a while I imagine?
Thankyou. Steph.

Hi and welcome!

You may find our extensive tips on how to best settle in, pick up and interact with your new guinea pigs helpful. Please give them time to get their bearings in their new surroundings first. I would recommend to start lap time once your piggies are comfy with your presence and ideally pick food from your hand, which means that they have started trusting you.
Again, wait with run time until your guinea pigs are confident in their cage before introducing yet some new and potentially dangerous territory. sprinkle the run with hideys (cardboard boxes, stools tunnels etc., about 1 ft apart) from which they can explore the run and if necessary, peg a towel or blanket over the top to give them a feeling of safety at first.

You can find the relevant tips and much more in our starter kit for new owners, which you may find helpful.
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners

 

[Celine298]

For the first week I would take my little guy out in a towel for lap time a couple of times a day (depending on how stressed he seemed). I also purposely kept him in our living room so he would get used to the daily movements and sounds of the house. I also talked to him a lot so he would get used to my voice. After that I would put a throw on the sofa and let him run around the length of it,providing cushions for hidies. We moved him onto the floor when he began looking over the edge of the sofa... we took his lead

Every pig is different so my best advice is take it slowly, with little baby steps, week by week and watch how they react. It took my guy quite a while to adjust because he was on his own, but with two pigs it might be quicker. They may feel safer because they are a pair

 

[Solspiggies]

Hi! Welcome, I'm a newbie too! And am in a similar situation as you, I've had my two girls for a month now, they are three months old now. When I first got them I just let them be for a couple of days, didn't approach them much only for spot cleaning, changing water and placing food down in the morning and afternoon.
Then I started sitting by their cage after placing their veggies down and reading my book, after a few days they would come out and eat in my presence.
Next was putting food through the cage and they would sniff me grab the food and run. Then they would call me for food, look up over the coroplast calling for me, that's when I thought it would be time for my first lap time, to get there took about two weeks.
My first lap time was a disaster as I struggled and stressed them out trying to catch both of them, and once on my lap they fought to get away from me and growelled at each other, so after no more than 2 minutes I put them back and didn't try again for two days, gaining back their confidence with my previous routine.
Once I decided to try again I did with one at a time and that worked best for them, they didn't move or eat any treats I had but at least they didn't growl and were not PETRIFIED, I did this every day until they started taking food on my lap, parsley and coriander are great!
Then I started with lap time with both of them together and once they both felt comfortable eating together on my lap I started petting them as they ate. Once they look fed up and want to leave I put them back, around 5 to 10minutes of lap time I've managed so far.
Now they let me pet them in their cage when they are hidding and they don't completely resist being picked up, getting them to hop into a snuggle sack is better. And putting them back in the snuggle sack in the cage is good too.
All of this has taken me around one month
I tried floor time yesterday for a few minutes, it went OK, they explored and ate herbs before completely hidding. Might try again in a few days.
So basically just wanted to share more or less how it's going for me and the time it's taken me to get this far, fells like a little step in progress.
Today I let my two young daughters have their 1st lap time...,!
Baby steps!
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Ati Ebrahimi]

I think it's different from one piggy to the other, my Shelly came out of the cage his second day at home! he isn't that shy so I started everything from the get go, & he is being responsive & has started to communicate with me. he isn't ready for lap time though, I've read the more you do it or at least attempt to d it the easier it gets for them.

 

[SBilling88]

Everyone.... You have been so so helpful! & it's lovely to hear about your piggies (& your daughters Solspiggies I have two daughters myself.)
I'm going to just follow their lead and see what happens.
They are both terrified of me still, 1 is a little braver than the other though.
I was so excited last night because I was watching them in their hutch from the living room and Tulip was popcorning!!
They are both not eating a great deal - is this normal as they are in new surroundings?
I'm hoping they are nibbling on the hay.

 

[Tiamolly123]

Hi! Welcome, I'm a newbie too! And am in a similar situation as you, I've had my two girls for a month now, they are three months old now. When I first got them I just let them be for a couple of days, didn't approach them much only for spot cleaning, changing water and placing food down in the morning and afternoon.
Then I started sitting by their cage after placing their veggies down and reading my book, after a few days they would come out and eat in my presence.
Next was putting food through the cage and they would sniff me grab the food and run. Then they would call me for food, look up over the coroplast calling for me, that's when I thought it would be time for my first lap time, to get there took about two weeks.
My first lap time was a disaster as I struggled and stressed them out trying to catch both of them, and once on my lap they fought to get away from me and growelled at each other, so after no more than 2 minutes I put them back and didn't try again for two days, gaining back their confidence with my previous routine.
Once I decided to try again I did with one at a time and that worked best for them, they didn't move or eat any treats I had but at least they didn't growl and were not PETRIFIED, I did this every day until they started taking food on my lap, parsley and coriander are great!
Then I started with lap time with both of them together and once they both felt comfortable eating together on my lap I started petting them as they ate. Once they look fed up and want to leave I put them back, around 5 to 10minutes of lap time I've managed so far.
Now they let me pet them in their cage when they are hidding and they don't completely resist being picked up, getting them to hop into a snuggle sack is better. And putting them back in the snuggle sack in the cage is good too.
All of this has taken me around one month
I tried floor time yesterday for a few minutes, it went OK, they explored and ate herbs before completely hidding. Might try again in a few days.
So basically just wanted to share more or less how it's going for me and the time it's taken me to get this far, fells like a little step in progress.
Today I let my two young daughters have their 1st lap time...,!
Baby steps!
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

View attachment 51261

Happy piggies

 

[Ati Ebrahimi]

Everyone.... You have been so so helpful! & it's lovely to hear about your piggies (& your daughters Solspiggies I have two daughters myself.)
I'm going to just follow their lead and see what happens.
They are both terrified of me still, 1 is a little braver than the other though.
I was so excited last night because I was watching them in their hutch from the living room and Tulip was popcorning!
They are both not eating a great deal - is this normal as they are in new surroundings?
I'm hoping they are nibbling on the hay.

I don't know how long it takes for you but my Shelly wasn't eating much for the first 2 days. I'm lucky that he is such a foodie, once you give him veggies he lets you do pretty much anything to him

 

[SBilling88]

Oh my god! The best thing has just happened! I've been sat by the hutch for the past hour nearly.
Tulip ate curly kale from my hand!! & Pip (the shyer of the two) ate food out of her bowl while I was sat there . Tulip nearly sniffed my hand too!
I was so excited. I only did it to start the process. I thought that wouldn't happen for weeks! Yaaaay

 

[Tiamolly123]

View attachment 51296 View attachment 51295 View attachment 51294 View attachment 51293 Oh my god! The best thing has just happened! I've been sat by the hutch for the past hour nearly.
Tulip ate curly kale from my hand! & Pip (the shyer of the two) ate food out of her bowl while I was sat there . Tulip nearly sniffed my hand too!
I was so excited. I only did it to start the process. I thought that wouldn't happen for weeks! Yaaaay

Well done to you & you piggies, they give so much back

 

[SBilling88]

So I've had two days of one of the piggies eating from my hand - the other is still too scared. Had them 5 days in total.
Should I attempt to handle them yet, to get them used to it? Or wait a couple more days?

 

[Ati Ebrahimi]

So I've had two days of one of the piggies eating from my hand - the other is still too scared. Had them 5 days in total.
Should I attempt to handle them yet, to get them used to it? Or wait a couple more days?

I picked sheldon up on his third day, and I've had him for 7days now. on the first few time he was really scared now he sits on my chest & even eats some veggies while being there. Personally I pick him up often maybe 2-3 times a day & I pet him for 5-10minutes 3-4 times a day. every time he is picked up after wards he gets a treat, I can feel he is less scared now.

 

[sport_billy]

Will the more timid one eat from you hand if you put your hand in the house with food? Is that Pip?

it can take a while to fully gain your trust. Putt wouldn't eat from our hand for around 6 months. Keep working at it you are doing great. Tulip and Pip are beauties

 

[SBilling88]

Thankyou both. I thought I'd go for it.
Put them both in a box and held each for 5 minutes. They were both very scared, but they both sat in my lap in a blanket.
Tulip wouldn't eat from me and was burying herself in the blanket. But she was making some noises - not sure what they were?
Pip was very scared but once in my lap sat beautifully and ate veggies from my hand.
Yes, pip is the more timid one.
However; I noticed something on tulip whilst doing a health check ... Very worried it's ringworm. What do you think?