Chewing Everything

[Shadow2224]

I have two new guinea pigs, about 5 week old females. One of them, Rey, chews on absolutely everything. She will chew on her cage, her bed, her water bottle. I bought wood chew toys that hung in their cage and in the 6 days I've had them she had chewed them down to nothing. She will also chew the other guinea pigs fur or her own fur. She won't yank it out or hurt them but when's she's done the fur will be all soggy. She also nibbles on my hand or my ear, and chew my hair. Out of the 5 guinea pigs I have she is the only one that does this. Why is she always chewing on something? Is something wrong with her? ( She's on the right in the photo)

 

[Freela]

As rodents, guinea pigs are wired to chew, and some seem more invested in this behavior than others! It may just be her personality (one of my pigs was a dedicated chewer... we had to watch our carpets, doorframes, etc. She was very high-strung/jumpy, I think she was just anxiously chewing things, kind of like a nervous eater!) Barbering (chewing on the other pigs' fur) is a behavior that some guinea pigs engage in and others never do... one of mine used to barber her cagemate but only when she was feeling stressed out by something, like traveling in the car. Other times she was fine. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to give her safe things to chew on... she may settle down as she gets older or she may just be high-strung, but I really doubt there is something wrong with her.

 

[Sophie B]

That's just guinea pigs for you!

 

[Betsy]

As rodents, guinea pigs are wired to chew, and some seem more invested in this behavior than others! It may just be her personality (one of my pigs was a dedicated chewer... we had to watch our carpets, doorframes, etc. She was very high-strung/jumpy, I think she was just anxiously chewing things, kind of like a nervous eater!) Barbering (chewing on the other pigs' fur) is a behavior that some guinea pigs engage in and others never do... one of mine used to barber her cagemate but only when she was feeling stressed out by something, like traveling in the car. Other times she was fine. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to give her safe things to chew on... she may settle down as she gets older or she may just be high-strung, but I really doubt there is something wrong with her.

 

[Wiebke]

I have two new guinea pigs, about 5 week old females. One of them, Rey, chews on absolutely everything. She will chew on her cage, her bed, her water bottle. I bought wood chew toys that hung in their cage and in the 6 days I've had them she had chewed them down to nothing. She will also chew the other guinea pigs fur or her own fur. She won't yank it out or hurt them but when's she's done the fur will be all soggy. She also nibbles on my hand or my ear, and chew my hair. Out of the 5 guinea pigs I have she is the only one that does this. Why is she always chewing on something? Is something wrong with her? ( She's on the right in the photo)

Rodents don't have a vomit reflex but guinea pigs have double the taste bud of humans. Chewing and tasting is how they explore their world. Some piggies also do it as part of social interaction. Some piggies are more into than others.
Barbering ( Eating Hair)
" Biting" And What You Can Do