7 sounds you should know for your guinea pig

Guinea pigs know many ways to make themselves known or to show that they like or dislike something. They show their emotions not only by their behaviour but also by their sounds. It is good to know them so that you always know whether your pet is fine, in a good mood, or whether you should be on your guard and avoid risky behaviour at the moment. Here's an overview of the seven most common guinea pig sounds you should be able to safely identify.

Loud whistling or squeaking of a guinea pig
„Here he is again! Hooray! Heeeello!“ The guinea pig is simply happy, jumping and happy to see you. It often whistles when you come home, rustles the feed, etc. It demands your attention because it has found that it works. In pups, whistling means that the pup is looking for its mother. In the same way, guinea pigs squeak when there are more of them looking for each other.

Bubbling
A guinea pig gurgles or chirps when it's fine and not missing anything. So if you can hear its contented humming, you can rest easy. Everything is as it should be.

Whimpering and whining
If a guinea pig whines, it almost certainly means it is unhappy about something. Guinea pigs are not inherently aggressive, so when they don't like something, they whine and squeal. It's a sign of dissatisfaction, so if it whines or whimpers when you cuddle it, it doesn't necessarily mean it's happy to play or be cuddled.

Long growl
The prolonged growling of guinea pigs is connected with courtship. You can hear it whenever the male tries to please the female. When the female is in heat, the male intensifies his efforts and growls. By this time, the female starts to growl similarly. A long growl is associated with the typical rocking motion that indicates readiness to mate. So don't try to make growling guinea pigs happy, it will only increase their stress and may even cause a little aggression out of annoyance that you are „interfering in their lives“ :)

A short growl
A short growl is something completely different. The guinea pig growls briefly when scratching or when it gets something good to eat. It will thank you with a short growl and let you know that it is satisfied. Another possibility is that the guinea pig is surprised, reacting to something it did not expect, but is not uncomfortable with. Anyway, a short grunt is perfectly fine.

Singing
You can rarely hear a guinea pig singing. It is the most mysterious sound of these little rodents. It probably doesn't mean anything other than your guinea pig is hungry.

Clicking and gnashing of teeth
If the guinea pig clicks its teeth, it means that something is wrong, it is probably afraid. It would prefer to run away or is upset. By snapping and gnashing their teeth, guinea pigs also try to intimidate their opponents during a fight, to discourage them from fighting. Therefore, this sound is often heard from cages with multiple males threatening each other. If the guinea pig is alone in the cage and you hear similar noises, the best thing to do is to leave it alone and not to tease it. If there is more than one guinea pig in the cage, it is a good idea to separate them to avoid unnecessary fights in which the animals can hurt each other. But be careful and protect yourself from being bitten. Always wear protective gloves to remove an angry fighter from the cage.

More articles

d_ingoty

ASAN Brand of the Year in the World Branding Awards 2021-22

The Czech Republic is a traditional breeders' paradise and a mecca for the pet business. The pandemi…

d_ingoty

How to teach a bunny to bunny hop?

Sport has been a part of human life since the beginning of civilization. For centuries, man has also…

d_ingoty

A hedgehog as a pet?

Can't imagine a hedgehog in your home? Then believe that there is a large group of breeders whose pe…

d_ingoty

Do you feel like you're in a pigsty at home with your new pet?

Santa Claus fulfilled the greatest wish and your child got a dream guinea pig or rabbit under the tr…

d_ingoty

Dear Santa, please bring me a pet…

Which parent hasn't ever listened to their offspring's wish to have a pet (and who among us didn't w…

d_ingoty

How to prepare for getting a cat?

A cat is one of the most frequently acquired pets in the Czech Republic - three out of ten people in…

d_ingoty

What should a proper guinea pig house look like?

Home is probably the most important place in the world for each of us. Your guinea pig feels the sam…

d_ingoty

What to feed a rabbit?

A varied diet is the basis for a varied life. We would all like to give our bunny that - but how to …