Why Do Guinea Pigs Bite on Their Cage Bars? (Explained Here)

You’ve been noticing that your guinea pig has been biting on its cage bar for a few days. You’re starting to worry, and you have some questions. Why is my Guinea pig biting on its cage bar? Is this normal for them or what?

Typically, guinea pigs bite on their cage bars due to stress and boredom. Sometimes it’s because there’s a lack of toys to chew on. And sometimes they bite their cage bars because their cage is too small or because they’re trying to get your attention. If your guinea pig is only biting on its cage bars and not eating or drinking, then a vet visit is necessary.

If your little friend is biting on its cage bars, you need to find out why. Once you know the reason, you can find a solution.

Well, keep reading to find But before we get to those solutions, let’s dive into the nitty gritty of why guinea pigs bite on their cage bars.

1. Bored

One of the most common reasons guinea pigs bite on their cage bars is because they’re bored. If your guinea pig isn’t getting enough attention, they may start to chew on their cage bars as a way to pass the time.

And if they don’t have anything else to chew on, like hay or toys, they may start to see their cage bars as a chew toy.

To decrease the chance of your fur babies getting bored, do the following:

1. Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day playing with them. This will give them the attention they need and help tire them out so they can sleep soundly at night.
2. Give them plenty of piggie-safe chew toys to play with. Apple sticks and toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay are perfect for this.
3. Get your piggie a friend. With a few exceptions, guinea pigs do better in pairs. Having a compatible companion will help reduce their boredom and stress.
4. Make sure their home is big enough. A single guinea pig needs at least 7.5 square feet of space to roam free. If your guinea pigs live in a smaller cage, they may start to feel cramped and become more prone to boredom and stress.
5. Give them plenty of floor time to explore and play . This is especially important if their cage is on the small side. Letting them out to play in a safe, piggie-proofed room for an hour or so each day will help keep them from getting bored.

2. Wants Food

Your piggies may also bite its cage bars because they want food. That tell-tale crinkling sound of a bag of veggies (you know what I mean, right?) might remind them of their favorite treat. This might lead them to believe there’s food on the other side of those bars.

So, they’ll start to nibble on them in an attempt to get to the food. Or to get your to hurry up and bring them some food.

You: Alright, guys. Your salad is almost ready.

Your guinea pigs: Hurry up, cavy slave!

If your fur babies are always begging for food, it may be because they’re not getting enough to eat. Make sure you’re feeding them a proper diet of hay, fresh vegetables (offer one cup a day), and a small amount of pellets.

3. Learned Behavior

Just like humans, guinea pigs can develop certain habits and behaviors based on their past experiences.

For example, if your Guinea pig was previously mishandled or kept in a small cage, they may start to bite their cage bars as a way to cope with the stress.

Plus, if your guinea pig saw a cage mate chewing on the bars, they may start to do it as well. They’ll just start copying what they saw their friend do.

4. Wants Your Attention

Cavies are actually pretty clever. It’s possible that your guinea pig has learned that if it bites on its cage bars, you’ll give it attention.

So, if your piggie has shrewdly realized that whenever it chews on its cage, there’s a good chance that you’d walk over and play with it.

If this is the case, the best thing to do is to ignore the behavior.

I know it’s hard to do, but eventually, your guinea pig will get the hint that this behavior doesn’t get them the results they want. Then they’ll stop doing it.

Have you had your guinea pig for a while and you STILL aren’t getting the love from your fur babies? Take a look at Why is My Guinea Pig Still Scared of Me? (The Alarming Truth)

5. Cage is Too Small

A guinea pig should have a cage of at least 7.5′ square feet. Because rodents need some space to run around and relax.

But, when new rodent owners want to buy cages for their little friend, they make the mistake of buying small cages. The cages in most pet stores are much too small for even one guinea pig.

These kinds of cages are not good for animals that are large. Because of this, if your guinea pig chews on its cage bar, it may be trying to escape or acting act because of the stress of being in such a small space. Or your little friend is looking for a bigger space to enjoy.

6. No Chew Toys

All guinea pigs have a instinctive desire to gnaw on things. This is because their teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime.

To satisfy this urge, your guinea pigs need to chew on things like hay, vegetables, and chew toys.

(Well, the mostly need hay, but chew toys can help, too.)

If your guinea pigs don’t have anything to gnaw on, they may start to chew on their cage bars.

Some great chew toys for guinea pigs include:

• plain, wooden blocks
• willow balls
• woven grass mats
• apple sticks

7. Stressful Environment

Humans like to have a comfortable environment where they can feel at ease, right? Guinea pigs also like stress-free environment, too. It may begin to protest by chewing on its cage bar if it finds its environment stressful and unenjoyable.

Some of the things that may contribute to a stressful environment for your little, fuzz spud are:

• Loud Noises: Any kind of sudden, loud noise can be stressful for piggies. This may either be from the sound of machines in their surroundings. Or screaming kids.
• Unfriendly Cage Mate: Your piggie may be uncomfortable with an unfriendly cage mate. It may be one whom it fights with. This may cause it to chew its cage bars.
• No Hiding Spots: Your piggy may find the environment uncomfortable if there’s no hiding space for it. It needs hiding spaces for when it feels scared or wants to be alone. It may then take to chewing its cage bar in a bid to escape its current cage in search of such safe space.

How to Stop Guinea Pig Bar Biting (Pets Parents Weigh-in)

Are you worried about your little piggies chewing their cage bars? Or you’re looking for a way to stop them from doing that.

Then there’s good news because I’ve done all the research on how to stop guinea pigs from biting their cage bars for you. And I also have SOCIAL PROOF.

I manually surveyed 75 guinea pig owners. I wanted tips about how they go about stopping their little piggies from biting their cage bars. And guess what? I got very interesting perspectives.

Here’s a few highlights from the survey:

• Several piggie owners noticed that their piggies do that when they want attention. Or when they want something from their human.
• Others change the hay in their little piggies’ house. Or provide more chew toys for them and that stops the chewing.
• Several owners agreed that if you give your piggies attention when they chew their cage bars. Then they’d be encouraged to continue that habit.
• Many others have also noticed that if they take their piggies on a walk, it stops chewing.
• Several others say that giving them more food or treats also stops them from chewing.

61% of the respondents (46 participants) stated that giving their furry friend treats. Or allowing them to go out to play for some time helped stop the chewing.

About 50% (38 participants) noted that changing the hay in their cage helps stop them from chewing.

But 72% (54 participants) indicated that the more they gave in to satisfying their guinea pigs. The more it encouraged the guinea pigs to chew the bars.

One piggy would even start to chew its cage bars whenever it hears its owner’s fridge open. Or when it hears a paper bag rumple, and it wouldn’t stop until it’s fed. Smart piggie there, huh?

Chewing bars seems to be piggies’ way of communicating with us. Whether they need a companion, want some extra food, or want to go out to play.

Bottom line?

The only way to stop your furry friends from chewing their cage bars is to study them and find out what causes them to chew it.

Remember, the reasons may differ from one piggie to another.

Why is Bar Chewing a Problem?

Chewing on their cage bars once in a while may be normal for your furry potato. But it’s better to discourage that habit because it may be harmful and can injure them. For example, some guinea pig bars are made up of metal bars.

If the material pierces through their teeth, it might damage their teeth and cause them pain. Some cheap guinea pig cages are usually coated with chemical paints. This can cause health issues for the pigs when they eat it.

If your pet is chewing on its cage bar, there’s a few things you can do to avoid and most of it involves offering other things for your guinea pigs to chew on.

What Can I Give my Guinea Pig to Chew On?

If you followed what we’ve discussed earlier. You’d discover that piggies need to keep chewing to keep their teeth healthy.

Luckily, there’s many things that guinea pigs can chew safely. Most are quiet affordable. Examples of low-cost options include the following:

• Cardboard boxes
• Paper rolls and crumpled sheets
• Untreated wood blocks
• Twigs (apple branches, beech, birch, pear, hazelnut)
• Hays (get a variety that your guinea pig likes)
• Grass mats
• Wooden Tunnels or Hideouts

Why Do My Guinea Pigs Chew on Their Cage at Night?

Guinea pigs chew on their bars at night for the same reason they do it during the day. They might be bored, hungry, stressed, or just want your attention.

If your furry friends are doing it at night, try giving them more hay or water to see if that stops the chewing. If not, then you might try to give them a little more attention and floor time at night before they go to “sleep”.

You can also try giving them some wooden toys or blocks to chew on. Just make sure they’re safe for your guinea pigs and won’t hurt them.

It might surprise you when you realize your furry friends are chewing their cage bars.

Especially when they choose that over a peaceful night’s rest.

Who gives up rest at night in exchange for chewing, right? Well, meet Mr. Guinea Pig, the “night chewer.”

Things To Remember About Guinea Pig Bar Biting

Okay, here’s some information about guinea pigs chewing their cage bars. You need to put these at the tip of your fingers. First, there’s no reason to panic if you notice that your little friend is chewing its cage bar. As discussed above, several reasons may cause them to chew on their cage bars.

1. It may result from the need to trim their teeth which continue to grow as long as they’re alive. In this case, you may have to get them chewing toys.

2. They’re bored and need a playmate. In such instances, a guinea pig to act as a companion to your pet may be a welcome idea.

3. Your guinea pigs find the environment stressful. In this case, you may have to adjust their environment to make it more comfortable for them.

The basic idea is that whenever you find your guinea pig chewing on its cage bar, calm down. Then lookout for any of the causes discussed above, and then address such.

If you’ve found this article helpful, please consider sharing it with others. If they also find it as useful as you do, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.