Behavior Nipping

[Shieme]

I think I read here somewhere that nipping is okay and a great way to check her mouth. Did I read that wrong?

Anywhy, I think Shiemi is playing a game with me. She will look at hand (fingers) and then walk up and slowly open her mouth. I use to tell her no till I read somewhere nipping is good. Now I wait for her to bare down and I rub her nose. Sometimes that stops it and then she popcorns around the cage. Today she nip and I would do the petting of the nose and my finger felt her teeth. She didn't care. We repeated till her bottom incisors went under my thumbnail. Ouch! No blood just hit the right spot.

now the question: should I continue this behavior. I want her happy and if this is a game to her and no blood, I don't see the harm.

She is quite the popcorner. She can jump her whole body length.

 

[bpatters]

No, nipping is NOT a great way to check her mouth. I don't know where you read that, but it's just flat wrong.

I wouldn't continue it. I'm sure you can find some other, similar game to play with her that doesn't involve her putting human fingers in her mouth.

 

[Shieme]

How do I correct her from starting it? I won't play with her with it anymore. I found it on this site but I don't know how to link it. It wasn't a post you commented on bpatters. I'm glad I posted it now. She is very young and she can be corrected I know it. She is really smart. I also need tips on holding her. She hates when I pick her up.

Thanks!

 

[Nickthestick]

How do I correct her from starting it? I won't play with her with it anymore. I found it on this site but I don't know how to link it. It wasn't a post you commented on bpatters. I'm glad I posted it now. She is very young and she can be corrected I know it. She is really smart. I also need tips on holding her. She hates when I pick her up.

Thanks!

Most piggies dont like to be held till they are adjusted and trust you. It took months for my piggy to actually come to the doir of his cage and chew on it which is how i am teaching him to do when he wants held. Don't rush it tho! What i first started doing is letting spots sniff my hand then pet him and talk to him as i picked him up. Now its to the point i can just pick him up no problems but only if he wants it

 

[Happy Cavy]

Hi Shieme. It takes time to gain a piggies trust. Don't forget their prey animals and by nature they're weary especially if they don't see your hand when you go to pick them up. Each pig is different. I use to have to use her carry case to bring her to floor time. She now jumps on my arm and I'm able to hold her and bring her down for floor t. But I still can't pick her up.

Here's a helpful link in regards to nibbling https://www.cavyspirit.com/biting.htm She can be nipping for different reasons from grooming to mites.

 

[Shieme]

She started the nipping after I hurt her digging her out of my couch. I think I hurt her. But she hasn't bit down or drawn blood. I can freely pet her and I don't rush to ran her. I can grab her but once she realizes she is getting picked up, she freaks and I think it all goes back to the couch accident. I mostly pet her now till cage cleaning time. Thanks everyone.

 

[Nickthestick]

She started the nipping after I hurt her digging her out of my couch. I think I hurt her. But she hasn't bit down or drawn blood. I can freely pet her and I don't rush to ran her. I can grab her but once she realizes she is getting picked up, she freaks and I think it all goes back to the couch accident. I mostly pet her now till cage cleaning time. Thanks everyone.

My piggy almost fell from where his cage is when I first got him because he squirmed so much but i have cat like reflexes and caught him in mid fall. Since then it's only when he knows he's in his cage he squirms to get out of my hands. The biggest thing is showing her that she will be ok with being held and wont get hurt from anything. What I've learned is everything has to do with trust with the piggies. Today is the first day i gave him a grape and he didn't touch it for about an hour till i held it broken in half for him which is a sign he knows it's safe and that trusts me. What I do is as soon as i take him out of the cage my other hand is also on him but near his feet and it makes him more comfortable

 

[eternalpnk]

One thing that has worked for me when picking up a guinea pig that doesn't like getting picked up is using a blanket or shoebox. My skittish guinea pig would teeth chatter at me when I try to pick her up, so I throw a blanket in the cage and lure her in then pick her up with the blanket around her. The fact that the blanket covers her helps her calm down.

 

[Shieme]

I got all the answers I needed. She is getting so confortable with me, when I watch her and we have play/petting time, no more nips and she lays down (in the cage) as closes to me as she can and relaxes. I'm very happy to join this site! I now know she was trying to be dominant over me. I don't allow that anymore. Yes she still tries but since she is doing it slowly, it's easy to pull away and just say no.

She also is so big. My only regrets, cage. I rather have one Piggie but I see why it would have been better to get two. But she is growing leaps and bounds. She loves green/red butter lettuce and if it wasn't for this site, I would have never have given that to her. We are still looking for more veggies. We are so close.

I use her her house to pick her up. And then a blanket/towel. This thread can be closed.

 

[Shieme]

I started it back, her nipping. But I think she really isn't nipping. She opens her mouth but doesn't bite me. Oh well, I take the blame! My mother had a heart attack and I reverted to my bad habit, I play rough thinking Shiemi is a puppy. We play tug a war. She always wins. She grabs the chew stick and throws it. Yes you heard me, she throws it. It's funny!

let me say this before I get yelled at, she has not drawn blood! She has a hidey but only uses it when I do cage cleaning time or thinks she is getting picked up. Also uses it when a stranger is in my room. So I think she thinks I'm a guinea pig. I see now why it's good to get two but she's not lonely.

My mom is doing great. She should be home soon.

 

[Shieme]

Yay, we are now cuddling outside her cage! No need for blankets or using the house to pick up. I only do it for a minute a day but seeing she is only four months old I believe we are going in the right direction. We will be having lap time so soon!

 

[Shieme]

Since getting Zoe, Shiemi as gotten more aggressive to me. Zoe, she is fine with. Durning feeding, fine. It's cuddle time she started nipping agin. No blood or broken skin so I'm not afraid of her. Or when I change the bedding (not the litter), Zoe poops and pees in the bedding so I have to change them. So I decided to give Shiemi a minute of lap time. At the end she nipped again. It's just warnings, I know. I make sure I hand feed her first before Zoe. Am I doing something wrong? I don't think it's protective behavior but it didn't start up till I got Zoe. Yeah she nip playfully but no "attacking" till Zoe. She would just slowly nip me like at lap time. I wonder if the cage is too small. Yeah it's the minimum for two piggies but I want a larger cage. Is this protective behavior. When I was younger, I don't remember this behavior. Geez. I love love love my girls so I want Shiemi happy!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

My Pooper used to be a biter. Sometimes, that's just they way they are. He only ever bit hard enough to break the skin once. I used to scratch the floor in front of him and he'd make a game of chasing my fingers with his mouth.

If he didn't like what I was doing, he'd bite me. Just hard enough to tell me he was the boss. He would chomp down and then look at me as if to say "See? I warned you."

Sometimes that's just the way they are. If she isn't drawing blood, and isn't hurting or attacking Zoe, then I would say just give her time. Things have changed for her recently and she may need time to settle down and sort it out.

 

[Shieme]

Okay, thanks @Guinea Pig Papa! That's what I thought but wasn't sure. I feel better. No skin or hard bites, just nips of attack sinceZoe. Otherwise they have only been, "I'm boss, put me down!" Or "I'm done, go away but stay close"

I owned guinea pigs 30 years ago but they stayed in 10 gallon aquariums. I gave them play time while my sister cleaned, fed, and bred them. I really only owned Muffin, so I carried her unless my sister got Leo to impregnate her.

Now I want to make sure I have happy girls and do the right thing! My sister saw Shiemi when I first got her and wanted to get a male at petsmart. You know what she wanted to do. I said no and we were still in a fight even though we're talking. Shiemi is my pet, no stock. Go back to your birds and snakes!

As of this moment, they are my only pets that need attention. I. Have a beta but water cleanings and feeding, no issue.