She's a biter!!

[bunnyloveruk]

I have a 6 month old female guinea pig called Lucky. Ever since i got her she has been a biter! I can be holding her and she's fine then all of a sudden she will go to my hands and just bit my finger really hard. Has anyone else ever experienced this with a guinea pig because i thought they were supposed to be really gentle animals that never bite. Any advice on how to get her to kick the habit?

bunnyloveruk

[Slinky_Disney_KG]

My guinea pig, Slinky, he usually likes to nibble. Is there something inparticular you are doing when he bites? Because Slinky bites (not nibbles) when you scratch his butt. He just starts biting anything he gets to but then he stops when you stop. I don't have any idea how you can stop the biting. The only thing I can say is that maybe he (or she?) is scared. If you take them out often they will begin to know who you are and know you are a safe person.

-Signed-
Slinky_Disney_KG

P.S. Good luck! Hope they improve on the biting!

[bunnyloveruk]

Hi,
Thanks for the advice. When she bites i don't think i am doing anything to her that she doesn't like, she will just be sat there for 5 minutes or so then come up and bite me. I will try to handle her a bit more, at the moment i have her out for an hour or so a day, is this enough do you think?

[tatsxxx11]

I have had 3 guinea pigs over the past few years and none has been a biter. And you're right, pigs are not known for being biters! When they do, it's usually in response to perceived danger, due to lack of socialization with humans, never handled much in the past, etc. Was Lucky a rescue? She may not be accustomed to being handled and in that case, you need to pick her up reguarly and handle her gently and talk soothingly to her. Try holding her in a towel for awhile; many feel more secure held that way. You might also try feeding Lucky a small treat while you hold her on your lap on a towel, maybe a baby carrot. Soon she'll start associating holding time with something good. You also might consider adopting a pig mate at some time. Most "experts" believe that pigs do better in pairs, craving the company of their own kind:) 1 hour of free time is pretty good; keep it up!:D Sadly, some people never take their pigs out of their cages! A good cavy site you might want to visit is www.cavycompendium.com/forums Lots of experienced piggie people there and they love to help newbies with any problems you might be having! Just checked and there's a good thread in "Behavior" on a new cavy that nips...I think page 3 or 4!
Please keep us updated on how Lucky's doing! Sandra

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I don't have much experience with Guinea Pigs, but I just wanted to add a story. My good friend has 3 guinea pigs that she rescued from the local pound, all on seperate occasions. All 3 were bad biters. She doesn't know the age of any of them, so who knows how long they had been without human contact. All 3 have come along way, but they all still bite on occasion. So don't give up, you can break them of the habit (or at least for the most part), just keep handling her.

Oh, also welcome to pet talk!

[bunnyloveruk]

No, Lucky was not a rescue guinea pig i got her from a pet store but she was kept in a really small cage with lots of others and somebody told me one reason for her behavior is that the other piggie's may have singled her out and bullied her which causes her to be really scared so i am going to get her out later and try and settle her down. I am also going to slowly introduce her to my dwarf rabbit's, holly and jess, and see if they can give her a bit of company whilst out her cage. I'll keep you updated on how that goes :)