How Should Kids Handle Guinea Pig Aggression?

Guinea pigs are a favorite pick for a kid’s pet. After all, they have a reputation for being adorable little furry friends. Furthermore, they are least known for their aggressiveness. Guinea pigs are also popular because they don’t cost much. In fact, you can buy one from a pet store for only $40-$60.

 However, even gentle beings like guinea pigs may snap at your kid once in a while. That’s why it’s important to know how you and your child should handle a biting furry ball. Read on and find out how to prevent those ugly bites!

 Causes for Aggression

 Let’s first get down to the root of your guinea pig’s unusual behavior. As said earlier, the furry bundles of joy rarely get mad. The few instances when they do so include:

• They are testing for dominance. If you are taking care of two guinea pigs, there’s a chance that they’d fight for the alpha position. This life phase occurs when your pet reaches 3 to 18 months. If they become too edgy, the animals would end up fighting each other.
• They are agitated by the weather. A sudden rise in temperature may trigger an undesirable temper and frustration on your guinea pig.
• They are becoming too territorial. A guinea pig usually directs its aggression to another of its kind. However, your pet could also get hostile with you if it feels like you’re invading its territory.
• They are ill. A guinea pig may exhibit unusual behaviors if it’s sick.

 Signs of Aggression

How do you know if your guinea pig is already picking a fight with you or its cage mate? Since your pet could not talk, you’d have to pay attention to its behaviors. Some of the signs that your guinea pig is on to something are the following:

• Butt sniffing
• Butt dragging
• Butt nudging
• Chasing
• Mounting
• Nips or light bites
• Nose face-offs
• Posturing for an attack
• Raised hair on the back of the neck and along the spine (called hackles)
• Rumblestrutting
• Snorting
• Teeth chattering (a little chatter indicates signal of dominance while a sustained one means anger, aggression or warning)
• Wide yawning

 Most of these behaviors mean that one or both of your guinea pigs are testing who’s more superior than the other. The movements and sounds would take a while, but in most cases, would eventually subside. If it escalates into a brawl, perform necessary measures.

Buy Guinea Pig Products Online For Sale

 Handling Aggression

How should you and your kids handle an aggressive guinea pig? Apparently, it depends on who it’s angry with.

 If it’s exhibiting signs of aggression towards a fellow guinea pig, you should do well to observe the following:

• Monitor your pets’ movements first. Do not immediately intervene.
• If the signs escalated, throw a towel over the fighting guinea pigs. Never use your bare hands to stop them as you would surely suffer some nasty bites.
• After distracting them with your towel, gently separate the guinea pigs from each other. Be careful, though, if you don’t want your pet to turn on you.

 If your furry ball of fun is suddenly angry with you, it might be seeing you as a territorial threat. If your pet thinks you’re intruding, remember the following:

• Do not handle or let your kid handle his or her pet right away. Instead, offer treats and softly pet it.
• Let it know that you’re not an intruder. Sit next to your guinea pig’s cage and read a book out loud. Then offer it some treats once in a while.
• Take it easy and slowly. Offer some more treats before placing your hand into the cage.

 You should also note that bestowing physical punishment to your guinea pig is a big no. It would not, after all, make your pet love you more.

 Good luck on tending your pet and keeping its mood swings at bay!

Author - Mary Alusin