Question About Guinea Pigs

[flips]

i'm just wondering about the temperment? are they prone to biting? do they need to be tamed like some hamsters? thanks for any info

 

[zelandonia]

Hi flips,

I have had 6 guineas. Only 1 was prone to biting because he wasn't socializes well when he was young. He grew out of it though. The other 5 have all been sweet and have never bitten. Two of them have even learned to "kiss" on command. The only rule I have is that they are never fed treats through the bars. I think they get confused between fingers and treats this way.

Guineas are great!

z.

 

[cats r da best]

Hi, I had a guinea pig for 4 years . He sady had to be put down a few months ago. He only ever bit once when my step-dad scared him. He was really loving and a wonderful pet.

 

[seanc]

Guinea pigs can bite at first... especially males. I started with three (all supposedly male, but thats another story) and quickly one establishedhimself as the dominant one; always first to food water etc, and quite skittish when handled, however as had been said, after a few days (or less depends on where you buy them: larger pet stores dont handle the animals as much so they are more likely to bite). Just be careful with sexing them; its extremely difficult to do for a few weeks, and thus lots of pet stores will get it wrong, and if they do, a female can have 3-4babies in a few months time. Also expect a fairly large cost: a run + hutch as startup isn't too bad, but they do eat constantly, and fresh food is vital for a healthy animal.

If your new to guinea pigs go for a short haired variety: longer haired animals will require daily brushing, as well as being less hardy in terms of disease immunity; though that being said all are quite hardy, the biggest problems I have seen in years of rearing them is a few colds (give them a tiny drop of whiskey and they'll be fine) + the odd death after pregnancy that can occur.

Good luck!

 

[Pixie25]

ive kept several guinea pigs over the years. at the moment though we have 3. (2 girls 1 boy) and ive never been bitten by any of my guineas (except when they were ill and being treated). most of the guinea pigs i have kept would let me gently press their bottom lip down so i could check their teeth are in good condition.

baby guineas are quite skitish and *very* fast at running away from you when you try to catch them from their run. they dont need taming really, as long as you handle them everyday when they are young. they generally grow into very docile adults. (way more docile than rabbits).

guineas are best kept in pairs. 2 girls generally are more laid back than the boys. with a pair of boys, they do try to hump eachother... and the more dominant one will chase the other one around sometimes.

i wouldnt recommend a long haired one either. i have kept a long haired male before and he had to be combed through daily and every few months we gave him a bath with luke warm water and a tiny spot of baby shampoo. the hair does get matted otherwise, leading to health problems.

 

[seanc]

"with a pair of boys, they do try to hump eachother... and the more dominant one will chase the other one around sometimes."

Yup that's true... females never seem to fight wheras one male will try to show dominance.