Is It Normal For Baby Guinea Pigs Bite?

[Piglets85]

Hi was wondering if anyone can help.

My 11 week old guinea pig bites me when I hold him. Sometimes when he does it I think it because he needs the toilet as when I out him back in the cage he goes straight away. But there's times where I've just took him out and he bites me even if he doesn't need the toilet.

Is this normal for a baby?
And will he keep doing it?


Thanks

 

[Wiebke]

it is quite common for babies to tweak, especially when they need to go to the toilet. You may consider any scents you are using see whether not using them makes a difference.

Some piggies will also try to assert themselves via tweaking. Is he a single piggy? than that is more likely as he is forced to establish a hierarchy with you. You may want to think getting him a companion of his own kind in the long run. If you are in the UK, we can offer you a recommended safe to use rescues locator on the top bar. All these good standard rescues offer boar dating under expert supervision at the rescue, so you maximise your chances of finding a character compatible boar preferably with an age difference to stabilise the relationship when your boy hits the teenage hormones while minimising your risk of coming home with two boars that don't get on. You have the ongoing support of the rescue and don't have to worry about quarantine or missexing. There are good rescues in other countries, but they are much further spaced apart.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-companionship.37654/

You can discourage him by praising him lavishly for behaviours you want him to exhibit and establishing an expression for disappointment/displeasure (I use "Uh, oh" for example). Plain "no" is not a concept that guinea pigs! He should eventually get the hint and settle down with you.

 

[Piglets85]

Th

it is quite common for babies to tweak, especially when they need to go to the toilet. You may consider any scents you are using see whether not using them makes a difference.

Some piggies will also try to assert themselves via tweaking. Is he a single piggy? than that is more likely as he is forced to establish a hierarchy with you. You may want to think getting him a companion of his own kind in the long run. If you are in the UK, we can offer you a recommended safe to use rescues locator on the top bar. All these good standard rescues offer boar dating under expert supervision at the rescue, so you maximise your chances of finding a character compatible boar preferably with an age difference to stabilise the relationship when your boy hits the teenage hormones while minimising your risk of coming home with two boars that don't get on. You have the ongoing support of the rescue and don't have to worry about quarantine or missexing. There are good rescues in other countries, but they are much further spaced apart.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-companionship.37654/

You can discourage him by praising him lavishly for behaviours you want him to exhibit and establishing an expression for disappointment/displeasure (I use "Uh, oh" for example). Plain "no" is not a concept that guinea pigs! He should eventually get the hint and settle down with you.

Thanks for your reply.

He does have a companion who is a year older than him. They were from the same place and were first introduced and out together when I went and got them. They seem to get on well apart from the older one tends to chase him about and try mounting him a lot. The younger one squeaks and tries to run away. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. When he bites it's not just a tweak he bites really hard and today when he done it he wouldn't let go. He bites that hard that he draws blood too and it hurts like hell lol

I'm just worried that he's going to keep doing it. I do give him treats and try to distract him to stop him doing it but he doesn't seem bothered and will still bite.

Not sure if any of that makes sense lol