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Always supervise your child when he or she handles the guinea pig, as dropping and hurting an animal are frequent mishaps for young children.
Just like any dog or cat, a guinea pig likes to be petted and shown affection. They will enjoy your attention and holding. If your guinea pig starts to squirm while you are holding him, it is time to let him get back to the things he was doing in his cage. Sometimes the animal will just want to get something to eat or drink and sometimes he may just not enjoy being held for too long a period of time. Being held too much can make a guinea pig unhappy, so watch for signals from your pet that it needs to be put down.
Like most members of the rodent family, a guinea pig will drop a little pellet at any odd moment. Warn your child that this might happen, so they know that it is normal and will not drop the creature in surprise.
Chewing
If a guinea pig does not chew many times a day, their front teeth will grow and grow. Chewing helps a guinea pig keep their teeth pared down to a good length. Check your guinea pig’s cage and make sure that he has toys, hay and hard foods to chew on each day.
If you have decided to let your guinea pig roam freely about your house, try to be prepared for the likelihood that your furniture, wires, shoes and boxes will be chewed. To keep damage to a minimum, consider allowing your guinea pig the run of just one room where you have only things that are acceptable to chew. When you notice that your guinea pig has chewed too many household items, this is a sign that you need to provide more acceptable chew toys for your pet.
Remember, you want your pet to chew, just not your rare book collection. Punishing the guinea pig for inappropriate chewing will only make matters worse.
Communicating
Guinea pig language can be thrilling for you and child. Understanding how your furry pet feels and the nuances of his sounds creates a strong bond between you and makes for an enjoyable relationship. Cavies talk to us with a wide variety of physical and verbal cues that help us understand how they feel and what they need. When cavies get together, like people, their rumbling and clacking can make for a roaring conversation!
Guinea Pigs Previous Page (23)
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