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LOST
YOUR CAVY ? NEED TO FIND HER ? Then it is time to play CAVY-SEEK !!
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It has been known for the
odd Guinea Pig to go missing, whether she has escaped from her cage in the night
or somehow run away at floor time - perhaps you had to pop to the loo or something
and left the door slightly ajar and you didn't see where she went. Here are
a few suggestions to help you find your Piggy On The Loose !!! Do not panic
- you want to be methodical in your search, chances are you will find her safe
and sound !
1. First of all shut all the
doors, this will contain your pig in one room so to help your chances of
finding her.
2. For safety's sake I would quickly
go to each room and remove any obvious hazards, eg: lift up electric
cables or remove anything that could poison your piggy. If you have other
household pets that may attack your pig eg your dog, then try and move them
somewhere out of the way.
3. A good thing to try now is to
stand in each room and rustle a plastic carrier bag / hay bag etc (if
this usually provokes a response from your pig - if they're anything like mine
this will work in seconds !) hopefully the little piggy will be excited and
either run out of where she is hiding or let her hiding place out by wheeking
:o)
4. Now you need to carry out a quick
search in each room to see if she is anywhere obvious ! Where is her
favourite place during floor-time ? Is she there ? Check under tables and chairs
and behind cupboards, your pig can make herself very small when she wants and
can squeeze into some very small spaces, especially if she has scared herself
by running away. Try standing still and make sure everything is quiet, just
listen and see if you can hear any strange noises, perhaps scratching or
a frightened wheeking, and also look for tell-tale poops or bits of nibbled
paper etc.
5. If she does not show up after
a quick look around then it is time for some detective work !
- Piggy Bait ! If you have another
pig then try taking it to each room and sitting it in a cage where the lost
pig will be able to smell / hear it, hopefully this will lure the lost piggy
out so you can catch her.
- Appeal to the Belly ! Try placing
some food and water in each room, so you can tell which room she is in - she
will eventually come out when she is hungry, you will notice what food has
been eaten and can then carry on and set a trap - or you can place a cardboard
box on it's side with some hay in, you may even go back into the room and
find her curled up asleep in the hay !
- Catch that Piggy ! Once you know
what room she is in you can leave a little 'piggy-catcher' out - simply get
a tub / or plastic cage bottom that is too high for a piggy to jump out
of but not high enough that she has far to fall. Then set a little ramp
up to it - or maybe make some gentle steps out of books or bricks. Line
the inside of the tub with soft bedding, hay etc so the pig has a soft
landing (they do not take well to falls and you want to make sure your piggy
doesn't injure herself when she plops in) then lay a trail up the ramp,
some strong smelling veggies (eg.celery) or whatever is your piggies favourite,
this should lure your piggy out and she should eventually walk up the steps
and plop into the tub ready for you to collect her and put her back in her
cage !
If you lose your piggy outside
in the garden you can set similar traps but ensure there is no way she can
get out onto the road etc (you should not let your piggy out there in the first
place if this is the case), maybe open up one end of her exercise pen if you
can and put plenty of food there and hope she goes back when she is hungry.
Please see the large box below for some excellent tips sent in by Gina
- thanks so much Gina - this is very much appreciated !
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Gina's tips for finding
a lost guinea pig outdoors
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"We have had many incidents
where guinea pigs have escaped outdoors from perfectly functioning and
ideally situated runs (because they just do!) but we have always caught
them. Here are some tips for catching a guinea pig that has escaped outdoors
that I hope you will find useful:
- If you notice that your guinea
pig run has 1 less guinea pig in it than it should, don't panic! Guinea
pigs are not thrill seekers and don't wish to venture too far from their
safety zone, so the chances are he/she is very near by.
- Firstly check around the hutch.
Many guinea pigs like to test their environment to see if they can escape
from it and once they do escape, they often realise that they preferred
the safety of their cage and try to find ways back in.
- If the lost guinea is a male
and you have female guinea pigs outside grazing check around the female's
cage.. that's often the first place my males go if they escape! - also
any guinea pig who escapes outdoors will start to get frightened and
look for other guinea pigs so check around all the guinea pig runs.
- Once your guinea pig has escaped
and started to feel exposed, he/she will probably head for a bush or
a low tree or anything with a shadow under it. Check all these places
in your garden.
- When you have located your little
fugitive, there is a very important thing you should remember: DON'T
RUN TOWARDS HIM/HER. It might seem obvious but this is where owners
can unwittingly drag a capture effort into dusk. Guinea pigs will run
away from the direction of movement and have faster reflexes than we
do so you could be there forever if you try that approach.
- The best thing to do is approach
the guinea pig from the side or get behind the guinea pig if possible.
If the guinea pig is under a thick hedge, however this can prove difficult.
Get down to the guinea pigs level so that you can see him/her clearly.
Place an arm or a stick through the hedge and behind the guinea pig
so that the guinea pig sees the movement coming from the side and behind
her and runs in the opposite direction (towards you). Tapping the hedge
BEHIND the guinea pig or even very very gently tapping the guinea pig
itself should encourage her to run out of the hedge.
- Finally, when you actually catch
the guinea pig at this stage they can be very very wriggly, even if
they are the tamest guinea pig in history. This is because they are
shaken up by all the activity and feel they are being hunted, and desperately
want to hide. I usually grab them with both hands if possible... one
hand around the shoulder blades at first, because you can grip firmly
enough to stop them from wriggling out of your grip without hurting
them and you can trap their right arm between your 2 middle fingers
(gently of course) , which limits the movement in their front legs and
therefore stops them from running away again! DO NOT SQUEEZE. As frustrating
as it is, it is much better to go through all this again than to cause
an injury. Once you have one hand securely around the shoulder blades
there is no need to make any more sudden movements. Gently scoop the
guinea up underneath with the other hand and give lots of cuddles and
treats! Avoid loud noises or sudden movements for the next hour or so".
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Remember !
Don't give your pig the chance to get lost in the first place !
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HOW TO HELP PREVENT YOUR
PIGGY ESCAPING
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- Always ensure you have closed her
cage doors securely and the lid is on tightly
- Always close the door of the room
she is having 'floor-time' in or make sure her exercise pen is stable and
secure
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If you let your pig
exercise in the garden, even if you keep her in a pen for her exercise -
ensure your garden is completely secure, check along fences and gates
and make sure there are no holes or broken bits where she can escape. Once
she gets out of the relative safety of your garden she is prey to wild /
domestic animals - she can wander out onto the road - she could be so frightened
she will run away and probably not find her way back. Do NOT let this happen,
if it is not a safe secure place for your pig to exercise do NOT let her
out there.
More excellent tips
from Gina:
- Note any rust or deterioration of the
run. Guinea pigs often chew the wire and wood of their runs so any weaknesses
will only be made weaker and lead to escape.
- Note any uneven ground. Ground may
appear even but if you can easily get your hand under the run it is not secure
enough. Guinea pigs can dip their spine to get out of small spaces. - if no
even ground is available, a line of bricks or planks of wood around the edge
of the run can usually block off any escape routes.
- Very young guinea pigs are very small
and therefore can get out of most spaces... they also feel the cold more than
adults because their fur is finer and they have less fat on their bodies than
the adults, so it's not a good idea to put very young guinea pigs out.
- Make sure the run has a lid or ceiling..
some of my guinea pigs could compete in the olympics high jump!
- Finally Make sure the guinea pig run
is nice and clean with fun activities, so that your guinea pig will be less
inclined to escape.
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The
Golden Rule is: If you
are going to allow your guinea pig out of her pen it is your responsibility
to ensure she is safe and secure - ALWAYS supervise your pig when she
is out for exercise, NO exceptions.
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Once you have safely got your
piggy back - carry out a full examination of her to ensure she has not
sustained any injuries. Give her lots of cuddles, do NOT tell her off,
it is NOT her fault she ran away. Place her safely back in her cage with a special
treat. Keep a close eye on her for a while to make sure she is acting
normally and is not overly stressed.
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Learn
from experience and don't let it happen again !
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I hope some of the info
here will be of help to you should you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.
If you have any tips or would like to share how you found your lost piggy please
e-mail me
I would be very interested to hear your story.
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Updated: 13/03/06
