Bitten for the first time !

[l.hagan]

So sitting enjoying some lap time with the girls and Daisy (tri colour) bit me very hard on the finger and it was more of a shock for me because I don’t think either of them had ever done that ! Whilst in my lap Rosie was chattering her teeth at her because daisy wanted to lay on Rosie’s head. I petted Rosie who loves a head rub and that’s when she bit me ! I just carried on but when I went to pet Rosie again she went to do it again so I put them back in the cage.

I have noticed since bringing in the piggies daisy has been a bit aggressive towards Rosie who is such a wee timid thing and always has been. she steals food flips over her bowl of nuggets and is overall very dominant.

So my question is do you think it’s a jealousy thing or is she not my friend any more ?

 

[Wiebke]

So sitting enjoying some lap time with the girls and Daisy (tri colour) bit me very hard on the finger and it was more of a shock for me because I don’t think either of them had ever done that ! Whilst in my lap Rosie was chattering her teeth at her because daisy wanted to lay on Rosie’s head. I petted Rosie who loves a head rub and that’s when she bit me ! I just carried on but when I went to pet Rosie again she went to do it again so I put them back in the cage.

I have noticed since bringing in the piggies daisy has been a bit aggressive towards Rosie who is such a wee timid thing and always has been. she steals food flips over her bowl of nuggets and is overall very dominant.

So my question is do you think it’s a jealousy thing or is she not my friend any more ?

Hi

You have to expect more dominance as part of the group re-establishment in any new territory; it generally lasts around 2 weeks.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (see chapter 3)

Rosie may be either fed up with being dominated by both you and Daisy or she is finally coming off her 'uninteresting prey' instinct when being handled and is making it clear with her tweaking that she doesn't like any head rubs. Please accept such a strongly worded warning. It is not a bad thing because Rosie needs to feel safe enough with you to have the courage to tell you off when you cross a boundary of yours. That takes trust.
Try to have a session with her on her own, using piggy whispering tips and work out with her what she likes and what not by heeding her feedback. She will trust you even more when you listen to her and respect her wishes.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
" Biting" And What You Can Do (Biting, Tweaking, Nibbling and Nipping)

 

[Cheekypigs]

It's not really a question of being friends. She was just expressing a boundary - she didn't want petted just then and was annoyed and stressed and so went a bit overboard in how she expressed it.

I know in human etiquette we don't express boundaries by biting each other, but we have language. Guinea pigs communicate using the tools that they have.

I remember once I had a very sweet, laid back guinea pig on my lap while watching some sort of dramatic TV show. There was a very loud explosion, and he turned his head and nipped me on the hand. He was never a biter usually. But he was scared and annoyed and he decided to lodge a complaint. Loud explosions were not ok with him.

Maybe try petting the pigs individually while things are a bit tense between them?