|
Very rarely will a guinea
pig ever bite. Normally, when guinea pigs bite, they are trying to
tell you something, and is one of the ways guinea pigs communicate
with people. However, guinea pigs virtually never bite people out of
malice. Also, guinea pigs more nip or nibble, rather than actually
biting.
Why a healthy, normal guinea
pig might bite, nip, or nibble:
If a guinea pig is being
held or carried a certain way, they may not feel safe or secure, so
they may try to nip the person they are being held by to let them
know of their discontent. It is very often just a nip, but if there
are other things that may be causing stress, it may be a little
harder than that. To make a guinea pig feel secure when you are
holding him or her, hold them close to your body and use a towel or
something else to wrap them in, and try not to let them know they
are in the air. If a child is bit, they may, unintentionally, be
holding the guinea pig incorrectly. See our
handling page for more
information. If a guinea pig is not yet a total 'lap pet' and not
100% used to being held and they have been held for a while, this
might be a way of telling you to put them back in their cage. Guinea
pigs, on average, need to empty their bladder every 15-20 minutes,
so look for signs if holding them that long so that nipping is
prevented. A guinea pig might be sensitive in a certain area,
typically around their bottom, or if they have a parasite such as
mites or some other illness or condition, they may not like to be
held. This is why guinea pigs need an annual vet check-up. Some
other reasons are grumpiness from being in a small cage, trying to
groom you, was pet against the lay of his hair, is a baby, or going
through adolescence. |
