|
Post by 3piggles on Feb 15, 2009 22:06:21 GMT
What Val posted says it all so well. I don't think it's necessarily about pigs that have techincally shared a cage, just not able to get to each other. I think the idea of swapping their cages is good. That way each will live in the other pig's scent, and get used to that scent. They won't really be strangers anymore.
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 15, 2009 22:20:05 GMT
Hi weesilvie! I sure hope that the buddy bath works for you. My intros have gone soooo smoothly, that I almost feel guilty that you are having such a hard time of it with your lot. I'm sure it will get better though, so don't give up. Can you tell if it is only one piggy who is being stubborn? I did run across that with Wookiee and Miss PP Lily. At first I thought Miss PP Lily was going to be the boss pig but now I'm not so sure. When I placed them all into the new cage for the first time it appeared to me that Wookiee was trying to take over and Miss PP Lily did back down. Miss Piggy seems to be the most passive pig and has already taken her spot as "low pig" on the totem pole. I don't know if this is possible or not but I'm thinking that when the pigs are inside, that Wookiee may be the boss pig but that when they are outside, that Miss PP Lily may be the boss pig there? Is that even possible? Good luck anyway! I hope things improve.
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 15, 2009 22:51:38 GMT
I tried again today, pretty much as described and they're still not having it! The problem seems to be Woolly and Rory - I think Woolly wants to be top pig and sees Rory as her competition. Rory doesn't seem bothered one way or the other but is quick to defend himself when Woolly has a go! She had mouthfuls of his fur again and they were getting round to flying at each other. Bingo does the teeth chattering and is defensive but isn't overly aggressive. Winnie just runs around squeaking! So they're back in the big cage with the divider again. I will keep trying - mebbes until the weather gets good enough that I can try it outside! And Val, I am thinking that it's not that my introductions are not going smoothly, they're just taking longer. Glass is always half full! I enjoyed the baths though. I used a previously unused cat litter tray. Think I got almost as wet as they did! Only Rory managed to tolerate the hair dryer longer than about 10 seconds - and even then, not much longer! So I put the fire on full blast in the living room and let them run around in their baskets right in front of it until I'd cleaned the cage and they were almost dry. Used the 4 oil shampoo - lovely! Thanks all for the encouragement though - I'll keep trying!
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 15, 2009 23:03:03 GMT
Think I got almost as wet as they did! That made me chuckle! I know what you mean there my friend, I had to even change my shirt this last go around bathing 4 pigs! lol
|
|
|
Post by 3piggles on Feb 16, 2009 2:41:15 GMT
Hehehe, I can relate to the bath issues. I wash mine in the bathtub, as as I towel dry each one and put them on the floor, the run behind the toilet, no matter how well I blocked it off. I gave up on trying to chase them around with the hairdryer, and put them in a basket on towels to keep them generally in the flow of warm air.
I really hope the introductions go well and soon, so you can relax with your herd.
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 16, 2009 3:48:58 GMT
My Miss GeeGee is so used to me blowing her hair dry, she hardly is fussy at all about it. She just kind of snuggles into my lap and lets me go at her.
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 16, 2009 18:23:11 GMT
I did consider using the bath but I just don't think my bathroom is the right shape, nor is it big enough - the toilet is right beside the bath and I have a rigid shower screen along half of it. I think I'd have to get in with them, and you have to draw the line somewhere! And I don't know if it's just the nice soft Scottish water here, but you really don't need much shampoo - I only realised after I'd put too much on Bingo, the first to get dunked, and I'd had to rinse her endlessly!
|
|
|
Post by newpig on Feb 16, 2009 18:34:04 GMT
Just catching up with all your intro troubles. I like your view that they are just taking longer.
Good luck with the next attempt and maybe outside will help as well.
I use a big tub sold as a laundry basket for bathing the piggys. Even at that Chocolate has managed to jump out and we caught him full slippery leap. That piggy can jump - the tub is about 1ft high.
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 17, 2009 20:53:48 GMT
I swapped them round in the cage again last night - Rory was showing off the very best of his rumbling skills! That pig can rumble for Britain - reckon he could be a world and Olympic champ! My mum and sister are coming to stay in a couple of weeks which means I get the sofa for a few nights - just a few feet away from the pigs. Think I'll invest in some earplugs!
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 17, 2009 21:03:02 GMT
weesilvie for some reason I thought all your piggies were sows, but now I see Rory is a boar. Excuse me, I'm old! lol Are the other three sows? I have no knowledge of this, but a few members say that adding a boar in with several sows makes a wonderful herd. I sure hope your lot settle in soon so you can enjoy watching them and have less worry. When do we finally get to see some pigtures? I'm waiting! *tap tap*
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 17, 2009 21:59:27 GMT
;DHere's a picture of their cage set up with the divider down the middle. Please excuse the state of the rest of the room, me and housework don't always get on too well! Val - yes, Rory is a boy pig and the rest are girls. I do hope that together they will be a wonderful herd, at some point in the not too distant future. Will post more photos tomorrow. Dunno if it's my computer or the website, but photobucket is SOOOOO SLOW at downloading tonight. And I think sitting in the hay racks must be a girl thing - Winnie is doing it as well now (Woolly and Bingo have always done it) - good job I've got another couple on order from zooplus! And a quick tip for anyone in the UK who's interested - my nice wooden hayracks, as seen in the photo, are half price, £3.98 or something just now, (or they were at the weekend!)
|
|
|
Post by piggiepop on Feb 17, 2009 23:56:58 GMT
Great c&c cage!
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 18, 2009 0:01:27 GMT
Aw that is a GREAT cage! I will show it to my son. How is it for you to bend and stretch to the farthest corner there in the back? That is my only concern since my cage sits up much higher than yours...mine is table height. I really don't want to reduce the size of my cage. The piggies love it, but it has to function well for me too. Right now, I'm standing on a step stool to reach in, and that is not the way to go for long term. My balance it not that great right now. I love how you made your lid too! I'll post a picture of mine again in my thread so you can see what I'm talking about.
|
|
|
Post by Pigjes on Feb 18, 2009 6:33:12 GMT
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 18, 2009 22:14:32 GMT
Thanks everyone - I like it and hope the pigs do too. I am waiting patiently for the day when I can take the divider out and they can all have the run of the whole thing instead of just having half each. Val - I am a pretty average size and height and can just reach the far corner for properly cleaning it. Bit of a stretch but I can do it without climbing in! The cage sits on a big coffee table so it is off the floor but isn't quite desk or dining table height. Would it be possible to make the legs on your cage shorter to make reaching easier and remove the need for you to stand on something to reach?
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 19, 2009 1:17:13 GMT
I'm trying to re-think my dilemma on what I should do with my cage. I really love it and I know the pig do to...but....I'm confused!
|
|
|
Post by newpig on Feb 19, 2009 9:24:15 GMT
I love how nice your cabins look - I've had to throw mine out after they all had a good job at chewing them to shreds! I also hadn't realised how dull my pigloos have become until I see how shiny yours are!.
And sitting in the hayracks definitely isn't a girl thing. In Scrumpy and Chocolates hutch the only place to attach the hay racks is on the front door. I have to be very careful and remember to check the hayrack as Chocolate has always been terrible for climbing into the hayrack. I changed it a while back to a longer narrower rack and he's too big to get into this one.
|
|
|
Post by weesilvie on Feb 19, 2009 18:25:06 GMT
Newpig - you're right! It has taken him the longest to catch on, but I now see Rory sitting in the hayrack too! My zooplus order with more hayracks arrived today. Along with some of those Thrive cat treats - which STINK! Who knows what the neighbours who took in the parcel must have thought was in it!
|
|
|
Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Feb 19, 2009 23:13:23 GMT
Hey my friend, when are you going to add your "plus two's" names to your thread? I keep forgetting their names and have to go back to check....although, I think I've done that so much now , that Rory and Winnie are stuck in my brain! lol
|
|
|
Post by newpig on Feb 20, 2009 10:02:05 GMT
What did the cats think of the Thrive treats then? I haven't tried those ones and I do order my cat food from Zooplus every month.
|
|