Widget is terrified and we don't know why
The first sign that something was not right in Casa de Cavy happened yesterday morning, when I noticed that Widget's hay looked exactly like it did when I put it in his hay area the night before. He hadn't touched it.
Widget lives in the upper part of what used to be one big cage. He has a 2x2 space that connects to a 1x2 space via a .5x2 walkway (the longest part of his cage is actually 5 grids long). Widget LOVES his cage and his space. He usually bounces a long the length of it, making tons of noise.
I wondered if something was wrong with the hay and gave him fresh hay.
A few hours later, I noticed he still hadn't touched it. We took him out of the cage to check him out. Teeth seem fine. He's not showing any other signs of being sick. But he was jumpy, jumpy, jumpy. Something set him off while I was holding him, and it was all I could do to keep him from leaping off of the couch.
I cleaned out the cage. Usually, when I put in fresh towels and fleece, Widget runs all over it and alternates between popcorning and marking the clean area. Then he burrows in the new pile of hay. I usually clean the 1x2 where the hay goes first so he can munch while I clean the 2x2 side.
What I discovered is that he refused to cross the walkway, much less get to the hay pile. When I cleaned the 2x2, he sat in the entrance to the walkway so I could clean, but otherwise wouldn't budge.
I put some hay in the 2x2 side, and he resumed eating. But he suddenly won't go to the other half of the cage. In fact, last night, he was still so upset about something that he wouldn't even come out of his pigloo unless either of us humans was down there. Today, he'll come out of his pigloo, but he won't go near the walkway. The poor guy is living in his 2x2 space.
What happened?
Widget lives in the upper part of what used to be one big cage. He has a 2x2 space that connects to a 1x2 space via a .5x2 walkway (the longest part of his cage is actually 5 grids long). Widget LOVES his cage and his space. He usually bounces a long the length of it, making tons of noise.
I wondered if something was wrong with the hay and gave him fresh hay.
A few hours later, I noticed he still hadn't touched it. We took him out of the cage to check him out. Teeth seem fine. He's not showing any other signs of being sick. But he was jumpy, jumpy, jumpy. Something set him off while I was holding him, and it was all I could do to keep him from leaping off of the couch.
I cleaned out the cage. Usually, when I put in fresh towels and fleece, Widget runs all over it and alternates between popcorning and marking the clean area. Then he burrows in the new pile of hay. I usually clean the 1x2 where the hay goes first so he can munch while I clean the 2x2 side.
What I discovered is that he refused to cross the walkway, much less get to the hay pile. When I cleaned the 2x2, he sat in the entrance to the walkway so I could clean, but otherwise wouldn't budge.
I put some hay in the 2x2 side, and he resumed eating. But he suddenly won't go to the other half of the cage. In fact, last night, he was still so upset about something that he wouldn't even come out of his pigloo unless either of us humans was down there. Today, he'll come out of his pigloo, but he won't go near the walkway. The poor guy is living in his 2x2 space.
What happened?
- dgarriques
- Got Pigs?
Ahh little Widget is scared. Come stay with Aunt Deb, I will protect you.
Maybe a spider or something scared him? COuld something have gotten into the hay? May some hay poked him and it startled him. I have no idea, sorry but I hope he gets over it soon.
Maybe a spider or something scared him? COuld something have gotten into the hay? May some hay poked him and it startled him. I have no idea, sorry but I hope he gets over it soon.
I think a few others have reported something similar to this. I think it was somechick who had a pig who got absolutely freaked out by something and wouldn't go back to the loft for days. I wonder if he would respond to a trail of veggies across the walkway? It may just take some time before he gets over whatever in the world startled him. Poor little guy.
I wonder about hay pokes. My boldest pig, Hoover, had a spell of the heebie jeebies. No visible reason. He just got and stayed terrified. Didn't want to eat from the hay pile, didn't want to do anything - not puffed and sick, just absolutely scared, as though he'd had a terrible nightmare. He was like that for two days and then gradually returned to normal.
I did wonder if he's been "bitten" by something sharp in the hay pile, since the haypile SEEMED to be the focus of the fear - but hard to tell.
I did wonder if he's been "bitten" by something sharp in the hay pile, since the haypile SEEMED to be the focus of the fear - but hard to tell.
He'll eat the hay in his 2x2, but I could see how something may have startled him if he was jabbed by hay. They mostly eat bluegrass, but even that sometimes has a harder piece now and again.
My bigger worry is that a spider or something was in the cage. This year has been really bad as far as spiders go, and *I* almost stopped going to the laundry area because I saw a big wolf spider.
My bigger worry is that a spider or something was in the cage. This year has been really bad as far as spiders go, and *I* almost stopped going to the laundry area because I saw a big wolf spider.
The walkway is already surrounded on three sides, but I'll give that a try. It couldn't make the situation much worse, that's for sure.
Mine eat bluegrass too, but the stalks in that could poke if you got one at the wrong angle in the wrong place, I guess. Heck, a flimsy little piece of paper can give you a tremendously painful cut if the circumstances are right!
We never did figure it out. I hope Widget just returns to his old self soon.
We never did figure it out. I hope Widget just returns to his old self soon.