Help stop biting.

[mer99]

Hello,

I have had my guinea pigs for 4 and a half days. They never had a 'house' until today (a cardboard box). And until today they were both really friendly and would like to be held and cuddled by anyone in my family. Now one of them, had bit me and trys to everytime I pick him up. And he was the one who loved to cuddle. Is it because of the 'house' or what. That is the only thing that haschanged since he came here. How do I stop biting, will a pat on the nose serve as a "punishment", not hard just gently and saying NO.

If not how do I get him to stop?

[AbsLoveSnicks]

Why didn't they have a cage for 4 days is what I'm wondering....

[gooberific]

Do you mean a hidey house?

And a flick on the nose won't do anything but make them wonder why you hurt them.

[erikahand83]

I wouldn't be tapping on the nose, he wouldn't get the connection anyways. Try hand feeding him veggies, as everyone on here knows food is the fastest way to a piggers heart anyways. Goodluck!

[mer99]

Originally Posted by AbsLoveSnicks

Why didn't they have a cage for 4 days is what I'm wondering....

No no, they have a cage..they didn't have a hidey house..Sorry I couldn't think of the word I needed.

And they don't really eat veggies. They have just got introduced to them, and they very rarley eat them. I'm trying, but they are turing noses up at almost everything. Except lettuce occassionally.

[Haley0489]

Have you treated them for mites or lice? They may be infested and your touch is hurting them/annoying the mites.

[Res Judicata]

I had one that nipped whenever taken out of her hidey house. I started taking the house out before picking her up.

[mer99]

Originally Posted by Haley0489

Have you treated them for mites or lice? They may be infested and your touch is hurting them/annoying the mites.

No I havn't they would have to be taken to a vet to have that done right?

I am taking them to the vets hopefully in 2 weeks time, so I will get that looked at to.

[mer99]

Originally Posted by Res Judicata

I had one that nipped whenever taken out of her hidey house. I started taking the house out before picking her up.

Ok, thanks.

I am thinking about just taking it out, because all they do it hide.

I only wanted to sleep at night. Thats why I put it in, so they might sleep, because they tend to be noisey at night.

[Peggysu]

One of my piggies just started nipping and I think she might have lice or mites. So both my pigs are going to the vet tomorrow just to make sure.

[gooberific]

Originally Posted by mer99

Ok, thanks.

I am thinking about just taking it out, because all they do it hide.

I only wanted to sleep at night. Thats why I put it in, so they might sleep, because they tend to be noisey at night.

They like to hide, it's part of their nature.

They also don't sleep a full night long, either. They are prey animals and basically sleep in short naps.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Have you read Biting Guinea Pigs: What to Do ?

[PixieStix]

Originally Posted by mer99

No I havn't they would have to be taken to a vet to have that done right?

I am taking them to the vets hopefully in 2 weeks time, so I will get that looked at to.

Guinea Lynx :: Mange Mites
Guinea Lynx :: Parasites

Where did you get these pigs from? Mites are very common in pigs, especially pet store purchased ones.

Guinea Lynx :: Ivermectin Ivermectin is usually used to treat for mites. It is marketed for large animals, and can be purchased online or at feed stores. Dosing information is on the links. You can treat yourself (will need a kitchen scale to weigh the pigs to dose them correctly).

Vets will also treat for mites, however they ususally prefer to treat with an injection. If you do choose to have the vet treat your pigs, don't allow him/her to do a skin scraping before treating. Skin scrapings are painful and usually not accurate.

[mer99]

Thank You So much guys.

You have been so much of a help to me to learn new things. I am hoping it isn't mites or anything, and maybe he is upset becuase of a small cage. I am making a C&C Cage Today thought.

[Jitterbug]

First of all, guinea pigs are naturally nocturnal, so expect them to be somewhat noisy at night. If it bothers you, you could try moving their cage further from your bedroom, or closing doors to keep the sound out. Also, guinea pigs like to hide; it is part of their nature. As prey animals their natural instinct is to run for cover, so providing a hidey house makes them feel more safe and secure. It says on this site that you should have one more hidey house than you have pigs, so 1 pig, 2 houses; 2 pigs, 3 houses, etc. There are also good ideas as to what you can use for houses: http://www.guineapigcages.com/accessories.htm.

As to the biting, is he really biting hard or just nibbling? If he is just nibbling, I have found some piggies are just nibblers and there's not much you can do. He may like the salty taste of your skin or the smell of something you have handled recently. I have read that washing your hands right before handling them can help this problem, though it has never worked with my pig who's a nibbler. Feeding them veggies may help too, as erikahand83 mentioned. (By the way, I've always found with a new pig that it takes awhile for them start eating veggies, especially if they came from a pet store/mill breeder since they were most likely not given fresh things previously. As they adjust to their new environment they should start eating them more; keep an eye out for what they like. Also visit the diet and nutrition thread on this forum for ideas on what piggies can have and how much, etc)

If they're biting hard, and it's not mites, they may just not like how they're being handled, and you could try different ways of picking them up that they might like better.

Hope that helps!

[banjosnotbombs]

Originally Posted by Jitterbug

First of all, guinea pigs are naturally nocturnal, so expect them to be somewhat noisy at night.

I thought they were crepuscular?

A lot of the links that were given should be really helpful. I found with my guinea pig, Odetta, who's previous home wasn't gentle with her, responded best to praise(after making sure there were no health concerns). I'd try to ignore the biting, and then while we were snuggling talk in a sweet voice and tell her how wonderful she is. Eventually, biting turned into kisses(licking).
With them being loud at night, you should try putting two hidey houses in the cage, one for each. More space with the C&C cage should help a lot, too.
Goodluck!