2280CLAIRE
Adult Guinea Pig
Hi everyone,
I've had my boys from 6 weeks for about 3/4months now. One of them has a tendancy to nip me, and I don't know how to control it. I sometimes wonder if it is because I spoil them too much? Edward (the nipper) will be on my lap, wrapped up in a blanket and nice and cosy for a good while, but when I decide to put him back, he will nip me as if to say "How dare you!?". He always does it when I am picking him up to go back into his cage. My boyfriend also reports that when his hand has been near Edward (clean hands-not smelling of food), he has felt his teeth on his skin but my boyfriend has flinched fast enough to avoid being fully bitten.
When he bites, he doesn't draw blood, but he is leaving red marks and it is bothering me that it could be quite dangerous-i.e he bites me when I have him in my arms and it makes me jump (I have hard flooring throughout). Even when he is wrapped up (and I always hold him close to my body), he makes a distinct effort to bite me when I go to put him back after he has been comfortable. I wonder if it is because he doesn't know that I'm the boss yet!? His brother has never done it, and in fact is the total opposite-I can stroke his lip, kiss him on his whiskers/cheeks, and he loves it-never once bitten me.
Any advice would be gratefully received. I don't want to "discipline" him (e.g a tap on the nose)-as I feel this would only leave him scared of me, but I don't want him to believe he can continue to bite me either...
I've had my boys from 6 weeks for about 3/4months now. One of them has a tendancy to nip me, and I don't know how to control it. I sometimes wonder if it is because I spoil them too much? Edward (the nipper) will be on my lap, wrapped up in a blanket and nice and cosy for a good while, but when I decide to put him back, he will nip me as if to say "How dare you!?". He always does it when I am picking him up to go back into his cage. My boyfriend also reports that when his hand has been near Edward (clean hands-not smelling of food), he has felt his teeth on his skin but my boyfriend has flinched fast enough to avoid being fully bitten.
When he bites, he doesn't draw blood, but he is leaving red marks and it is bothering me that it could be quite dangerous-i.e he bites me when I have him in my arms and it makes me jump (I have hard flooring throughout). Even when he is wrapped up (and I always hold him close to my body), he makes a distinct effort to bite me when I go to put him back after he has been comfortable. I wonder if it is because he doesn't know that I'm the boss yet!? His brother has never done it, and in fact is the total opposite-I can stroke his lip, kiss him on his whiskers/cheeks, and he loves it-never once bitten me.
Any advice would be gratefully received. I don't want to "discipline" him (e.g a tap on the nose)-as I feel this would only leave him scared of me, but I don't want him to believe he can continue to bite me either...