Why Do My Guinea Pig Push My Hand Away? Find Out Now

Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 06:32 pm

Guinea pigs are very smart and social animals that love to socialize and interact with their owners.

They can notice very well if you love them if you want to play with them and they also know how to reciprocate with confidence and let you touch them on their body.

But sometimes they know how to push your hand!

Why do my guinea pigs push my hand away?

Usually, when a guinea pig pushes your hand away it means they don’t want to be petted anymore. Sometimes hand pushing has the opposite meaning, that they want to play with you or they want to show dominance because guinea pigs are known for wanting to dominate.

In today’s article, you will learn about all the possible reasons why a guinea pig pushes your hand, and what to do to prevent this situation from happening.

You will also find out how to more easily succeed in petting your pet without him pushing your hand, so let’s start right away.

Why do my guinea pigs push my hand away?

Guinea pigs are very sensitive and they can very easily push your hand when you want to pet and pick them up.

They are still timid because in nature they are often the prey of other larger predators and therefore always have a great deal of reserve when they have to let you touch them.

Guinea pigs sometimes allow you to pet them, and sometimes they will push your hand away and won’t let you.

Let’s see why this happens and what are the reasons for their reaction.

Guinea pigs don’t like to be touched anywhere on their body

When a guinea pig pushes your hand away, it may mean that it doesn’t like being petted on a certain part of its body.

Then the guinea pig will lift its head up or push your hand, which is a sign that you should stop. Especially this happens if you tickle their face and head, as well as their nose.

You don’t want to do anything bad to your pet, but it will always act like it is in the wild.

When they are in the wild, guinea pigs avoid covering their head and eyes, because they always want to see and be ready for a possible attack by predators.

Therefore, avoid touching the head and face. Avoid touching them on their stomach as that place is very sensitive for them and they will remove your hand.

Guinea pigs do not want you to touch their stomachs because of their natural instinct, when they are in danger from predators, the stomach is the most common target of attack.

How to tell when a guinea pig enjoys being petted

When the guinea pig allows you to touch and pet it and does not take your hand away, then your pet enjoys being close to you.

When a guinea pig enjoys your touch, it will want to be close to you and adjust itself to petting.

Guinea pigs can be very affectionate with their owners when they gain trust, and believe me, they know how to notice your behavior and respect them.

Where guinea pigs want you to touch them and won’t take your hand off

If you try to touch them on their backs, the guinea pigs will not take your hand off. That place is ideal if you want to touch your pet, there are the least chances of him taking your hand away.

When touching his back, it is best to do this in the direction of the fur.

Because of this, they will feel good and comfortable, while if you touch them in the opposite direction, it can irritate them and they will take your hand away.

In addition to their backs, guinea pigs also like to be touched in the area behind their ears.

Guinea pigs will remove your hand to stop petting

Guinea pigs may at some point pull your hand away because they no longer want to be petted and you should stop touching them.

it can happen at any moment, for example, if you pet them and play with them for 10 minutes, if the guinea pig gets bored or if you accidentally touch it somewhere like the stomach it can take your hand away.

There are times when guinea pigs won’t let you touch them at all if that day your pet is simply not in the mood or is nervous.

When your pet does this, you should never forcefully pet them and touch it, as soon as it removes your hand, immediately pull back, otherwise you will only lose the trust it has towards you.

What to do to prevent the guinea pig from pushing your hand?

When you want to touch your guinea pig, you should be gentle and careful, slowly bringing your hand closer to its body.

It’s best and easiest if you touch it on the back, that’s where the guinea pigs are most likely to let you pet them.

If you feel that the guinea pig is becoming nervous and does not want to be touched anymore, then stop for a certain time and leave your pet alone.

After a few minutes have passed, try to pet him again to see what his reaction will be, to know if he will allow you or not.Why do my guinea pigs push my hand away

Guinea pigs may remove your hand as a sign of dominance

Guinea pigs like to show dominance and they can try the same on you and your hand, they will remove it as a sign of dominance.

It is known that with guinea pigs, whenever there are two in a cage, one must always be the leader who will dominate the other guinea pig.

It’s their way of life, so you shouldn’t be surprised if they try to do the same to you.

Try to bond with your guinea pig and reduce their desire for dominance, you may or may not succeed.

Guinea pigs may nudge your hand when they want to play

Guinea pigs are really interesting, they know how to remove your hand sometimes and when they want to play together.

It is very important to get to know your pet well so that you can recognize exactly what he wants in certain situations.

Here are some interesting games you can play with your guinea pig:

  • play hide and seek with light cover
  • walk around your home with your guinea pig
  • hide some of his favorite food and let him find it
  • talk to your pet gently
  • throw a small ball to run after him

There are many different fun games that can be interesting for guinea pigs, which is also good for their health, to have more activities.

Guinea pigs may remove your hand if they have mites

When guinea pigs have problems such as mite problems they may take your hand away.

This happens because the mites make irritation to guinea pigs and they will feel uncomfortable and do not want you to pet them.

To know that a guinea pig has mites, it is enough to notice some of the following symptoms:

  • skin infection
  • weight loss
  • depression
  • fur problems (thinning, roughness)
  • lethargy

If guinea pigs have mites then you should take your guinea pig to a vet to prescribe an appropriate treatment, which may include an anti-mite shampoo.

In order to prevent the appearance of mites, you should provide the guinea pigs with a healthy diet and fresh and clean drinking water, and in general, maintain the hygiene of the cage.

Read more: Why Does A Guinea Pig Not Let You Touch Its Belly?

Conclusion

Guinea pigs will sometimes push your hand when you want to hold and pet them, which is completely normal because they don’t always want to be touched.

Sometimes if they are nervous, if they have an infection or skin irritation, as well as due to their natural instinct, they may not allow you to touch them.

Guinea pigs may also like to play with you and therefore push your hand.

If you are not touching them in the right place and this can be a reason for them to push your hand, it is best to touch them on the back and never on the stomach.

In any case, the better you know your guinea pigs, the better and easier you will know if you should touch and pet them or maybe it is not the right time in a certain situation.

Read more: Why Do Guinea Pigs Bite Their Feet? Let’s Discover