hutch hungry guinea pig

fadetogrey

hi all hope someone can give me a few tips.my daughter has a guinea pig about two and a half years old.the cage we got when we bought him was out grew so we got a hutch type for him lots of room and privacy when he wants.Only problem is since we got it (before xmas) he bites at the wooden edges and the cage its self he has a wooden surround on the floor bitten away down to the screws! Now in his old cage he did this also on his feeding tray and the plastic edge on the cage but not nearly as much as this new one.has anyone any ideas?the vet said hes fine and they all do that:eek:but is there any spray or anything I can use on the hutch to get him out of the habit?????

Raksha

How about getting him a friend? GP's are community animals and he may be lonely.

devildog

He could be keeping his teeth growth in check! To stop him from doing this by spray could mean they grow too long and will need Vet treatment to trim back. I think, although not absolutely sure that it was rec to put something like an apple branch/stump in cage for them to chew on.

katebl

The only anti-chew spray I have ever used didn't put my rabbit off... I agree he may be lonely but if getting him a friend isn't possible then definitely entice him into biting something else. He could well be bored, but there are lots of things he could bite on and keep himself amused - my buns love willow balls, and also the dangly wooden carrots you get from Pets At Home that have fruit bites you can put inside them.

pug_in_a_bed

I agree, willowballs are great, mine love them. GPs need a friend , he must be lonely.

Is gp getting enough hay as that helps too

glenn77

My advice is DON'T stop them chewing - guinea pigs teeth constantly grow and they have to gnaw things to keep them in check - to stop them doing what is natural and something they have to do would be wrong and ultimately dangerous for your pet. If you dont want them to chew the hutch give them a piece of apple wood as suggested this sometimes works for a while.

longforgotten

SoMeone said to me that unless boy guinea pigs have been together since birth they fight.... is this true ? Seems a shame he cannot have a boy friend. Could of course have a girlfriend OMG !!!!!

pug_in_a_bed

In my experience boys will fight, and mine continued to even when they'd had the snip. I now have a snipped boy and two girls and they positively love each other, all introduced seperately