He Won't Stop Biting His Litter Tray !

[Jamie & Marley]

Hey guys so I got a lone Guinea pig bore called Marley and he has to be like because as a baby he actually fought with all his brothers so badly that one of them had to go to the vets he prefers it on his own or so the owner said. He lives in a 5x2 c and c cage with fleece in his house he has a litter tray because he is still kinda skittish so it's where he spends the day but at night or in the morning he is constantly chewing his litter tray and trying to top it up and digging in it which isn't s problem but how can I stop him chewing his litter pan he has hay 24/7 and numerous apple sticks and even a fresh apple tree branch but he just won't stop chewing it I've only had him 3 weeks and he's been so quiet until now does anyone know anything I can put on or do to the litter pan to make him not want to chew it TIA Marley & Jamie xox

 

[Swissgreys]

Welcome ot the forum.

It sounds like Marley is a very lucky boy with such a nice big cage.
Unfortunately guinea pigs are chewers, and some chew more than others.
It sounds like you already offer him plenty to chew on, but guinea pigs can also be picky about what they want to destroy
Some other suggestions would be a wooden house, a carrot cottage (cardboard with a carrot coating on the roof), or willow balls.

Plus please do think about getting him a companion.
Guinea pigs really are so much happier when they have a friend of their own kind to play with.
Even though he fought with another guinea pig before, this does not mean he can never get on with another guinea pig, and as he is so young he has a long life ahead of him.
If you update your profile to add your location hopefully people can direct you towards a local rescue who can help find your boy a friend.

 

[3Tyger]

Plus please do think about getting him a companion.
Guinea pigs really are so much happier when they have a friend of their own kind to play with.
Even though he fought with another guinea pig before, this does not mean he can never get on with another guinea pig, and as he is so young he has a long life ahead of him.

I totally agree. Guinea pigs are very sociable creatures that need company of their own kind. They can be picky about who they accept to live with them, but a rescue will be able to help you to find him a compatible friend to share his life with.
Also, he has a nice spacious home to share and there are many guinea pigs out there that desperately need a good home

 

[VickiA]

to the forum. I agree totally with the posters above. Piggies are instinctive chewers and will often ignore the specially dedicated items for chewing in, in favour of the structure of their cage or houses etc! It's amazing how strong those little teeth are.

Piggies do much better in pairs than singly. A single piggy is a lonely piggy. There are very few piggies who genuinely can't be bonded to another piggy, and yours has an amazing space and home that would accommodate a companion. However, finding the right companion is key. Not all piggies get on with each other, so dating at a rescue is the safest option for getting a good match. Where are you situated?

 

[Adelle]

I agree. I think the fact he fought with "all" his brothers suggests it was his previous set up that was the problem, not him.. A group of males more than 2 rarely works out.

Guinea pigs are chewers but boredom is probably a factor here since he doesn't have any company.
My girls only chew for a reason... My two old girls chew the correx of the c&c for a few seconds whilst I'm getting them something from the drawer. My youngsters chew the side of their plastic hidies when I'm taking too long to fill Their tray, or if they haven't had floor time that day yet and are getting a little bored.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Teenage boys in a small cage they can't get away from each other means that they will inevitably fight. 3-4 teenage boys living together have a fall-out rate of 90-100% before they reach adulthood even under the best of circumstances. Marley is not unsocial, he has been majorly failed by humans.

Even if you can't get to a good rescue that offers boar dating under expert supervision, so you come home only with a companion he gets on with and you have the support of the rescue for the duration of the piggy's life, you can still consider having him neutered by a good vet, so he can live with a sow or two (your cage is big enough for a mixed gender trio) after a 6 weeks' post-op wait. Several of my "husboars" have or have had had a very happy life indeed after ending up in rescue as fallen-out "biting bullies"!
Alternatively, another single live-alongside companion would also be an option for interaction and companionship through the bars if dating and neutering are both not possible for you.

You may find this link here interesting; it will illuminate what Marley has been up against; you can also find lists of good rescues and recommended vets in several countries. Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Jamie & Marley]

Welcome ot the forum.

It sounds like Marley is a very lucky boy with such a nice big cage.
Unfortunately guinea pigs are chewers, and some chew more than others.
It sounds like you already offer him plenty to chew on, but guinea pigs can also be picky about what they want to destroy
Some other suggestions would be a wooden house, a carrot cottage (cardboard with a carrot coating on the roof), or willow balls.

Plus please do think about getting him a companion.
Guinea pigs really are so much happier when they have a friend of their own kind to play with.
Even though he fought with another guinea pig before, this does not mean he can never get on with another guinea pig, and as he is so young he has a long life ahead of him.
If you update your profile to add your location hopefully people can direct you towards a local rescue who can help find your boy a friend.

Hiya thankyou, yes he is getting a friend towards Christmas and if they don't get along they will live next to each other so they still have Guinea pig company

 

[Jamie & Marley]

Thankyou everyone! He is getting a companion before Christmas and we will be doing piggie dating x

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou everyone! He is getting a companion before Christmas and we will be doing piggie dating x

That is great news! All the best!

You will find that attention seeking behaviours is getting less with company. The best thing is to try and ignore it (if a behaviour is not doing the trick, it often stops) or see whether the tricks in these threads here can help; they are using guinea pig body language and dominance behaviour.
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
" Biting" And What You Can Do

 

[Jamie & Marley]

That is great news! All the best!

You will find that attention seeking behaviours is getting less with company. The best thing is to try and ignore it (if a behaviour is not doing the trick, it often stops) or see whether the tricks in these threads here can help; they are using guinea pig body language and dominance behaviour.
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
" Biting" And What You Can Do

Thankyou it is exciting xx I'll also be upgrading to a 12x2 c and c cage very excited !x