guinea pigs and poops etiquette.

[bagheera86]

okay, most piggies I've had over the years have a kind of poop etiquette, where they poop in a certain part of the cage and not others. sure they'll be a slip up occasionally but. Not a major one.

And I've had this new one for the past 3 weeks and well, he has no manners what so ever! 

He poops EVERYWHERE. on the ramp, on the spaces and in the food bowl and anywher his butt will fit. My other piggies have never done this. So. Any suggestions, I know they're smart,  really smart and I'm trying to find ways to connect with him to teach him 'YES! GOOD BOY' and 'no, that's not so good D:', i'm hoping the older pig Baloo (aka Tom) would have taught him but he only really asserts his authority when there's food. He'll shove the other one out of the way, have his fill and then  Custard will have his share.

Which is why I suspect he wees/poops on it, because then Baloo won't eat it. Any ideas? What do mama pigs do to tell their bubba's no?  I know shouting won't have any effect, booping noses is for dogs. so. I'm outta ideas xD

[Eviecorn]

This is not my area of expertise so I will defer to others' advice ... though I must admit the title of this thread made me expect something different. 

[duckie]

the boar i have now was my first, i have only ever had sows before him. and i've found that he is the only one of all my pigs who poops everywhere instead of mostly just in a corner. i think some pigs just have better manners than others
i would suggest that as you've only had him three weeks, give him a bit more time to settle in. i found that all my pigs were a little "scatty" at first, but once the cage began to smell of them (even after you've cleaned them out, the smell will stick after a while) they would choose a favourite spot and pretty much stick to it.
i doubt that he deliberately poops in food to stop the other from eating, my boy poops in his water bowl all the time haha and he loves his girlfriend. i know that pigs are clever, but i've never seen or managed to train one to the point where they respond to voice commands. food/fridge or cupboard noises, yes, and if i make a certain noise to mine they will come over to say hi, but i think trying to force him to only use certain places might be fighting a losing battle!
a little tray may work, but again i think that would just be chance. worth a try though

[bagheera86]

This is not my area of expertise so I will defer to others' advice ... though I must admit the title of this thread made me expect something different. 

It was suppose to be a bit tongue and cheek lol!  I'm curious as to what you were expecting though!

Post Merge: March 13, 2013, 05:29:58 AM

the boar i have now was my first, i have only ever had sows before him. and i've found that he is the only one of all my pigs who poops everywhere instead of mostly just in a corner. i think some pigs just have better manners than others
i would suggest that as you've only had him three weeks, give him a bit more time to settle in. i found that all my pigs were a little "scatty" at first, but once the cage began to smell of them (even after you've cleaned them out, the smell will stick after a while) they would choose a favourite spot and pretty much stick to it.
i doubt that he deliberately poops in food to stop the other from eating, my boy poops in his water bowl all the time haha and he loves his girlfriend. i know that pigs are clever, but i've never seen or managed to train one to the point where they respond to voice commands. food/fridge or cupboard noises, yes, and if i make a certain noise to mine they will come over to say hi, but i think trying to force him to only use certain places might be fighting a losing battle!
a little tray may work, but again i think that would just be chance. worth a try though

well. me also! I've only ever had girls, and they all toilet trained themselves, we had a leveled cage and they lived on top, and I said to her 'Why is your level always clean?' and as I had my hand in the middle level, she came over on the top and wee'd through the hole all over my arm. So, that's how I found how how her level was so clean, and I guess her room mates approved of a clean place and they just coppied her xD

But I guess your right, maybe it is too soon to be worrying (Plus i've had to put them on boarding since two days ago also orz). I've also noticed, that, the new comer (Custard) will squeal his ears off for food (his little ears flap ermehgerd), while Baloo sits in the corner all sullen. But as soon as the foods arrived he's pushing him out of the way and chowing down after poor little custard, has done all the hard work xDD

[shockponie]

I have nothing helpful to add, but... AwWw, Custard squealing his ears off for food. cuuuute.

[duckie]

I've also noticed, that, the new comer (Custard) will squeal his ears off for food (his little ears flap ermehgerd), while Baloo sits in the corner all sullen. But as soon as the foods arrived he's pushing him out of the way and chowing down after poor little custard, has done all the hard work xDD

i wouldn't worry about that, boars will have more of a hierachy than girls so a bit of pushing and shoving is nothing to worry about. and i guess he's just sitting there feeling smug because he knows he doesn't need to squeak for food! haha

[kaoskat]

Piggies can respond to voice commands when being taught tricks. Teaching them where to poo is really a lost cause usually though. Some are neat while others just don't care at all. They go where they choose. The ones who have a tendency to be neat can be "litter trained" but the others, not so much. Your boy seems to be one of the "others".

[melodys_angel]

Usually there will be atleast one area thats clean though, no? Pets in general usually like to keep their nesting or sleeping area clean?

[Scooterbec122]

I have had 2 female guinea pigs for a year now. They are shy so they tend to go in houses where they can hide and in corners.  Sometimes they just go where ever. I have found that they like soda can boxes/ Kleenex boxes and other cardboard boxes and will choose to go in those if available. I didn't have any luck with a litterbox

Post Merge: March 13, 2013, 11:08:40 AM

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The brown one (maya) likes to bring her bowl inside to eat her food. I have 2 food bowls. Maybe putting the food bowl inside of an iglooo would help. not sure. I havent had a problem with food. My piggies love their food! Good Luck!

[kayveryn]

I noticed much the same when I had mice... I think it's a guy thing...lol

kayveryn

[Dludnerad]

I have a little shelti girl named Jetta (yes, after the Jem charater. They share a similar hairstyle) and she has very dirty habits. I have to bath her every two weeks because she really doesn't care where she goes.
Her long hair has to be trimmed very short at the back or it gets food and poop tangled in it within days. Messy messy piggy!

She's very cute though
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odd little thing. Absolutely refuses to drink water. Have to make sure she always has lettuce, carrots and grass in her cage.

[bagheera86]

I have a little shelti girl named Jetta (yes, after the Jem charater. They share a similar hairstyle) and she has very dirty habits. I have to bath her every two weeks because she really doesn't care where she goes.
Her long hair has to be trimmed very short at the back or it gets food and poop tangled in it within days. Messy messy piggy!

She's very cute though
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odd little thing. Absolutely refuses to drink water. Have to make sure she always has lettuce, carrots and grass in her cage.

maybe she doesn't know how? Mine go through phrases of that. or it's not fresh enough. sometimes algae grows in there before I can catch it and then go 'wow, no wonder they ain't drinking! bah! Maybe wash the lettuce and leave the water on it?

Post Merge: March 14, 2013, 04:18:12 AM

B'aaw thanks for all your words guys, I feel better that it's not my doing but just them being poopy meanies. They must love having me run after them! haha Also, more piggie pictures!

Post Merge: March 14, 2013, 04:20:44 AM

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Here's a pic his current carer took yesterday, she's spoiling them so much I don't think they'll want to come home!  I kid, she's doing marvellous ;D

[duckie]

Absolutely refuses to drink water. Have to make sure she always has lettuce, carrots and grass in her cage.

my boy used to struggle with a water bottle, he'd chew it instead of pushing the ball with his tongue. have you tried switching it between a bottle and a bowl?
seems like we all have very special piggies who would have thought such small animals could be so finickity!

[bagheera86]

Absolutely refuses to drink water. Have to make sure she always has lettuce, carrots and grass in her cage.

my boy used to struggle with a water bottle, he'd chew it instead of pushing the ball with his tongue. have you tried switching it between a bottle and a bowl?
seems like we all have very special piggies who would have thought such small animals could be so finickity!

Because they know they can get away with it xDD

[Kiwi]

My bunny does that with his water bottle too (but we can't give him a dish b/c he makes such a mess - tips it, bathrooms in it, drops paper and stuff in it... he soon has undrinkable water). Countless times you can here us say "lick it - don't bite it! you don't drink by biting!"

But one of our other buns is so used to using a dish, when we try to switch him to a bottle he just doesn't drink at all. So he gets a dish.