Piggie chews cage bars at night

[Kaki]

Hi guys I got a guinea pig 3 month ago and a couple weeks ago he started chewing on the cage bars at night at the SAME TIME every day. I tried giving him more veggies and hay before I go to sleep and that helped couple of times but he hasnt completely stopped chewing the bars. One night I removed the cage and he got out and walked around for a while and then went inside and was quiet. I let him out of his cage everyday and he never wants to come out this bad during the day. The chewing lasts for around 10-15 mins max and then he gives up and goes to sleep. I dont know what to do because I think that if I give him any attention when he does it he will never stop but I'm worried about his teeth and that they might break. Pls help me

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

What enrichment does he have in his cage - hides, tunnels etc?
Does he have big piles of hay to play in?
How big is his cage?

Most importantly, does he live with another guinea pig?
Piggies are highly social animals and should never be kept by themselves. Living with another piggy is the best form of enrichment and if your boy lives alone then loneliness will be a factor. Human attention is never enough for them.
If he doesn’t live with another guinea pig, then do bond him with another male piggy. Ensure your cage is big enough for two boars ie ideally 180x60cm (but 150x60cm as a minimum).

There is a section in this guide which explains bar biting -
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours

Companionship
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[eileen]

Welcome to the forum ! agree with the above post.Try not to give attention whilst he is at the bars,otherwise it will persist.Piles of hay are great idea to entertain,and old inner toilet rolls stuffed with hay,ensure you cut down the middle of the toilet roll.Please read the guides that have been linked.Goodluck.

 

[Kaki]

Hi guys I got a guinea pig 3 month ago and a couple weeks ago he started chewing on the cage bars at night at the SAME TIME every day. I tried giving him more veggies and hay before I go to sleep and that helped couple of times but he hasnt completely stopped chewing the bars. One night I removed the cage and he got out and walked around for a while and then went inside and was quiet. I let him out of his cage everyday and he never wants to come out this bad during the day. The chewing lasts for around 10-15 mins max and then he gives up and goes to sleep. I dont know what to do because I think that if I give him any attention when he does it he will never stop but I'm worried about his teeth and that they might breakPls help me

Firstly I wanna thank you guys for such quick respones
To respond to your messages, he is the only piggy I have since I cant get a bigger cage because it is hard to make one myself where I live since I dont have access to certain things but I make sure he has a lot of floor time daily. Tha cage is big enough for him to be able to run around in circles in it so its not tiny dont worry.
Today i tried staying up with him until midnight when he usually starts chewing the cage to get out. He was out of the cage for a while and then went inside and I stayed next to the cage with him waiting to see if he decides to go out again. A few minutes went by and I put the cage bars on and half a minute later he started chewing on the cage bars to come out. I let him out since I havent already shut the lights (I am trying to teach him that lights off means no coming out of the cage) and he walked around and went inside. After that I did the same thing as before and yet he did it again and started chewing while I was next to him.
What I am trying to say with all this is that I dont think that he is lonely or doesnt have enough floor time, I feel like he just has a time in the day, well night actually, when he really really wants to come out and walk around the room.

 

[Wiebke]

Firstly I wanna thank you guys for such quick respones
To respond to your messages, he is the only piggy I have since I cant get a bigger cage because it is hard to make one myself where I live since I dont have access to certain things but I make sure he has a lot of floor time daily. Tha cage is big enough for him to be able to run around in circles in it so its not tiny dont worry.
Today i tried staying up with him until midnight when he usually starts chewing the cage to get out. He was out of the cage for a while and then went inside and I stayed next to the cage with him waiting to see if he decides to go out again. A few minutes went by and I put the cage bars on and half a minute later he started chewing on the cage bars to come out. I let him out since I havent already shut the lights (I am trying to teach him that lights off means no coming out of the cage) and he walked around and went inside. After that I did the same thing as before and yet he did it again and started chewing while I was next to him.
What I am trying to say with all this is that I dont think that he is lonely or doesnt have enough floor time, I feel like he just has a time in the day, well night actually, when he really really wants to come out and walk around the room.

Hi and welcome
Your single boy is desperate for attention and will do anything that works.

You may also find these links here helpful; they are articles I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine that deal with this areas and how you can deal with it in ways that make sense to your piggy.

Who is the Boss - Your Guinea Pig or You?

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities (the last chapter deal with how it can come out when your single piggy is transferring their own social needs and cavy expectations onto you)

 

[Piggies&buns]

Firstly I wanna thank you guys for such quick respones
To respond to your messages, he is the only piggy I have since I cant get a bigger cage because it is hard to make one myself where I live since I dont have access to certain things but I make sure he has a lot of floor time daily. Tha cage is big enough for him to be able to run around in circles in it so its not tiny dont worry.
Today i tried staying up with him until midnight when he usually starts chewing the cage to get out. He was out of the cage for a while and then went inside and I stayed next to the cage with him waiting to see if he decides to go out again. A few minutes went by and I put the cage bars on and half a minute later he started chewing on the cage bars to come out. I let him out since I havent already shut the lights (I am trying to teach him that lights off means no coming out of the cage) and he walked around and went inside. After that I did the same thing as before and yet he did it again and started chewing while I was next to him.
What I am trying to say with all this is that I dont think that he is lonely or doesnt have enough floor time, I feel like he just has a time in the day, well night actually, when he really really wants to come out and walk around the room.

I’m afraid he is lonely and is desperate for company and attention - that is why he is bar chewing, he is doing all he can to get attention from you as he doesn’t have any piggy to interact with. He isn’t just doing it because that happens to be the time of day (or night) when he wants to run about.
Giving him attention and floor time during the day is great but it won’t change the fact that as soon as you go to bed, he will still be awake (piggies don’t sleep anywhere near as much as people) and will still be needing that attention and interaction. This is one reason why human interaction wont be enough for them.

How old is he?
Is your vet experienced with piggies and would they successfully be able to neuter him so he can have a female friend?
What are the measurements of the cage?
The cage size needed for a single piggy is 120x60cm. The cage size needed for a neutered male to live with a female is also 120x60cm so his cage needs to be big enough for him to be by himself and if it is, then it is also big if he can be neutered and have a female friend. I appreciate if you don’t have an experienced vet then neutering may not be an option but thought I’d raise the point given the cage sizes needed for both being single and living with a female are the same.
(For him to have a male friend to live with then the cage does need to be come slightly larger at minimum 150x60cm)