piggo

Question
i've had my guinea for about two months now and love him to death. he has really become a huge part of my life. i have had pigs before, but this is my first male. i bought him at a pet store, i'm not sure of his age but he was about 3-4 inches long when i got him, he is now 4-5 inches long. i have a few general questions.

1) for the first two months that i have had him, i lived in the house that i grew up in. he seemed very happy there, and i gave him special attention since he doesn't have a cagemate (yet). i am now moving in with my boyfriend(who the pig is very comfortable around, we picked him out together and he gives the pig as much attention as i do) and i was wondering if it is hard on guineas to move locations? he seems to be doing fine, just wondering if there was something i was overlooking.

2) recently he has been chewing on our hands and clothes excessively. not when we handle him as if it's hurting him, more like he's fufilling his instinct to chew on our knuckles and wrists when hes sitting in our laps. i have several things for him to chew on, which he gives attention to all, but still likes to chew on us a bit. any suggestions?

3) i was also wondering what was a good product to use for disinfecting the cage. i bought the cage brand new, it has a second level and a ramp and those can get a bit grimy. is there anything that i can use to clean those areas that wont harm my little guy by licking the surface or inhaling?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU HELP! i was thrilled when i found this website. i will be back if i have any more questions!

Answer
Hi Dana,

Your guinea pig was probably between six and eight weeks old when you bought him, so he'll be between three and four months old now. This means he's an adolescent guinea pig so now would not be a good time to get him a piggy friend - wait until he's eight months old and an adult. For two unrelated males to get along, there needs to be a substantial age difference, so that they do not fight for dominance. But he would LOVE to have a cagemate.

1) It may take him a little while to settle in, but once he's learned which direction you and your boyfriend appear from in the morning, where the fridge is, and what's around his cage, he'll be fine! Guinea pigs are quite adaptable to new environments so long as they are the same temperature as their old environment. One of my piggies lived with a breeder whose house he was born at for three months, then at my parents place with me for one month, then at my first flat with my boyfriend for six months, and we've been at a new flat for four months so far! As long as you and your boyfriend are still giving him lots of love and attention ... he'll be happy.

2) You probably taste nice! Wash your hands before you hold him if you've recently eaten any food or handled any of your guinea pig's food. One of our guinea pigs often licks and nibbles my boyfriend's hands when we've got him out of the cage, but he never does it to me! As long as he doesn't draw blood, try not to worry too much. He could also be hungry - try not to get him out of his cage if it's just before a piggy meal time.

3) There are several animal-safe cleaning sprays on the market. In the UK, Supreme Pet 'Keep it Clean' is the most popular and comes ina  variety of fragrances. Make sure it's completely dry before you return your piggy to the cage, or wipe it over with a paper towel after spraying, to prevent your piggy from licking or slipping on it, but the fumes are safe. Even though it's safe, you should avoid your piggy licking up vast quantities of it.

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions ... just ask!

Glad you like the site :o)