Careless pigs

[Justin]

My pigs noticed that I am not so scary. They don't run away when I put food or do other chores. That's ok. But then they became even more careless and touch my hand with their rips while I do that. Yesterday one of it even nibbled me. Their sharp teeth make me quite nervous. Anyone with same problem?

[vics2004]

One of my piggies licks me and will nibble me gently, but I get nibbled a lot by one of my rats, he even made a mark yesterday, but never goes hard enough to draw blood. I think they are trying to grrom me

[aNiMaLsAmArItAn]

First off, how is that careless?
Second, if your pigs nip you, it means they love you. My girl, Shady, nips me and licks my hand whenever she gets the chance! It means you are probably taking good care of your babies.

[Harrys Dad]

Originally Posted by aNiMaLsAmArItAn

First off, how is that careless?
Second, if your pigs nip you, it means they love you. My girl, Shady, nips me and licks my hand whenever she gets the chance! It means you are probably taking good care of your babies.

good to hear! I thought I was annoying my boys thank you!

[Cosmictadpole]

Yes, my piggies have some problems with biting me. Freddy used to bite me, but I trained him to stop by yelling an exaggerated "ouch!" when he bit, and saying sweetly "good boy" when he licked. Now he only licks. I am not having much luck training Ginger in the same way though. She nibbles softly, but then it gets harder and harder, and I just have to yank my hand away at that point.

[GuineaAddict]

Originally Posted by Cosmictadpole

Yes, my piggies have some problems with biting me. Freddy used to bite me, but I trained him to stop by yelling an exaggerated "ouch!" when he bit, and saying sweetly "good boy" when he licked. Now he only licks. I am not having much luck training Ginger in the same way though. She nibbles softly, but then it gets harder and harder, and I just have to yank my hand away at that point.

That's funny, nobody believes that I trained my guinea that she could nibble and lick but not "bite". And trust me, she knows the difference because she doesn't bite anymore. Nibbling is definitely a good thing. It makes me happy when my guinea's lick and nibble on my hands. To me it means they're comfortable enough and happy enough with you.

[Noodles]

Do you want your guinea pigs to be scared of you? It just sounds like they're getting more and more comfortable with you and want to show their curiousity and affection by nipping at you. I say that this is great! My guinea is quite shy and I wish she were bold enough to show me affection. Just make sure the nips don't get too hard, and if they do, you'll need to do a little training to show them what's appropriate and what isn't.

[paula.m.moore]

Pigs get gradually more comfortable with your hands in the cage. As they get more comfortable, they allow their curiosity to take hold and they may get so overtly curious that they nip your hand to check and see if there are hidden goodies. Once they realize you are flesh (at least this is true with my crew) and not a carrot or celery or another delight, they quickly move on to the real *good* stuff.

[Justin]

Ok. I let them try my fingers tonight. Fortunately, no bite yet. Thanks for the helps. Maybe it's not something I should worry too much.

I have witnessed my wife being bitten deep by a squirrel while feeding it. It was a long time ago but I guess I haven't fully recover from the emotional blow.

[i-love-nev]

Originally Posted by Justin

I have witnessed my wife being bitten deep by a squirrel while feeding it. It was a long time ago but I guess I haven't fully recover from the emotional blow.

Trust me, its VERY different from a squirrel!

The reason alot of guinea pigs will lick and nip your hands is because of the natural body salts (especially when sweaty Lol!)

[Tamgirl1983]

I wish my piggies didn't run away so much when I get close , but they are still so young and new to us that I guess thats expected. I did get bitten about a week ago by one of our little ones though. I was holding her and stroking her gently. Everything was fine and dandy and then she started squirming . Then she nibbled a little (which I am used to ) then CRUNCH! I'm not going to lie, it bled, and it hurt like the dickens! But I put her down in the cage gently and discovered she had to urinate! I guess all you can do is be easy around them and try your best to read their signals and warnings. If you do get bitten just rinse it out with peroxide and keep it clean. Try not to act any differently towards your piggies either. They don't mean to hurt you (unless they are really scared). Chances are they are trying to groom you , your hands smell like something yummy, or they are trying to tell you something like "hey you! I need to pee!"

Good luck!

[frashy]

Ahh! I love the feeling when my piggies nibble and lick my fingers. As strange as that sounds, it's such an adorable thing. I do that every time I reach for them, I guess it is kind of a way of letting them know they can trust me. The only time they nibble harder, not quite a bite, is when I have the smell of vegetables or pellets on my hands. Silly pigs.

[Wheek Weak]

If I ever turn into the Incredible Hulk while I'm cleaning cages or feeding our piggies...they're in big trouble! They are so not afraid of me that I can't even get them to move out of the way while I'm trying to sweep up poos!

They're always licking and nibbling on my hands and arms when I'm doing things in their cages. Just take it as a compliment. They think of you as another guinea pig. They're grooming you and showing you affection.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

Only one of my pigs nips. He only does it during laptime and I think it just means he wants to go back to his cage. It tends to hurt a little bit, so to teach him to stop I blow gently in his face. He hates the blowing so he knocks it off. Sometimes it takes a couple tries- but he eventually gets the cause/effect and chooses not to nip.

[Jane_G]

Guinea pigs definitely treat members of their family differently. Cookie will nip me if she wants to go back in her cage, but she only occasionally licks or kisses me. If one of the kids put their fingers in her cage to pet her, she will ALWAYS lick their fingers. It's like she's cleaning their fingers, although there is never anything on them. I make the kids wash before and after playing with her. Neither child has ever been nibbled or bitten. It's like she knows that they are children and should only be kissed, not nibbled.

I've been trying to get a picture of the finger cleaning episodes, but she's camera shy.

[Flaileigh]

I've been tickled pink lately since one of my babies has started licking and nibbling on my hand during laptime. The only time I get a firm nip is when they need to go pee, or they pull on my clothes or their fleece. Be sure to know where they are since I've been nipped hard on the tummy and breast if I didn't notice them pulling on their fleece.