does you piggie bite?

[guinea_piglet]

Do your guinea piggie bite? My piggie doesn't bite allllll the time but she does bite from time to time. Last time she bit me I was holding her and she was wheeking/squealing when i was putting her back in her cage and bit my thumb. I'm guessing that she bit me because she was scared or something. But I also think she just bites for fun. Like she needs to chew on something. Like she chews all her toys.. I don't think that shes angry or vicious, i just think she just biting for fun, knowing that I'm her owner and that its just for fun. But i'm not really sure. So i need your help! Do you piggie bite you? If she/he does how did you get her to stop? Or is it that she just bites me for fun?.. I don't really know so i need some help!!!! Thank You!

 

[dagwellismypigy]

CavySpirit.com/biting.htm

 

[DocDolittle]

Does she break skin or is it nibbling? If she breaks skin go to the link above, but if she's just nibbling she may smell food on your hand or have to go potty.

 

[All4Cavies]

Ive noticed if I eat an orange or something my piggies find yummy and then I hold them ... they'll sniff at my fingers and then nibble a little bit. It's cute. I usually have some extra of whatever fruit or veggie I had available and give them a bite and they're satisfied. I probably sound really dumb... but I think they're adorable.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

One of my piggies licks and nibbles my fingers all the time. If it is like that, don't worry. But if it is breaking the skin or drawing blood, you need to train her not to. I'll tell you how if your interested.

 

[stacyandpigz]

My one boy Reeses nibbles a lot. Not hard, just like tasting. He's only drawn blood once and it was an accident. He was biting my engagement ring and his top teeth slipped underneath and gave me a little cut. My one girl Jubilee nibbles on my fingers with just her lips. It's the funniest thing! It actually tickles.

 

[suzy_99]

I have one of the rare bitting guinea pigs. She bites all the time if we put our hand right up to her mouth. I have just learned to pick her up by going nowhere near her face. She is usually alright once she is in my lap, but I can't let her nibble for too long or else she will get curious and decide that she wants to know what my finger taste like. I have looked at all of the bitting sites and nothing really helps because she is calm as can be and doesn't ever mind being picked up. She is also quite relaxed when she is on me because she will actually lay on her side and close her eyes.
I don't know why your guinea is bitting you, but I just wanted to let you know that the rare bitting guinea pig that seems to do it just for fun does exist (she even bite the vet)

 

[lauren]

Timothy has never bitten.
Baby Cosmo, on the other hand, is a little rapscallion brimming with curiosity and attitude. He yanks on my clothes, chews on zippers, and has drawn blood three times...OUCH!
That Cavy Spirit link was very helpful. I think that Cosmo's zaniness hides the stress he feels. When times are quiet, he actually curls up in my lap and forgets about his bloodlust. He's doing better...little by little.

 

[pennick]

Mine never bite. They may nibble and lick. I have read that guinea pigs rarely bite thats why they make such great pets for children. After reading many posts about intentional biting and drawing blood, I wonder if there is something wrong with these piggies or if the knowledge given is incorrect? We would never tolerate a dog or cat biting, as a matter of fact many of these animals are put to sleep for this. Why are piggies different?
Yours thoughts would be interesting.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

I get nipped sometimes when I cut nails or carry them and they want to be put down sometimes. It doesn't really hurt and they don't break skin. Kind of nipping.

 

[suzy_99]

Dogs, unlike guinea pigs can learn what behavior is right and wrong. When an owner punishes a dog for bad behavior, the dog is usually able to understand what behavior warranted the punishement, so long as it is consistent and follows that unwanted behavior. Guinea pigs cannot really be discipline in this manner. You cannot really tell a guinea pig that something was bad and expect them to not do it anymore. After a while they may learn that certain behavior on their part are followed by positive or negative reinforcements, such as weeking really loud usually gets them some nice tasty food, but I really doubt that it would be possible to model this behavior in such a way to prevent bitting.

Also, dog attacks and bites are much more serious than a small guinea pig bite. Children die each year because of careless dog owners, but have you ever heard of a fatal guinea pig attack.

I myself was severely attacked by my own cat (my own fault thought) and I was bitten by my guinea pig. The numerous scars on my arm tell me that guinea pigs are nowheres near as dangerous as these other animals can be.

Lastly, who can blame an animal for trying to protect themselves. Guinea pigs are prey animals, so the only defenses they have are their speed and their teeth. Dogs and cats on the other hand are very much predators and USUALLY when they attack it is out of aggressiveness or dominance issues, such as trying to protect an owner. If a dog bites out of fear, then it is probably the person's fault who got bit for causing the dog to have something to fear.

Sorry for the long post, but I once had to put a dog to sleep because she was very vicious from to much inbreeding. She bit through my aunts hand (my aunt's own fault), but then she bite a kid who was just knocking at our door to sell chocolat bars. This was clearly an act of aggression and we could not risk that the next attack would end much worse.

 

[stipma]

Also, dog attacks and bites are much more serious than a small guinea pig bite. Children die each year because of careless dog owners, but have you ever heard of a fatal guinea pig attack.

I know it's a serious topic but every time I think of this statement I start to laugh. I can just picture the next "made for TV" movie, "Revenge of the Killer Guinea Pigs" Sorry...couldn't let it go...lol

 

[Trixie]

I have one piggy out of 5 that is a biter. She will draw blood every chance she gets. I have a small scare on my finger because of her. My kids will not pick her up. Its either me or hubby and he has been bitten twice now. I don't know why she does it. She just does and the lynx site is no help either. She doesnt get much lap time or handled as much because of this. I think I will invest in some leather gloves for when we pick her up. She does it either when we pick her up for floor time or when we put her back in her cage after floor time. She is fine once we actually have her out though.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

I have one piggy out of 5 that is a biter. She will draw blood every chance she gets. I have a small scare on my finger because of her. My kids will not pick her up. Its either me or hubby and he has been bitten twice now. I don't know why she does it. She just does and the lynx site is no help either. She doesnt get much lap time or handled as much because of this. I think I will invest in some leather gloves for when we pick her up. She does it either when we pick her up for floor time or when we put her back in her cage after floor time. She is fine once we actually have her out though.

I understand, and I am sorry, but please dont buy leather gloves... choose an animal friendly alternative that will work just as well.

 

[Sabriel]

My piggies nibble on me when they groom me and they nibble on my husband because he spends all day at work mixing spices.

My cats occasionaly bite too out of fear or also while grooming me. I would never put an animal down for the occasional nip or a bite out of fear. That would be awful. Maybe I just take for granted that if you don't treat your animals well that they will bite or scratch. I guess my Grandma's cranky cats taught me that lesson.

 

[dandelion]

When I first got my piggy Coco he would bite really hard and draw blood. He would do this when I would be carrying him back to his cage from lap time or when I put my hand in his hidey house. For him I think it was just a matter of trust because he now lets me put my hands in his house and only bites softly when I am bringing him back to his cage. It is kind of weird, both my piggys gently nibble at my hand when I am carrying them back to their cage. Its almost as if they are saying they don't want to go back!

 

[crittermom]

I call Jerry my Li'l Nipper. As a 5-week old he drew blood, and my hunch is that he would still if I hadn't learned how to give him specialized handling. He has very limited tolerance (I'm talking 15 or 20 seconds) for being held; after that he needs to wiggle around and change position/view. Woe to me if I try to hold onto him when he does that, because his head will come whipping around to bite at my hand. I know it's coming and how to avoid it, so he never makes contact. Here's the irony: He's a genuinely tame, friendly guy who just eats up all the stroking he can get while in a cozy or just standing up wheeking for attention on the grids of his C&C. He's a cinch to pick up, never runs away, just can't abide being held in one position! His brother, on the other hand, shies away from being picked up but once he's being held he's a real snuggle lover. I've read all the biting links, followed suggestions, and I'm still left scratching my head in puzzlement. I'm convinced what I have is an affectionate but strong-willed piggy who KNOWS what he wants. Well, when wiggling doesn't result in him achieving his desired control back, what then is he left with but biting? My husband and I refer to him as a PWA (piggy with attitude!). I'm just glad he's mine instead of a child's, because he surely would have come to a sad end a while ago. And he really is a lover, really. Just not the docile-does-nothing-and-sits-there type.

 

[ChadWPB]

My Fuzzie bites, but he plays a sort of tug-o-war with my finger. It hurts a bit, but I know he's not holding on out of fear or pain, just playing.

He also nips to let you know when he's gotta pee. We put him back home post haste. Convenient!

 

[All4Cavies]

Yeah, I've never actually been bit. Thank heavens, cause looking at those teeth, I'm going to take a wild guess and say it HURTS!!! Mine only nibble.. it's cute.

 

[smileyface cavy]

How old is your pig? If he's around 3 months he could be going through puberty, and want to be dominant; that's one cause of biting. Carrot did that.

Carrot nibbles my feet sometimes when he's having floor time and my legs are stretched out.