[Gpdd] [BEHAVIOR] Update on Isis' Nipping -- and "Talking"

[Angela Allen]

First, to Debra: What a great-looking bunch you have there!!  I'm 
particularly struck by Snickers...he's about the same age as Isis 
with -very- similar coloring.  (She also has the lighter rings around her 
eyes and a ginger patch on her belly.)  I have to wonder whether they're 
related!  LOL

Second, Susi: Thanks for all the comments in Isis' album!  I enjoyed 
browsing your site too...  I swear, I've said "Awww!" and "How CUTE!" more 
times than I care to count when browsing folks' guinea pig sites lately.  ;)

As for Isis and her recent behavior, I'm leaning more and more toward her 
nipping being just a phase.  Using the "mama-pig" reprimand of tugging on 
the fur on the nape of her neck seems to get the point across effectively! 
I tug with a firm "No!" after she nips (not counting her usual "wonder if I 
can eat this?" or "mama, I gotta GO" nibbles), and she gives me the 
deer-in-headlights for a second before going about her business as usual.

Just in the last week of reprimands, I've noticed a decrease in the 
"quality" and quantity of her nips.  Big thumbs up from me to everyone for 
their advice, and a nice loud purr from Isis!

Along with the recent nipping, she's become VERY vocal.  When we first 
brought her home, we'd only get purrs when she was being held and stroked. 
Then came the occasional "mumbles" when she was doing laps around her cage
every evening.  Now, she mumbles a lot of the time, especially when we're 
holding her, her purrs can be very loud or almost impossible to hear, and 
we've noticed her "vocabulary" growing from week to week (pardon the pun!). 
Along with the mumbles, I've heard a few low "bwee bwee"s in there.  Still 
no "wheek"s, but she's not half-grown yet!  She's learned the rattle of 
apple treats in a ziplock bag, so maybe she'll be wheeking in no time...

A Guinea Pig-Human dictionary would come in real handy right about now!

~ Angela (and Isis, aka the "Bean Machine")
http://albums.lunaclick.net/ka-cc-isis