Guinea pig biting question?

Question

I have had my guinea pig for a year now and he has always chattered his teeth at me, but now he is biting me. Sometimes when I just try to pet him. He dosen't have any kind of illness, like mites, that would be causing this. Why would he be doing this?

Answer 1

That is very odd. Chattering and biting are signs of anger and aggression. There are a few possibilities:

1 - If his cage is too small, he may feel cornered, especially when you reach in.

2 - If he doesn't have a place to hide (which can be anything from a large section of PVC piping or a hidey house), he may, again, feel cornered, and lash out.

3 - It might help if you cleaned his entire cage, wiping the surfaces with a vinegar-water solution. This will kill the scents he's left, which can help lower any sort of "territorial" response.

4 - If he's alone, expand the cage and try to get him a friend. In this case, get him a very young male, who might be more willing to submit to his aggression. It may calm his nerves to be a member of a tiny "herd."

In the end, I don't recommend any single solution. Personally, I'd try all four, which point #3 being the least important.

Answer 2

Many guinea pigs simply don't like to be petted. This is maddening to us humans, who have an impulse to pet and cuddle small furry creatures, but it's the way they are. It's interesting to note that whereas rabbits groom each other to show affection, guinea pigs don't. They just don't seem to be wired that way.

I've cared for several guinea pigs who strenuously resisted being petted, and have found it best to interact with them in other ways. For example, I talk to them whenever I bring them vegetables to eat, and they've quickly learned to be responsive to the sound of my voice. They come over and do a happy dance, I give them the vegetables, and everyone's happy.

One thing to keep in mind is that guinea pigs freak out at having a hand come down on them from above, because that's how predators often swoop down on guinea pigs in the wild. They do better with hands that approach from the side.

I second jtrusnik's suggestion about making sure you have a large cage with hiding places for the guinea pig. Hiding places are of critical importance.

If you don't have a large cage, and can't find one locally, you may want to make one yourself using cubes and coroplast. Instructions are at http://www.guineapigcages.com/ However, if there are dogs, cats, ferrets, or other predators in your household, you may want to stick with conventional cages as I'm not sure how well the cubes would stand up to a determined attack by an animal larger than a guinea pig.