A week later...

[mpsmt28]

Hi again! Today marks my piggies' one week anniversary with my family! Yahoo.

A few things I noticed...

They still get scared when being picked up. They run around like crazy while being picked up, but once settle down in our laps, they are fine. They love floor time and hardly poop or pee when not in their cage. How long does it take before they actually either calm down or even run up to us when we're about to pick them up? Are there some piggies who act this way FOREVER? Just curious.

Another thing, they wheek and chirp A LOT! They even make little "snorting" sounds which become more evident when I sit and watch them at night...when it's quiet and all the kids are in bed. But what exactly is popcorning? My boars are a little on the calm side, so I know they are older. They don't act as hyper, and are VERY VERY giving and tolerant of each other. They share, they sleep in the same pigloo (they have 2) and just totally rely on each other for everything. Could they still popcorn at this age? I am so curious about what that looks like. Heehee.

Thanks!

[Mutty]

Hi mp. Piggies usually popcorn alot when they are young, but my Boofhead still popcorns sometimes, just not as often now that he is older (4 years old)

Popcorning is when they sort of jump in the air and run around ,jumping and shaking their bodies. It is so wonderful to see. (Sort of jumping for joy) like little children do when they are happy.

Boofhead sometimes popcorns when we give him his favorite food. Also because Beanie is so young (18 mths old) He popcorns all the time and when Boofhead feels him doing it, he copies. (I say feels because Boofhead has impaired vision)

I hope that your piggies popcorn for you.

[pigsforlife]

A seizure in mid-air is the best way that I can explain popcorning. I have seen all of my girls popcorn at some point, although Lily popcorns the most.

Some guinea pigs never calm or settle down to the point of running to you, they are prey animals and this should be kept in mind. I would think that your boys will settle down a fair bit, especially as they get older, how calm they actually get I do not know.

[mpsmt28]

Oh wow! Guinea pigs juming in mid-air...wiggling, dancing, the whole nine yards???? I NEVER KNEW THAT!!!!! I have got to see that. I will absolutely die if I ever see my piggies popcorn. That has got to be an amazing sight. HAHAHAHAA! I cannot get over it. Does anyone have a video? I just really want to see it. Thank you!

[mpsmt28]

I went to YouTube and saw clips of popcorning piggies. Its sooo cute!

Anyway, I was looking at the other clips there and seriously want to email some of the owners to tell them to move their piggies to bigger cages. And this woman was bathing her piggie in the sink and his legs were getting sucked down the drain because apparently, she had the faucet running and didn't bother to draw a bath instead. Granted the piggie will not get sucked down the drain, couldn't that also be a potential hazard to his/her feet? I could be wrong, but he just looked a little uncomfortable in that sink. There was another clip that had a dead piggie in the cage and the other pigs (one in particular was so sad) saying their "goodbyes"! Okay, that was a very disturbing clip. Well there's a lot of guinea pig action on YouTube, if you wanna check it out. Just type "guinea pig".

[Foggycreek]

How long does it take before they actually either calm down or even run up to us when we're about to pick them up? Are there some piggies who act this way FOREVER? Just curious.

I know very few pigs who actually run up to be picked up. In fact, even though a couple of mine will come over to be petted, the minute you attempt to pick them up they are outa there!

[etplante]

If my pigs ever stopped trying to escape when I reached for them I'd be worried they were sick.

[mpsmt28]

Oh that's good to know!!! Thank you for the reassurance. I thought we were doing something wrong.

[Lady Chutterly]

Originally Posted by mpsmt28

And this woman was bathing her piggie in the sink and his legs were getting sucked down the drain because apparently, she had the faucet running and didn't bother to draw a bath instead. Granted the piggie will not get sucked down the drain, couldn't that also be a potential hazard to his/her feet?

I haven't seen that one, but the thought of little piggy feet slipping around in a sink bothers me, too. I bathed my babies in the sink when they were little, but we always had the drain closed and put a towel in the bottom. I don't bathe them near as often anymore anyway.

You're right, that one with the deceased piggy is disturbing. Very sad.

But I just love guinea pig behavior! We have a little 7 year old here and when the cavies are having floor time, they will form a "piggy train" right behind her and follow those little feet wherever she goes! If she stops, they start wandering off, but when she moves again, they line up behind her and follow. They don't follow anyone else's feet like that. It's a scream! We call it "piggy training."

[Upinthehills]

Mine run from "The Hand" when it's trying to pick them up, but are perfectly content once they're being held. We have to remember that these are prey animals and anything coming down to grab them from above will instinctively be something to run away from. One of mine does run over to get pets, but once my hand goes toward his belly he wheeks and takes off running.

Mine talk to each other a lot, too. They make little burbling and squeaking noises that I'm sure means something important in pigland.

I don't know how old your kids are, but mine are 9 and 10. They love bedtime because they each choose a pig then lie down with the pig on a towel, on their chests. (The kid's chests, not the pigs) I then read bedtime stories as they pet a pig. It's a really good way to get kids eager for bed and to get them to calm down immediately so they're ready for a pig.