Rocky B

Question
Rocky B is our guinea pig.  He was very passive and here recently he has been biting.  He makes a whistling sound and is very active.  He is 4 months and is male.  No cage mates.

Answer
Hello Linda,

First, it would be good to take him to the vet to make certain his behavior change isn't being caused by an illness. But my guess is he's becoming a "teenager". He's starting to mature and his personality is starting to really develop. Is he aggressively biting or just curiously nipping? If it's curiousity, tell him in a loud firm voice, "No!" and move the part he is biting away. If it's aggression it may be a bit more difficult to get him out of it, but the proccess is the same. Also, NEVER return him to the cage after he has bitten someone. Have a safe piggy proof enclosure to put him in after he bites (no toys or anything fun in it though) for about 5 minutes, then return him to his cage. If you put him straight back into his cage after he bites, he'll start biting anytime he wants to go back to his cage and that can be very difficult to retrain. Chances are he will grow out of it in a few months or so, but, like with most teenagers, you can't let him continue negative behaviors without letting him know they are wrong, or they will continue on into his adulthood. Good luck.

-kkat
http://www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs