Saturday, May 22, 2010
Are guinea pigs friendly as a pet? do they bite and scratch you?
Answers:
Guinea pigs are great for first time pet owners and for families. They do not bite unkless you have handled food in which they think that your fingers are food (rather they hope). Guinea pigs can see as much colour as us, not that this makes much good as their eyes are on the side of their face. This means that whenever you pick them up often you may scare them (unless you talk to them before opening up their cage). They do not scratch you as such, it helps in this regard if you regulary cut their nails. You should consider the following before purchasing a guinea pig:
1. Enough money - because a guinea pig is classified as an exotic animal you have to take them to an exotic vet which costs more.
2. An appropriate cage, food, bedding, hay, water bottle, play pen (for floor time).
3. A companion - guinea pigs are better in pairs.
4. Enough time - enough time to clean out their cage every 3-5 days, enough time to care for them.
5. The will to look after them until they die.
Addition:
Guinea pigs do not smell. They only smell through a build up of urine in their cage which means that you are not cleaning their cage enough. Do NOT bath you guinea pig every week. Bathing is a terrifying process for guinea pigs and should only be done every 3 months - at the most.
They can bite and be reclusive...the trick is to spend lotsssss of time with them and then they are super sweet. There cage smellls horrid though...good luck.
I love guinea pigs. The trick is to spend time with them or they get shy.
Like all other rodents, the best you can hope for with a guinea pig is that it will put up with you, not run away or try to bite. Be aware, though, that GPs have a constant, pungent smell that will fill your entire room from the moment you bring it home. If you don't mind this, then enjoy!
they're really boring. I accidently fried mine outtside by leaving her outside too long on a hot day. It was really sad and yet really funny. but theyre nice and boring. very quiet pets
Gunea pigs can be very wary creatures but with time and effort they can be very loving pets.
They are not known to bite very often but can scratch (often accidently) when handled.
My guinea pigs used to sit in my lap as l watched tv.like a little lap dog. I would recommend them.
Guinea pigs may nip at first but after you spend time with them they are very good pets. I have had GPs and really enjoyed them. they are very attached to their owners. But you have to spend time with them.
Guinea Pigs can be great companions, make sure you handle them before you buy them some can be mean as with any animal. I always lucked out with my guinea pigs and got total sweeties. They're very smart and make whistleing sounds when happy or hungry. They have to have a salt wheel and something hard to keep their teeth short or they'll get a overbite also they need alot of vitamin c in their diet to keep them healthy. I've had Gerbils, Hamsters and guinea pigs and I liked the guineas best by far.
Upon reading the other comments
They do had a odor but if bathed once a week in rodent shampoo it's not a problem, mine loved swimming in the tub (never leave them unsupervised in the tub they could get tired and drown) they clean themselves like cats afterwards and in general most guineas will pick one corner of the cage to potty in so if you scoop that corner daily it wakes cleaning at the end of the week easier and keeps the odor down in the mean time.
pet them a lot and get them used to you, if you neglect them they can turn a bit nasty but there are a great family pet. I also think it's got a lot to do with their nature and temparment but again, give them lots of attention and pet them and they will love you back
they defiantly bite and scratch you, well most of them do. but if you spend about 2 hours a day holding them and petting them then they probably will be pretty tame. it depends on which one you get because they all have different personalities just like any other animal or human, even,
Guinea pigs make GREAT companion animals. They do not bite or scratch most of the time. However, they require a lot of care, and should only be adopted, and not bought from a pet store. There are many, many piggies that need homes. Cats and dogs aren't the only species in the over-population. Try to search for one on http://www.petfinder.com
Sometimes you DO get little nibblers that are very young. Usually, this wears away. Nibbling doesn't hurt that much. Some don't even ever nibble. You should ask the shelter that you're getting the guinea pigs from if you could handle the guinea pig to see if they nibble. Also, when they are little, their unclipped nails are sharp. Once you clip them, they should be alright. If they aren't, they'll wear over time.
They DO lick out of love, and sometimes their teeth get in the way, and it's a little rough, but doesn't hurt too much.
You will need these links for further research:
http://www.guinealynx.com
http://www.cavycages.com
http://www.guineapigs.info
Give newly-purchased guinea pigs plenty of time to get acclimated to their new surrounding (never have just one guinea pig, and make sure they are of the same gender.
Use food as a bribe, to get them to learn to trust you. Once you have their trust, and their fear level is reduced, you will have by far and away the friendliest, most vocal and most social rodent pet you could possibly have (and no, rabbits aren't rodents.)
The only time a guinea pig actually bites hard is when there's a fight between two males, and you reach in to break up the fight---and get nailed. A female will show you her teeth and make a little "oh!" sound if you touch her under the chin (she confuses you for a male guinea pig trying to court her when she isn't receptive). Otherwise, unless your fingers smell completely like lettuce or carrots, they will never EVER bite you. Even if you put a finger in their mouth, they will give you a tiny, harmless grooming-nibble and lick. But don't confuse that for an actual bite.
Guinea pigs never deliberately scratch. If you don't trim their nails regularly, those nails will leave scratch marks, like the nails of a big friendly dog who jumps up against you.
All in all, guinea pigs are very sweet are harmonious, and will return the time and affection 110%. As long as you can put up with their poopies and their limited trainability, they are absolutely wonderful pets to have.
HI,
if you get them when they are young they make great pets. However just like any pet the more time you spend with it the more tame it will be. We take ours out and hold it a lot, petting it. We also have an area set up that he can get lots of exercise. If you keep their nails trimmed with just regular clippers they dont scratch. If you spend the time with them they wont bite either because they will be used to touch.
Other great tips, new bio bedding is awesome.. do not use CEDER bedding or pine ceder can make them very sick.
Alphalfa is a great snack,,, they love it,, If you need any more tips get in touch.. Good luck!
guinea pigs are beautiful pets.
i have two and have never been scratched or bitten by either. the only time i get a very gentle nip is when they want to go to be put down to go to the loo.
they can scratch, but it's not deliberate like a cat would - it's just because their nails can grow quite long.
they just need to be handled gently and often so they aren't afraid of you.
females are apparently less smelly than males, but i wouldn't know, i have two boys.
I have three guinea pigs and love them. At first they are really shy and may scratch you ( i have never been bitten by mine) but they calm down and just sit in your lap calmly.
I've found that guinea pigs make absolutely wonderful pets. While they CAN bite and scratch, it's not really in their habit to. I have four guinea pig boys, and one of them is a nipper - he'll nip at me to let me know when he wants something, be it food, attention, if he doesn't like something, etc. It's not hard, but it's like a sharp pinch. My other boys don't bite unless they don't like the way they're being handled/held, which is rare. Their nails can be sharp and can scratch easily, thus is why it's a good idea to keep them short and trimmed. I trim the boys' nails about once a month.
If handled daily and kept in good care, guinea pigs can be very friendly, affectionate, and a joy to care for.
they will scratch you only if they wanna run away (cause they are scared). in my opinion, when they bite, it means that they are hungry. they dont bite hard, they chew your finger. its nice actually.
and of course they are friendly. but from the beginning give them a lot of time and space. dont hold them right away. I think that females are more scared than males. I know that my boy wasnt shy anymore next day, but my two girls are still shy. and if you have more than one, then separate them, otherwise they fight or mate.
and if you have a guinea pig in your lap, then have it on some towel, cause they keep doing number 1 and 2. and they dont stink, they have their own smell.
yes guinea pigs make wonderful pets. they rarlly bite and i dont think they scratch unless you let their nails get to long
I have guinea pigs and like them alot have always had good luck with them never had them bite me or scratch so long as you keep their nails trimmed.
All the guiena pigs I ever held bite and scratched me. Good luck!
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