Guinea pigs are some of the best pets to have. They are usually not high-maintenance, and still offer a lot of excitement and joy. While most guinea pigs are well-behaved and easy to care for, it is no secret that they might do things that grind your gears. Whether its making strange noises, biting, or pooping all over the place, there may come a time when you want to discipline your guinea pig. Today’s article will cover everything you need to know about disciplining your guinea pig.
Can you discipline a guinea pig?
Yes, you can discipline a guinea pig. However, you should not discipline a guinea pig in the same way that you would discipline a dog or a cat. While some people advise against disciplining a guinea pig, there are specific things you can do to prevent unwanted behavior.
The actions you should take to discipline a guinea pig is dependent on the behavior you are trying to stop.
How to discipline a guinea pig that is pooping everywhere?
If your guinea pig is pooping in a place that you don’t want them to, you should spray the area with apple cider vinegar. Guinea pigs despise this smell, and will likely avoid any place that contains this odor.
How to discipline an aggressive guinea pig
There are many different ways you can discipline an aggressive guinea pig. For starters, if your guinea pig is being aggressive towards other guinea pigs, you should put a divider in your cage so that the aggressive guinea pig can’t reach the other guinea pigs. You should do this for a couple days, and then reunite the guinea pigs and see if their behavior has improved.
You should know that it is natural for guinea pigs to establish a hierarchy among thereselves. Sometimes, a leader will emerge, and the leader might become aggressive towards the other guinea pigs. If there is one guinea pig that starts all the fights, they are likely the leader. If this is the case, you may want to take the other guinea pigs out of the cage every now and then and let them play with themselves outside of the cage.
Guinea pigs are more likely to be aggressive towards each other when there are multiple guinea pigs of the same gender in the same cage. Therefore, if you plan on getting multiple guinea pigs, it is probably best to get guinea pigs of the same sex. This will also help prevent your guinea pigs from becoming pregnant.
How to discipline a guinea pig that bites you?
A guinea pig usually bites their owner for two reasons.
- You scared or startled your guinea pig
- They thought your hand was food
There are a couple steps you can take to help prevent your guinea pig from biting you. Whenever you pick up your guinea pig, do not pick them up from behind. Make sure they see you and your hands before you pick them up so they aren’t startled or afraid.
Secondly, if your guinea pig is biting you when you try to feed them, you should stop hand feeding them. Instead, you should just drop the food directly into their cage. Once your guinea pig becomes more familiar with their food, then you can try to go back to hand feeding.
A guniea pig might also bite a person that they meet for the first time. To help prevent this, you can have strangers give them food or treats. This will help the guinea pig build up trust for the new person.
You should also know that sometimes a guinea pig will bite you because they are excited. That is one of the main reason guinea pigs bite clothes.
How not to punish a guinea pig?
There are a couple things you should never do to punish a guinea pig.
- You should never punish a guinea pig by starvation. They are not smart enough to recognize that their specific behavior is the reason you aren’t feeding them.
- Never hit or squeeze your guinea pig. They will not realize they are being hit because of their behavior. Additionally, guinea pigs have very fragile bones, and even the lightest hit or squeeze can cause serious damage.
Best way to punish a guinea pig?
The best way to punish a guinea pig is with positive reinforcement. This means that you should reward them when they are on their good behavior. For example, you can give them food or treats when they are being good.
Some guinea pigs also respond well to certain noises. For example, some of my guinea pigs love it when I make a kissing sound towards them. You can try making this sound when they are doing something you like.
Conclusion
Guinea pigs will behave best when they live in a healthy environment. This means that you should regularly clean their cage. This will keep them happy, and will also help prevent diseases such as ringworm. Check out my article to see guinea pig ringworm pictures.
A guinea pig will also behave better if you keep them on a regular feeding schedule. Guinea pigs are known to be more aggressive when they are hungry.
You should make sure your guinea pig’s cage is not in a stressful environment. I would not keep a guinea pig close to a t.v, as the loud noises can cause them to be uncomfortable and aggressive. Additionally, if you plan on having a party or a lot of people over at your house, you should move your guinea pig to a quieter room. Guinea pigs will likely become stressed due to the loud noise and presence of strangers.
Lastly, your guinea pig might be misbehaving because they are bored. If this is the case, you may want to consider getting another guinea pig they can play with. If you don’t want to get another guinea pig, you should consider adding more toys to their cage.