Why does a guinea pig chatter its teeth, what does it mean?

For the correct maintenance of a pet, the owner needs to receive information about his well-being, mood, condition. And animals often send it to their owner through behavior, sounds. You just need to learn to understand this “language”.

“Behavioral Dictionary” of Guinea Pigs

Many animal movements, coupled with sounds, carry information.

If a guinea pig chatters its teeth, it means that it is experiencing strong negative emotions. In nature, the rodent scares off the enemy with such actions, warns of a possible attack.

If such aggressive behavior is directed at the owner himself, the person should not continue communication – the pet may even bite him.

Teeth chattering is often accompanied by a low squeak. It translates as a message of discomfort. Strong human hugs, too intrusive communication, dislike for a neighbor can cause aggression, which the rodent reports.

Sometimes dental tapping occurs against the background of whistling, which means no longer a warning, but the beginning of a war. In this case, you should not try to smooth out hostility, but leave it alone or remove the annoying object.

If the pig clicks its teeth and trembles, it is very frightened, alarmed by something. A new object in the cage can cause such a state: a toy, a drinking bowl, a house. Change of ownership causes fear, excitement. Uncertainty is stress for a rodent.

But such behavior is also typical if the animal is cold or cold.

Important! Do not confuse tapping with teeth and gnashing. The rodent creaks its jaws when it has parasites.

How should a person react if a rodent chatters its teeth

If a guinea pig shows concern, you should check if there are drafts, if too loud and harsh sounds interfere, if the smells of extraneous predators are unnerving.

If the aggression on the part of the mumps stretches for a long period, then the reason for this behavior is more stable:

• tight cage;
• unpleasant neighbor (rival).

But more often aggression is caused by unfamiliar objects, people, animals. Therefore, you should not “please” your pet immediately after buying a new toy, drinker, or a delicacy that has not yet been tested.

Acquaintance with everything new should happen gradually. First you need to put a new object close, but at a distance, so that the animal can observe and understand that it is not dangerous.

You can also read useful information about the habit of a guinea pig in our articles “How and how much guinea pigs sleep” and “Why guinea pigs lick their hands”

Video: guinea pig chattering teeth