? about piggy biting

Our new 7 week old male g.p. has nipped at me a couple of times when I've picked him up, right at the moment I've gotten ahold of him. It is the gentlest nip without any real strong aggression and no pain. Feels more like a tap.

I've read that they rarely bite, but I'm wondering if he's going to be one of those exceptions. I'm concerned that as he gets older and bigger and continues to do that, if he does, I will start to feel it. OR, perhaps he was just particularly stressed thosed times and as he gets still more used to it, he'll quit that. What do I do? I don't want to stop picking him up, obviously.

Also, how much handling is over-handling, if there is such a thing? So far I've been taking him out of his cage for snuggle or floor time once or twice a day. Thanks for any insights and suggestions.

Since the time I first posted, I found the articles about nippers in guinea lynx. But if anybody has anything to add please feel free! Thanks

cleopatra does that kind of nip when she's really pissed. it doesn't hurt, and i figure its just her way of letting me know she doesnt want to play at the momment. i've heard of peopel using bitter apple to try to discouarage bitting, but i've never tried it myself.

The only time i was ever aggressively bitten by a piggie is when I was separating two fighting males, I got bit by one, it didn't draw blood, but it did hurt for a second.

Sometimes when I pick them up they nibble at my fingers, or if I leave my hand in their cage, they will come and sniff it and nibble a bit. It might be because I often hand-feed them carrots and treats, they are expecting food from me. Perhaps they want to be put down, and they nip (non aggressively) to get me to move my fingers or to put them down.

Regardless, if there's not aggression or anger in their bites, it's probably not a big deal.

-Dan III

[CavySpirit]

Check out this page if you haven't already: cavyspirit.com/biting.htm

That is when my website is available again--a day or two.

i got bitten hard once, not aggresivly thought. i was holding a piece of lettuce and cleopatra was eating and she bit through the lettuce. At first i wasn't even sure if she bit hard, because it felt kinda numb, and then i looked at it and there was a lot of blood forming, which is when i started to feel the immense pain.

Zack will run to my wife to be picked up, (if he feels like company), and will even try and climb his grids to get her to pick him up.

Humbug never allows himself to be picked up without a chase and has bitten my wife deeply several times being picked up. He obviously loves to be in her arms or on her lap, and is quite happy to be handled once he's out of the cage.
We think this behaviour is due to our daughter dropping him as she picked him up when he was very young. (Either that or he's turned woman-eater having got a taste for blood!)

I haven't been bitten (yet) I always assume he will bite me - so I ususally give him a tube to hide in and pick up the tube.

I do something similiar with cleopatra, i pick her up with the cuddlecup liner. she doesn't freak out about being in hands, and i don't have to chase her around.

I haven't really been bitten by my piggies. Boxer who is adopted and about 1 1/2 years old is very placid and doesn't nibble me. The girls however who are 3 months old will. Blodwyn mainly. She likes to lick and nibble under my chin if she gets the chance, they frequently try and eat my toes when I'm walking about with no shoes and stand still. Blodwyn tried to eat my little finger the other day, she nipped me quite hard and drew some blood, but it was only a very tiny prick and I don't think she meant it. I think they are just at the age where they have to chew everything. If I sit on the floor they'll try and eat my clothes.

Lots of interesting stories! Yesterday my little boy, 6, was feeding the piggy some romaine by hand and, despite my instructions, had his fingers too close to our little friend's mouth and got nipped on one finger enough to draw blood. He was fine though, and I explained it wasn't an angry bite and not done on purpose. I wouldn't have wanted him to learn that way, but natural consequences can be the best teacher sometimes. Thanks for all the replies and ideas. G.