Don’t touch my neck!

[Nattzzz]

Cinnamon hates his neck touched! If you even lay your finger under or near his neck he will bite you. I’ve had sooo many people get scared of him or think he’s a bad animal because they’ve touched his neck and he snapped (even after I warned them.. ) He’s been like this since I’ve gotten him and the person I received him from was giving him away because he bit their three year old daughter. Anyways, I was curious if anyone else’s piggies behave like this? Could it be from past trauma of being grabbed by the lower neck? Or something else? Share your stories and experiences please!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

As you cannot ask a piggy directly what is the reason why they do not want to be touched in a certain area, all we can do is guessing. But being handled roughly by a child can be indeed very traumatising as I know from my own experience with ex-toddler adoptees.

I would however strongly recommend to not expose Cinnamon to any people who are not responsible enough to stay off his sensitive area.
You may find these guides here helpful in dealing with him in a way that makes sense to him but to also always respect any quirks that your pets come with.
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

 

[Nattzzz]

Hi!

As cannot ask a piggy directly what is the reason why they do not want to be touched in a certain area, all we can do is guessing. But being handled roughly by a child can be indeed very traumatising as I know from my own experience with ex-toddler adoptees.

I would however strongly recommend to not expose Cinnamon to any people who are not responsible enough to stay off his sensitive area.
You may find these guides here helpful in dealing with him in a way that makes sense to him but to also always respect any quirks that your pets come with.
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Yes! I’ve had many people that have tried to tease him by touching his neck quick, he also doesn’t like to directly be touched on the butt, and he will helicopter, Ive caught people teasing him and I’ve gotten very angry and told them not to touch him. It’s a sensitive thing for him and he’s older than my other piggies, he deserves to have a safe environment and loving home now. Thank you for the advice and thread I will make sure to read it. (Also I know this isn’t relative but cinnamon peed on me as I was writing this..)

 

[LucasM2000]

Hello, this is weird to say but my boar is named cinnamon as well and he bites people when you touch his neck... If the family before you got cinnamon from a rescue or adoption center then it is possible for him to have trauma and in addition, handling from a little kid can also cause trauma. As you know, kids dont know how to fully handle guinea pigs. Its possible that he might have trauma. Since i wasnt as experienced when i bought cinnamon, I bought him from petco instead of adopting, even though its a pet store animals can still get abused. So in the end, either he has trauma or he just doesnt want to be touched there.. I never found a solution to my boar biting people so I just had to live with it. Sorry you are experiencing this just like me, I hope you can find a solution...