Gnashing Teeth

[streak]

I have a cardboard box that I use at floor time. When the girls have had enough floor time and want to go to bed the sit in this box, they have other boxes that they play in during floor time but we have an agreement that this box means they want to leave. It took two weeks of training to get to this stage!

Last night, during the daily floor time, Stars ran into the box and immediately walked out. She then turn to me a gnashed her teeth before running off to play with Brownie. I don't believe it was aggressive as they both walked over to me shortly afterward and were climbing all over me, plus usual noises continued shortly after. Floor time last another twenty minutes before the both went in the box to wait.

I've never heard either of them gnash their teeth before.

So the question is why did she gnash her teeth at me? Was letting me know that she wasn't ready for floor time to end? Was she angry at herself for running into the box, or me for witnessing her doing it?

 

[Wiebke]

I would think that she was telling you to not spoil her fun.

 

[streak]

A google search seems to indicate that its not a good sign, although I don't think it ticks the boxes listed in the links I read. It seems quite an aggressive sound, which I've not heard either of them do before or since.

 

[Wiebke]

A google search seems to indicate that its not a good sign, although I don't think it ticks the boxes listed in the links I read. It seems quite an aggressive sound, which I've not heard either of them do before or since.

If a piggy feels strongly and is either very confident in its home or very much on edge (which yours isn't), you get a stronger response. You always have to see it in the situational context.

The standard gradings you are citing go by introductions of new guinea pigs and not necessarily interaction with humans. As your piggies are still happily interacting with you once they have got their desire, I would not worry whatsoever.

If they get too uppity with you and are pushing their boundaries too much, use the tricks in this link here. It attempts to tackle the issue from a guinea pig's perspective and not so much from a human's. How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language