ok. sometimes when i hold my guinea pig he sounds like he is shivering but he really isnt shivering. he chatters his teeth, and ive read that this is a warning
sign usually for other guinea pigs when they dont get along. but he does it at me, and i want to know if i should be worried? is he gonna bite me? he hasnt
yet, but i dont want to give him the chance. and how do i make him not to that? ive read in dozens of places how to make friends with your guinea pig and ive
tried so many different things but he is still nervous. is there anything else that i can do? and can you tell me why he is chattering his teeth at me?
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 apeace90 |
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Posts: 5 09/18/09 01:40 PM |
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PooksiedAnimals |
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Posts: 4114 09/18/09 05:35 PM Moderator |
Kind of hard to tell what he's doing based on your description. Is it a fast chatter or slow chatter with his teeth. Is he actually clicking his teeth, or
is he purring (which is a vocalization, and can cause their body to shake when they do it -- like a rumble). Is it when you're sitting with him in your
lap? Or are you holding him when you're walking?
Guinea pigs can be shy -- for some, especially if they weren't socialized when they were pups, it takes a while to get used to humans. Depending on the chattering, he could be thinking (slow grind), or anticipating (like if you were going to give him food), or pissed off or scared. What's his body position like when he's chattering? Is he laid back? Or really tense? The body language goes a lot hand-in-hand with the vocalizations, to determine what a guinea pig is trying to tell you. |
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apeace90 |
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Posts: 5 09/19/09 01:42 PM |
I have only ever heard it when I am holding him, but it isn't all of the time when I am holding him. And he does it only when I am sitting down in my bed
petting him or something. He is really tense when he does it, but he is always really tense when I hold him. But he is usually really still when he does it. Is
it like a put me down or I'll bite you thing? Or a want to get back into my cage because when I go to put him into his cage he like lunges for it and runs
away quickly! I don't beat this poor animal but he seems like I do he is so afraid of me.
Oh and he does this other thing when he hears noises sometimes and its usually when he is in his cage, in his igloo, and like when my dog barks or a car outside beeps its horn, or when my computer makes a noise every once it a while like the little noise it makes when you log onto your computer, when he hears that he sounds like he is growling. The noise isn't usually high pitched (except when my dogs bark) and it never lasts for long but he does it every time. Do you possibly know what that could mean? It is very disheartening when he trys to run from me all the time, like I am a monster. It is very frustrating. I know it takes time and patience, it is just a lot of time and patience, lol. |
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PooksiedAnimals |
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Posts: 4114 09/19/09 02:22 PM Moderator |
I would recommend, while you're holding him, and definitely when you bring him back to the cage, that you wrap him in a small hand towel. This will make
him feel safer, and should help with the nervousness. The chattering sounds like its from nerves. I would not assume he's about to bite you, though. And if
you're nervous about that, he may be picking up on that, which just makes him more anxious.
The short staccato-y noise you're hearing is a purr, and its because he's afraid. My girls will do it when I'm dialing the phone, or some unexpected loud noise happens in the house. Being a single pig can be a scary thing, and it seems that this guy is very timid. It just takes time. This is one of the reasons I like to have them in pairs, because a same-sex buddy can often make the world less scary. |
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apeace90 |
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Posts: 5 09/19/09 04:07 PM |
i do wrap him in a towel, the only thing is he still freaks out when I am holding him and he will run around and if i am leaning back he will try to hide
behind my neck. I dont let him do that anymore though because he has peed down my back 2 times now! can you say ew! but I do wrap him in a towel and he tries
to either run from the towel or he will look for a deep and hidden spot in the towel and try to snuggle in it. it seems like i should just let him do what he
wants, he really doesnt give me much of an option, lol.
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ButterCup09 |
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Posts: 13 09/26/09 02:29 PM |
I'm far from a cavy expert. In fact, I just got my first one Monday. However, mine is coming around quite nicely, and I thought I might have something of
benefit to say here. When I hold ButterCup out of the cage I generally have one hand under her, the other on top of her, stroking her, and I hold her very
close to my body in the nook of my neck. It really seems to make her feel more secure having her so close to my body like that for extra protection. I just
thought if you hadn't tried holding your piggie like that it might be worth a try.
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