Behavior skittish, grinding teeth, sniffing, chewing cage

[cynpz]

I adopted a year old guinea pig a few days ago and did what people say about leaving him alone and encouraging contact little by little, but my Ritz is still very skittish? anytime i approach the cage and he is out, he dives into his igloo TERRIFIED! he inches away from it when he gets hungry but just grabs some food and runs back in. after the second day of having him, i noticed he really didnt eat, so i removed his igloo for a while and he finally ate (ALOT). he's always on the watch and never seems to relax? he moves cautiously in quick short hops. today, i gave him a piece of strawberry with my hand and he snatched it and ate in his igloo. i set up his play area and opened his cage so he could come out and interact (and find more strawberries). he started running to every corner to hide and freezing. i tried not to move because he'd go crazy! he eventually ran into his igloo and then i noticed him making a noise that sounded like he was grinding his teeth or chewing something? as well sniffing a lot? maybe he was angry? i fet so bad for stressing him out so i havent really tried anything else. after about an hour, he's still making the sniffing noise and now chewing his cage :/ can someone..help? please.

 

[PigPandemonium]

Well, guinea pigs are natural prey animals. Out in the wild, they would have to keep alert 24/7 because there are tons of other animals that would take one look at them and go "Oh a tasty snack!" So guinea pigs look at us as if we were a hungry lion or hawk trying to get them. My guinea pigs were the same way when I got them. It's going to take a long time for them to warm up to you, and not just see you as a hungry animal. I've had mine for about 3 or so months, and I still can't pet them while they are in there cage, and it was only recently that they will come out, walk, and play around there cage more when I am in there. All pigs have different personality's, so while some will warm up quicker to people, some others may take a loooooong time, but here are some tips I found help out with my pigs. 1. Try talking to him so that he gets used to your voice. It's kinda hard to find something to talk to a pig about, so just try reading a book out load. This will help him get used to your voice, and not run away every time he hears you. 2. The way to a piggies heart is through his stomach, so try hand feeding treats and veggies. At first he many not take some, but as he figures out that it won't hurt him, he will start to stand there and eat the treat. 3. Patience. It will take a long time to even make small mile stones, such as eating out of your hand. So don't expect him to instantly become your best friend. It will take a lot of work and time, but it is very rewarding!

Good luck!

 

[cynpz]

Thanks PigP! I just opened a bag of fresh spinach lettuce and he chirped!!! i got sooo excited! i was able to get him out of his cage by placing a few pieces out of it. hes still a little hesitant, but i can tell he's excited! i also just made him a biig hideout for his floor area and i think it makes him feel muuch safer i will be patient! as i see his is making some progress. spinach saved my life!

 

[cynpz]

OH! and do you know why he may have been making that teeth grinding sound? and sniffing?

 

[Petlovr]

OH! and do you know why he may have been making that teeth grinding sound? and sniffing?

He was scared. Piggies sometimes grind their teeth when they are very scared.

 

[bpatters]

Grinding his teeth can also be a sign of problems with his molars, but in a pig who's new to you and to your house, it probably is just skittishness.

Don't take his hideys away -- just put the food right outside them and let him grab it and go back inside. He'll eventually get braver, but it 's probably not going to happen in a day or so -- more like weeks.

Just be patient, and by patient, I mean really patient. Spend a lot of time by his cage talking to him, putting your hands in the cage, even if you're just rearranging things. Shoo him into a shoe box with holes in the ends and lift him out and put him in your lap and give him yummy things to eat. He'll eventually warm up.

 

[PigPandemonium]

The teeth grinding can be a sort of warning like "Just stay away from me!" The sniffing is most likely him just looking for a snack. If you're still having problems with the cage chewing, try and get him some other things to chew on instead. Wooden chews are not the best option, as I don't know any guinea pigs that like them. You can try paper towel rolls with a line cut on one side so they don't get stuck, just make sure that he does not eat it, just sorta chews it every now and again. You can also try some chew things at the pet store and such. I find that my pigs like to chew on grass twists, grass balls, and things of that nature.

 

[cynpz]

welli did leave him alone for a while after he was making those noises because i felt too that he was just afraid. i went and bought him some veggies and when i back, he heard me getting them ready and started chirpiing! since then, he's been really hyper and is jumping back and forth between his cage and floor area! he's approaching my hand as well when i put it in his area. its been about an hour and hes only gone into his igloo once and his big box house i made him once also! im still letting him do his thing, but i hope this is progress! thank you all so much for the help!

 

[Petlovr]

Sounds like you found the way to his heart-his tummy! So glad that he's warming up a little, and is excited. Excited piggies are the best, aren't they?

 

[cynpz]

definately! i love him so much! and even more when he's happy like he STILL is! hes still exploring the different area and was even crying for more veggies! (i didnt give him more though cuz im not sure how much is too much?) im really excited that he's being so active right now

Sounds like you found the way to his heart-his tummy! So glad that he's warming up a little, and is excited. Excited piggies are the best, aren't they?

 

[pinky]

I don't keep my pigloos in the cage all day but I do put them back at night. A few days after bringing a new one in, I start to follow that routine so they get used to the normal household routine. I feed them small pieces of veggies from my hand so they get used to coming up to me to eat their snacks. It only takes a couple of days for them to realize that humans are approachable. They associate your hand with good things and become more receptive to being pet and letting you clip their nails.

 

[cynpz]

thanks for this tip about the igloos, pinky! I'd also like to announce: my Ritz popcorned for the first time today! i was cleaning his cage while he was hiding in his house in the play area and he started going from thing to hing and then popping around! I got excited! And then he continued when I connected his cage, which I'm now using as his kitchen more progress, guys! Thanks for all the help!

 

[cynpz]

UPDATE ON RITZ!!! he is now familiar with my voice and looks for me when i talk to him! he approaches my hand anytime he sees it (looking for food i think). he popcorns regularly when i clean his cage or feed him, or randomly! he wheeks at anytime he hears a bag crinkle! it sometimes even turns into a whistle! haha! i sit in his cage and hand feed him his veggies and he crawls in to my lap and (usually) allows me to pet him and he sometimes even purrs! hes so adorable and so awesome! hes finally adapting and letting me love him! he still wont let me catch him, but ive been touching him the way i would if i were going to pick him that way he can get used to the feel of it.. thank you All for the help and tips! i look forward to bonding more with Ritz and im also looking for a buddy for him!