Guinea pig chewing on a cage

So, the guinea pig gnaws at the cage. If this happens only occasionally, and you accidentally notice only small scratches and traces of two small teeth on the bars of the cage or somewhere else, then there is no reason to sound the alarm. But if the pig chews the cage regularly, methodically, completely chewing the paint off the bars of the cage and leaving deep scratches, then you should seriously think about it, since such unhealthy behavior indicates the following possible problems.

Why does a guinea pig chew on a cage?

small cage

One of the most common reasons may be tightness. The recommended size of the area on which the guinea pig should live is 0,7 square meters, which is approximately equal to the area of ​​u60bu100bthe cage measuring 99,9xXNUMX cm. Having moved to a cage of this size, the guinea pig in XNUMX% of cases stops chewing on rods. She finds other activities for herself – to run, jump, explore the cage, etc.

What is the cage size of your guinea pig? If these are “standard” 30×40 cm, then such piggy behavior is just a cry from the heart! “Let me out! I’m tight!”

Please read about what should be a cage for a guinea pig.

Boredom

Does your pig have a relative friend? After all, you know that guinea pigs are social animals, loneliness for which is fatal? Don’t brush it off! All this is so serious that in some European countries it is forbidden to keep guinea pigs alone. The most suitable option is a same-sex pair of guinea pigs. In this case, they will always have something to do. And, believe me, the pigs will not gnaw at the cage.

Does your pig live alone? When was the last time you put a new toy in the cage? Does a pig have a tunnel? What about a paper tube filled with fresh grass or hay? Guinea pig toy options

Very often, boredom becomes the cause of cell gnawing. Change the cage, buy a friend for the pig, add toys to the cage and forget about the gnawed bars of the cage forever.

Grinding teeth

This is the reason that not the most responsible breeders usually reassure themselves, who do not want to make unnecessary gestures, such as: improve the living conditions for the pig, make her a friend and bother with some kind of toys … “She sharpens her teeth,” is a great opportunity ignore the suffering of the poor animal.

Even if the pig is very impatient to sharpen its teeth (although guinea pigs, as a rule, have enough roughage for this purpose), then you need to offer it much more suitable options than the cage bars covered with paint. Branches of fruit trees, special chewing sticks that are sold in pet stores, pieces of wood, at worst. But not the iron bars of the cage!

And if, in the presence of the same branches in the cage, the pig still continues to gnaw at the cage, then. Believe me, it’s not about the teeth at all!

Nervousness

Sometimes chewing on the cage can be a sign of a nervous guinea pig. If this happens during or after any stressful event for the mumps (and this may be the appearance of strangers, noise, a long absence of the owner, etc.), and all other conditions for keeping the mumps are met, then it is enough just to remove the cause of nervousness, and the pig will calm down.

To attract attention

If a guinea pig lacks attention, she may try to get it in a variety of ways, including by chewing on her cage. If this works out, and when you see your pet actively and methodically trying to gnaw through the bars of the cage, take him in your arms or bring him a treat, then the pig will quickly realize that “I gnaw the cage – I get a bonus.” Guinea pigs learn new skills pretty quickly, so if you want some of their habits to change, then you have to change yours.

Do you have any idea why your pig is chewing on the cage?

The most effective way is to remove the cause of this behavior. Feed the pig, let the pig play with relatives (or remove them from the room if this is not desirable), buy the pig a same-sex friend, or purchase a more spacious home.

If it is not yet possible to remove the cause, then the following measures can show a temporary effect.

Experienced breeders advise weaning a guinea pig from the habit of gnawing the cage by wetting the cage rods with vinegar, because. its smell is unpleasant for the animal.

European breeders suggest using the following method for this purpose: wipe the cage with a menthol-scented cloth, which does not harm either the pigs or the cage itself, except that it smells a little. Usually, after such a treatment, the pigs stop chewing on the cage.

By virtue of their natural features, guinea pigs are ready to try by heart not only the bars of the cage.

So what else can guinea pigs chew on?

Carpets and wallpaper. Unfortunately, guinea pigs are almost impossible to wean from chewing on objects. Animals act in accordance with the natural desire to gnaw, as this contributes to the grinding of their teeth. In these cases, it is better to proceed from their natural needs and make sure that the animals cannot damage anything. Hide or cover valuables that the animal might ruin.

Drinker. It happens that some guinea pigs gnaw on drinking tubes. In this case, you can remove the automatic drinker and pour fresh water into the drinking bowl each time.

Kindred Fur. If a long-haired guinea pig gnaws the fur of his relative to the ground, then this may be due to the fact that the animal is bored, or he has nothing more to gnaw. Rarely is there a birth defect. If nothing succeeds in weaning the animal from such a “weasel”, it should be kept separately or put in a cage with a short-haired guinea pig, whose fur it is unlikely to damage.