Biting

[Beth8514]

I have a female guinea pig who is almost a year old and she is biting me whenever i stroke her near her tummy. She lives on her own and has never had babies. Is it just the time of year (being spring) or something else?

 

[Wiebke]

I have a female guinea pig who is almost a year old and she is biting me whenever i stroke her near her tummy. She lives on her own and has never had babies. Is it just the time of year (being spring) or something else?

Most guinea pigs don't like being touched around the belly.
You might find this guide here helpful: Biting
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

Please be aware that guinea pigs are group animals and not really wired to be on their own. You are bound to get a lot more dominance interaction from her that would normally be reserved for her companions, as she is missing the stimulation and constant social interaction from her kind.
Companionship

 

[Beth8514]

Most guinea pigs don't like being touched around the belly.
You might find this guide here helpful: Biting
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

Please be aware that guinea pigs are group animals and not really wired to be on their own. You are bound to get a lot more dominance interaction from her that would normally be reserved for her companions, as she is missing the stimulation and constant social interaction from her kind.
Companionship

I have another Female guinea pig and we tried them together, however they didn`t get along as well as i thought. Should i stick it out and keep on trying?
Thanks for your reply.

 

[VickiA]

None of my piggies has ever liked being touched on their belly or anywhere near it. They have quite distinct no go zones that they communicate to you, sometimes by movIng away, kicking or pushing. Wiebkes article on biting is superb. Please take the time to read it.

 

[Beth8514]

None of my piggies has ever liked being touched on their belly or anywhere near it. They have quite distinct no go zones that they communicate to you, sometimes by movIng away, kicking or pushing. Wiebkes article on biting is superb. Please take the time to read it.

Thank you for your reply, I`ll have a read through Wiebkes article. This has been very helpful.

 

[Wiebke]

I have another Female guinea pig and we tried them together, however they didn`t get along as well as i thought. Should i stick it out and keep on trying?
Thanks for your reply.

Are they next to each other for mutual stimulation? Thanks for clarifying that point. Single piggies are more prone to do dominance tweaking.

You can give it a new try if you wish and see how far you get this time. By far not all piggies like each other, but they still need the interaction through the bars at the least - they are very much like humans in that respect. We have got lots of bonding tips at the top of this section.

 

[Beth8514]

Are they next to each other for mutual stimulation? Thanks for clarifying that point. Single piggies are more prone to do dominance tweaking.

You can give it a new try if you wish and see how far you get this time. By far not all piggies like each other, but they still need the interaction through the bars at the least - they are very much like humans in that respect. We have got lots of bonding tips at the top of this section.

OK, I`ll give it a go. Thanks again.

 

[Wiebke]

OK, I`ll give it a go. Thanks again.

At the worst, they won't get on, but you will see that very quickly.