Chewing motion - is it chattering?

[milliepops]

Hi!

We've had our piggies now for 4 weeks, and I've just got a couple of questions

Firstly, when I pick them up, they do a 'munching' or chewing action with their mouths, it's not very noisy/chattery. Is it teeth chattering, telling me to back off, or is it likely they've just been eating? How do you know the difference?

Also, Clem the Mum often licks me, she was really tucking in tonight!
I've heard some people think it's a sign of affection, but is it really, or is it a way of getting salts? Should they have a salt wheel in their cage?

Thanks for any responses!

 

[LoneGuardian09]

About the mouth movement thing, my two do this when I bring them in, or look at them, or think of them... anyways, I think it's more of an anxious thing, does it settle after they have some food?

 

[piggyfan]

Guinea pigs are forever chewing as they have to keep their teeth down. They may also have bits of hay in their mouth.

You are getting piggy kisses from your piggy. That is lovely. Salt licks are terrible and should be banned. No guinea pigs should have them.

 

[Freela]

Pigs have teeth that grow continuously, so they will grind their teeth often. They also keep food in the back of their mouths for a long time, so the jaw motion could easily be them chewing something that they still have in their mouths that you can't see. I'm not too sure about the licking. Mine do it too. I tell the kids it's a kiss, but I have noticed my pigs step it up more if I'm sweaty or if I have just been cooking and smell like food! I think it's exploring as much as anything.

 

[milliepops]

About the mouth movement thing, my two do this when I bring them in, or look at them, or think of them... anyways, I think it's more of an anxious thing, does it settle after they have some food?

They seem to stop it after they've been on my lap a few minutes x

 

[gogoguineas]

The chewing thing can be a few things, like piggyfan said they often hold food in the back of their mouths and this is what they are chewing, they do grind their teeth and sometimes its just habit, i've never associated it with anything bad, mild annoyance at best but it often settles.

You'll just KNOW teeth chattering when it happens, i've been keeping pigs for many years but never heard a bad bout of it until this year when one of my pairs of boars fell out temporarily and it is LOUD trust me!

 

[katiepops]

Teeth chattering is a horrible sound, you'll really know it when you hear it.
Sounds like they're just anxious if they're settling down quickly.
No need for a salt lick. Some of my pigs lick, others don't. George doesn't just lick it's like he has to wash me! I think it's a mixture of 'kisses' and exploring.