Piggy Gone

[jolovespiggies]

I am so very sad to say that we had to have Mrs lacy-Jane Cuddle-Hugs put to sleep this morning. She was behaving very strangely and wouldn't eat her cucumber which is unheard of. Paul took her to the vet and she apparently had ovarian cancer and the vet said it is amazing has she has lived as long as she had.

Poor Merlin looks so lost so we will now be looking for a partner for him and introduce them slowly. She was a very good age, about 10 but we still miss her to bits.

Hugs
JO xx

[bazookagoof]

Jo, I am sorry for your loss.

I hope you can get another piggy soon. Ten years is an impressive record, I think.

[Bean]

Oh Jo, I'm gutted to read this - what terribly sad news.

What an amazing age though, I bet you have so any fantastic memories of Lacy-Jane, but she must leave such a massive hole behind. Take care of yourself and sleep tight Lacy-Jane. xxx

[Whimsy]

I'm sorry for your loss. It must be so hard when it happens so quickly, but at least she had a great, long life :-)

[jolovespiggies]

Thank you darlings for your kind words, they mean so much at times like this.

Hugs
JO xx

[Bean]

Hope you are okay Jo. And big hugs to Merlin too, with him being a nervous little chap, I'm sure Lacy-Jane really helped reassure him, so I hope he's not too on edge. xx

[3piggles]

I'm so sorry Hugs to you and Merlin I hope you can find the right match for Merlin, once he finishes mourning. Popcorn free, little guinea girl

[jolovespiggies]

Thank you my darlings for such kind messages. I am not too bad at the moment although grief comes in waves. I am more concerned about little Merley, he looks so lost. He is eating and drinking though which I am grateful for. It makes a huge difference to have friends at these times, I love you all.

Hugs
JO xx

[Bean]

Glad Merley is eating and drinking okay. I'm sure he will be a bit more skittish without a pal, but despite how he reacts to stuff, he knows he's safe and loved with you - and well fed! Glad you are doing okay. xxx

[3piggles]

Right now, you're his only family. Give him lots of love, and you'll all get through the hardest part of the mourning, faster. Let the tears flow. Lots of hugs.

[jolovespiggies]

Thank you ladies for your kind words and support and I am pleased to say that little Merley is continuing to eat and drunk. He was cleaned out tonight and I held him whilst Paul did it and he was so very frightened. He has always been skittish and considering he has been on his own twice, it is not surprising. We had a lovely cuddle, the "lovely" bit being for me and not he I strongly suspect lol!

Hugs
JO xx

[3piggles]

It doesn't sound as if he's had much chance to really socialize with people, probably because he's really prefers piggy company. Even those hold outs can be socialized enough to not fear being picked up and held. They may not look forward to it, but if you give him lots of snuggles until you find him a good friend, he should open up. He just has to learn to trust people as much as he trusts piggies

[jolovespiggies]

Thank you very much for that Piggles hunni, I will give him lots of cuddles but I will have to ask Paul to catch him. He is such a pretty little by, black and tan with a rosette on his head which looks like a little hat. Zero luck on finding a friend at the moment but we will keep trying.

Hugs
JO xx

[Bean]

Maybe you could put him in a smaller cage for the day, a cage you can pop up next to you on the sofa when you're having a day where you'll be around a lot. Then you can get to him on your own and give him so much attention, he runs out of energy to be nervous of you!

I'm sure the right piggy will turn up at the right time. I know it feels really urgent when you have one on their own, but he'll be fine for a while. Glad you had a good cuddle with him, even if he's yet to learn to enjoy it as much as you!

[3piggles]

Catching piggies is the part that makes them afraid of people, as being chased by hands is like being chased by a predator. Their instincts put them into flight mode, and when you finally do catch them, they're often so terrorized, they can't enjoy the snuggle session.

Try using a conveyance of some kind, a cuddle cup or a cardboard box, maybe an overturned pigloo, and put it where he pretty much has to climb into it. Then lift him out in the conveyance. If you have a top on your cage, it should be removable. Just undo the clips holding the top to the sides. Then you can easily get a conveyance into the cage, slowly move it toward him so he can see it coming, and let him get in for a fun ride. That may be all he needs to stop fearing the people, and to be able to enjoy being with you

[jolovespiggies]

Oh ladies, I am so sorry I missed this. Yes I have been picking him up in his cuddle cup or Paul has but he is just not happy sitting with me, it is as if he is petrified. that is a great idea Piggles hunni but we don't have anything like that or the room on the settee for it. I do leave him in his cuddle cup sometimes once he is on my lap but I don't feel as if I am getting anywhere with him. This is another reason why I would like to choose a piggy this time, so I can bring him up to be friendly and get used to being handled. All of mine apart from the babies we have have had have been rescues and most have been nervous. Ha ha Bean love, I am absolutely positive that he does not enjoy cuddles as much as I do lol!!

You are right Piggles hun, it is the chase which frightens these little ones so I wait until he is in his cup. I do need to buy some more actually as our Mr Darcy chewed the bottoms out of the ones we have so we have to be careful when lifting.

Thank you so much for your kind help and advice, I will keep you posted.

Loads of hugs
Jo xx

[3piggles]

Try putting a small towel over the cuddle cup, so he can hide inside. Leave it over him while you hold him, so he knows he can hide if he wants, when he's with you. My Harlequin loved to go in and out of the carrier, burrow under the towel for a bit, then come back out and play some more. It just provides an escape for pigs who feel a need to escape.

I'm not saying this is going to make him feel fine about being picked up. It almost sounds as if he's had some abuse in the past. There may have been a cat, dog or child who was constantly trying to get through the cage bars to get him, so he only feels safe in the cage. If he can feel safe outside the cage, he can start to enjoy his outings. It may not happen, but you can gently pet him through the towel, so he knows you're there, but doesn't have to be exposed. Doesn't hurt to try.

[wyvernsmile]

So sorry to read about your sweet piggy!