Cavy/Human Communication
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slavetofuzzy
- 4 the Good of all Pigs
All three of mine are loaded with personality but each is quite different. Fuzzy, being the only one I've had from a very young age, is most likely to run up to me for a pet when I'm just sitting in their room. She wheeks when she hears us walking around upstairs, or up the stairs, in anticipation of food! Then Zoe chimes in. Fuzz is the one I talk to and feel she understands me. I pet her and tell her she's so beautiful and she'll lay down to soak in all the praise. She's the one that putt-putts when she's walking around. She responds when I make those same sounds. She'll come to me if I purr or putt-putt. She's my little lover. She will also let me (MAKE me!) feed her the seed heads from the hay as I'm filling their hay stacks. She climbs on my legs and begs for them! Oh, and sometimes she likes to play a game with me when I'm trying to pick her up for a cuddle. She runs from one place to another while I crawl around like a piggie and purr at her (frightening thought, I know but it really is a game!). The running isn't a frightened pig run, it's more of a "ha-missed me again" run. She never hides-she just moves slightly out of reach then onto a different part of the room. When she's finally ready, she plops down on her pillow and will let me pick her up. Then she snuggles me and give me little kisses on my bottom lip.
Zoe is getting friendlier but isn't as vocal as Fuzzy. She only wheeks when food is imminent or if I start the chorus. She has learned that if I try to pet her and she chatters her teeth at me I will only be more determined and pick her up! Now, she will more often than not, let me pet her and she knows I'll be done soon. She has recently started laying down when I begin petting. I take that as a sign she's more comfortable with me. She's actually more of a lap pig than the other two. She loves it when she gets alone time downstairs with me. She's the one that will curl up and go to sleep on me. Fuzzy's too busy. She will lay for a bit but want to explore.
Ozzy is the piggie that, when he came to me as part of the MD piggie train, would run up to cage edge and beg for attention. Now that he has his girls and a whole room to himself he isn't as starved for attention! He is not vocal at all. The only sounds I hear are teeth chattering and happy squeaks when he's found a spot where the girls have peed recently! I've yet to hear a wheek from him.
When I clean their cages (well, it's more like food stations-they are free range), they like to be right there. "What'cha doin' slave? You got more hay for us slave? Hey, I just put that poop there! Why are you taking it?!" That's what they seem to be thinking/oinking. Then I reach out and say "gonna getcha" and try to pet them. They take off across the room and then come back as soon as I turn my back. It's almost like they are playing tag. I have so much fun with them.
They also know when the pellets come out. They play follow the leader. I really have to watch where I step, since I'm the leader! I think, to a certain degree, they do understand human body language. The more time I spend with them the more I am convinced of this.
When Fuzzy was an only pig she and I were really getting to the point where I felt she knew what I was saying, etc. I try to copy their sounds and "talk" to them (the pig whisperer!). That seems to give them more confidence in me too. I could go on all day.
Zoe is getting friendlier but isn't as vocal as Fuzzy. She only wheeks when food is imminent or if I start the chorus. She has learned that if I try to pet her and she chatters her teeth at me I will only be more determined and pick her up! Now, she will more often than not, let me pet her and she knows I'll be done soon. She has recently started laying down when I begin petting. I take that as a sign she's more comfortable with me. She's actually more of a lap pig than the other two. She loves it when she gets alone time downstairs with me. She's the one that will curl up and go to sleep on me. Fuzzy's too busy. She will lay for a bit but want to explore.
Ozzy is the piggie that, when he came to me as part of the MD piggie train, would run up to cage edge and beg for attention. Now that he has his girls and a whole room to himself he isn't as starved for attention! He is not vocal at all. The only sounds I hear are teeth chattering and happy squeaks when he's found a spot where the girls have peed recently! I've yet to hear a wheek from him.
When I clean their cages (well, it's more like food stations-they are free range), they like to be right there. "What'cha doin' slave? You got more hay for us slave? Hey, I just put that poop there! Why are you taking it?!" That's what they seem to be thinking/oinking. Then I reach out and say "gonna getcha" and try to pet them. They take off across the room and then come back as soon as I turn my back. It's almost like they are playing tag. I have so much fun with them.
They also know when the pellets come out. They play follow the leader. I really have to watch where I step, since I'm the leader! I think, to a certain degree, they do understand human body language. The more time I spend with them the more I am convinced of this.
When Fuzzy was an only pig she and I were really getting to the point where I felt she knew what I was saying, etc. I try to copy their sounds and "talk" to them (the pig whisperer!). That seems to give them more confidence in me too. I could go on all day.
Something I never realized before is that they have different voices. Bubba and Snickers wheeks are completely different. I agree with Lynx about the designated wheeker. Snickers is the wheeker. I always wondered why Bubba never wheeked for food. One day, my daughter had Snickers out of the cage and I happen to open the frig. Bubba who was sitting in the cage let out this huge wheek. I guess since Snickers wasn't around, he had to voice his own desires.
This week Bubba has started something new. He is obcessed with my sofa. When he is down for floor time he immedately runs to sofa trying to figure out a way to get up on it. If I put my hand down, he will use it like a step stool. Still can't figure out why he wants on the sofa so bad.
This week Bubba has started something new. He is obcessed with my sofa. When he is down for floor time he immedately runs to sofa trying to figure out a way to get up on it. If I put my hand down, he will use it like a step stool. Still can't figure out why he wants on the sofa so bad.
In my herd, the four sows do the wheeking for food, but the "front line" is Amee and Marilyn. The boars rarely wheek since the sows took over.
Fuzzie's cage seems to be closely bonded. If we put on pig from the cage on the sofa, he or she will start sniffing around, wheeking for cagemates. They're short little wheeks at first, then louder to an almost fever pitch.
Amee, though the smallest pig by weight, has a deep, raspy wheek. The others wheek and squeal more like typical pigs. Marilyn lets out a huge squeal when picked up from tiem to time.
Of course we also have the chirping. Marilyn and Snuggles are confirmed chirpers. We had a chirping episode the other night, but we were unable to identify the culprit. So we may have yet another chirper.
Fuzzie's cage seems to be closely bonded. If we put on pig from the cage on the sofa, he or she will start sniffing around, wheeking for cagemates. They're short little wheeks at first, then louder to an almost fever pitch.
Amee, though the smallest pig by weight, has a deep, raspy wheek. The others wheek and squeal more like typical pigs. Marilyn lets out a huge squeal when picked up from tiem to time.
Of course we also have the chirping. Marilyn and Snuggles are confirmed chirpers. We had a chirping episode the other night, but we were unable to identify the culprit. So we may have yet another chirper.
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hammer
- Supporter in '10
My herd (in three cages, one divided) has two designated wheekers as well. Spice in Girl Cage One and Bandit in Girl Cage Two. These two have windpipes! They sit on top of their pigloos and let loose. However, the others hardly wheek at all. Once in awhile, when I'm bringing veggies, but that's it.
Guinea is my most communicative pig, but that's probably because the last year he's been on almost constant (it seems) medicine and handfeeding. He has several different sounds that all mean different things, plus an extensive body language vocabulary. It is very easy for him to make himself understood by the stupid humans.
Guinea is my most communicative pig, but that's probably because the last year he's been on almost constant (it seems) medicine and handfeeding. He has several different sounds that all mean different things, plus an extensive body language vocabulary. It is very easy for him to make himself understood by the stupid humans.
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hammer
- Supporter in '10
He has his chitter-chatter noises, as Rob calls them, where he is just burbling away in contentment. This is his "after-feeding" noise, when he's sitting on my chest. It can't be anything but happy, and it makes me smile. He also has his "I'm gettin food! I'm gettin food!" wheepy sound that's sort of a wheek but lower and quieter. This is a constant noise, accompanied by much wriggling, until he gets the bowl. He does the "BRR-RR-RR" noise when someone sneezes, the phone rings, or a cat startles him, or you try to move him while he's eating his CC.
He recognizes several words (food, treat, Pig), and Rob's voice. If Rob gets up while I'm feeding Guinea, Guinea will stop eating and stretch his neck WAY out, waiting for a treat or a scritch. Everytime. It makes me feel like quite the second class citizen that even though I do all the feeding, medicating, and cleaning, Rob is Guinea's favorite person. But, its pretty darn cute. He also does the "licking and chewing" motion when he's hungry, and turns away from the bowl when he's done. If he hears a syringe clink on a glass, he gets very excited. Even though he drinks from a bottle, he LOVES water from a syringe. He does the happy dance and his warbly feeding sound whenever he hears it, even if he's already full.
He recognizes several words (food, treat, Pig), and Rob's voice. If Rob gets up while I'm feeding Guinea, Guinea will stop eating and stretch his neck WAY out, waiting for a treat or a scritch. Everytime. It makes me feel like quite the second class citizen that even though I do all the feeding, medicating, and cleaning, Rob is Guinea's favorite person. But, its pretty darn cute. He also does the "licking and chewing" motion when he's hungry, and turns away from the bowl when he's done. If he hears a syringe clink on a glass, he gets very excited. Even though he drinks from a bottle, he LOVES water from a syringe. He does the happy dance and his warbly feeding sound whenever he hears it, even if he's already full.
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hammer
- Supporter in '10
He doesn't walk anywhere! The minute you put him down for floor time, he walks up to Rob and stands on his foot, front paws on his pants, waiting to be picked up. The adoration this pig has for his man is pathetic, actually. ;) In his cage he's a bronco though, especially when he gets pig going as well.
But I know what you mean. Three of my girls never quiet down while they're exploring. Its adorable, and makes me laugh.
But I know what you mean. Three of my girls never quiet down while they're exploring. Its adorable, and makes me laugh.
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-JC-
- I gave AGAIN, dammit!
Mine get quite talky when they have floor time - they burble to each other (kind of a putt putt putt), and if they lose sight of each other, they worry and start wheeking to locate their sister.
They purr when they're petted, and when they're getting cosy and sleepy (especially if the pigloo's just been cleaned out). They purr in the hay (quietly discernible amongst the munching noises), and quite often - when they grab a good veggie and run with it to hide and enjoy it - they purr about that, too. The purring when being petted is a little deeper, I think.
They also make the 'Brrr' sound to alert for danger. The funniest thing is that the little noise that my Mac makes when I drag an email into a folder makes the pigs go 'Brrr'. Every time. It makes me feel guilty, so I turn the volume down. I don't know why they haven't got used to it.
I've only heard one of them teeth-chatter once, and I don't know what got into her, but I think she was scared rather than angry (?) I just went up and she ran across the cage, but then let me stroke her and talk to her until she was calm again.
And they both wheek their heads off for veggie time. If they sense that time is near, they start getting a bit vocal and a bit lively - sort of 'play' wheeking, just to remind me. But when they hear the colander chink, they really wheeeeek.
They don't understand a word I say to them, I think. They don't do tricks, and they're not as bright as some other people's pigs, but they are the nicest! Blackberry will follow me round the room with her eyes, and when I talk to her, she sits and looks at me meaningfully. Pepper is more darty and timid, and less interested in me. They both come up and sort of push their noses at my toes a bit, sometimes. That's about all the attention they give me!
They purr when they're petted, and when they're getting cosy and sleepy (especially if the pigloo's just been cleaned out). They purr in the hay (quietly discernible amongst the munching noises), and quite often - when they grab a good veggie and run with it to hide and enjoy it - they purr about that, too. The purring when being petted is a little deeper, I think.
They also make the 'Brrr' sound to alert for danger. The funniest thing is that the little noise that my Mac makes when I drag an email into a folder makes the pigs go 'Brrr'. Every time. It makes me feel guilty, so I turn the volume down. I don't know why they haven't got used to it.
I've only heard one of them teeth-chatter once, and I don't know what got into her, but I think she was scared rather than angry (?) I just went up and she ran across the cage, but then let me stroke her and talk to her until she was calm again.
And they both wheek their heads off for veggie time. If they sense that time is near, they start getting a bit vocal and a bit lively - sort of 'play' wheeking, just to remind me. But when they hear the colander chink, they really wheeeeek.
They don't understand a word I say to them, I think. They don't do tricks, and they're not as bright as some other people's pigs, but they are the nicest! Blackberry will follow me round the room with her eyes, and when I talk to her, she sits and looks at me meaningfully. Pepper is more darty and timid, and less interested in me. They both come up and sort of push their noses at my toes a bit, sometimes. That's about all the attention they give me!
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hammer
- Supporter in '10
JC, of my 11, only Pig and Guinea really seem to be so interactive. And both of them love Rob best! Grr. Then Nickel will let me scritch her nose at floor time or in her cage. Otherwise, the others are just pigs, and that's okay with me. They all like each other much better than they really like me.
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-JC-
- I gave AGAIN, dammit!
They all like each other much better than they really like me.
Aw - but it's so true! No man around here to compete for their attention, so at least I'm okay there! They do like my son as much as me, though. I guess I'm just good for food supply. I am so glad they have each other - they really are the best of friends. Eleven must be fun.
Aw - but it's so true! No man around here to compete for their attention, so at least I'm okay there! They do like my son as much as me, though. I guess I'm just good for food supply. I am so glad they have each other - they really are the best of friends. Eleven must be fun.
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