As a guinea pig parent, you need to learn their language! We will be learning how to popcorn today. Really?! No, but we will be talking about guinea pig behavior.
Considering you’re in charge of taking care of an adorable cavy, it’s very useful!
When you understand what your guinea pig is expressing, then you can respond to their emotions appropriately. This builds trust and understanding with your cavy. Your guinea pig will learn they can rely on you to respect their feelings and know that you’ll act in their best interest!
Understanding Guinea Pig Behavior Helps You Bond With Your Cavy
The whole reason you have guinea pigs is to love them! So let’s get into their different sounds and movements that will help you understand them and bond with them.
Understanding how guinea pigs communicate also makes bonding guinea pigs with each other much easier. For more specific behaviors and tips related to bonding guinea pigs check out this Step-by-Step Guide.
Guinea Pig Sounds
Guinea pigs aren’t loud animals but they do have some distinct sounds that you’ll pick up on the more time you spend with them. While all of the sounds on this list are common to hear from guinea pigs, not all guinea pigs will make all of these sounds.
Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean your cavy isn’t the happiest furry friend! It just means that they express themselves in a different way when it comes to guinea pig behavior.
Wheeking
Wheeking is a loud happy whistle that a guinea pig will make when they’re calling out to someone (their human, friend, or mom). Some guinea pigs will wheek when they see you coming with a bag of treats!
Chutting
Chutting is another guinea pig behavior that guinea pig parents love. It’s a cute happy sound and softer than a wheek. Some people call chutting, “clucking”. It sounds like a mix of a cluck and a squeaky wheel rolling around.
You’ll hear chutting when your guinea pig is happy and content. It can be heard when you’re petting your guinea pig or when they’re exploring happily during floor time.
Purring
Purring sounds similar to chutting and it also happens when your cavy is content. It’s a softer sound than chutting and is usually heard when they are still (when you pet them!) rather than when they’re exploring.
Teeth Chattering
Teeth chattering is a guinea pig’s way of saying, “Uh-oh I think there’s gonna be trouble”. A guinea pig will chatter their teeth if they think there’s danger around or if they’re telling someone to get away.
This usually means your cavy is feeling threatened. If you hear teeth chattering, you need to investigate! Separate the guinea pigs if they seem like they'll become aggressive. If there’s no negative guinea pig behavior, look for something else that might be scaring them (new people, new sounds, did something fall, etc.).
Chirping
Chirping is relatively rare to hear. It’s a sound that is usually a cavy sounding the alarm that there is danger around or that they need help. This means something has scared them or they are in a tricky situation. It sounds a bit like a squeaky toy being pushed repeatedly.
Screaming
When your guinea pig is in distress or pain they might “scream”. It sounds like a shriek or a squeal. This lets you know that you need to drop everything because your furry friend needs you!
Guinea Pig Body Language
Guinea pig body language isn’t always easy to translate. Luckily, you now know more about guinea pig sounds! Using context clues and your knowledge of different noises will help you understand what your cavy’s body language means.
Strutting
Strutting is one of those movements I’m talking about! It could mean two very different things depending on the situation. Strutting is when a guinea pig walks with more side-to-side movement than what’s typical for them.
When strutting is combined with a rumbling sound (low purr), this means they’re either trying to mate or assert dominance over another guinea pig. Guinea pigs create a social hierarchy and asserting dominance over another guinea pig is common!
When strutting is combined with teeth chattering this means they’re asserting dominance in an aggressive way. They feel threatened and they want to be the boss. These situations can lead to a fight.
Popcorning
Popcorning is every parent's favorite guinea pig behavior. These are happy jumps into the air that look like quick “pops”. They do this when they’re excited! It’s a burst of energy that gives us cavy parents a spring in our step when we see it.
Freeze Response
A guinea pig will freeze when they aren’t sure what’s going on. Similar to us humans! Have you ever stood frozen while you tried to evaluate the situation in your mind? A guinea pig might freeze when they’re scared or need a little reassurance.
If you see your guinea pig freeze just talk in a calm voice to let them know that everything is fine!
Rubbing
Guinea pigs will rub their chins on something in order to say, “This is mine”. Sometimes they’ll rub their face or bottom as well. They’re marking their scent and letting you know what’s theirs.
It’s a nonaggressive way of asserting dominance. Sometimes a bossy cavy is cute. Okay, they’re always cute.
Guinea Pig Behavior When Interacting With Humans
While understanding how guinea pigs interact with each other will help you facilitate proper cavy relationships, it will also help you understand how they’re interacting with you!
When a guinea pig rubs up against you, consider it saying you’re theirs. Pretty cute, right?
Recognizing when your cavy is uncomfortable (freezing or teeth chattering for example) tells you when you may need to back off. Seeing the positive, happy guinea pig behavior and sounds shows you when they're especially comfortable around you.
Toys and treats can help encourage interactions with your cavy. Don’t get discouraged if it seems to take some time for your guinea pig to get familiar with you.
Guinea pigs are all unique and will have their own subtle differences in how they communicate. While some guinea pigs will never wheek, others will wheek often! Some guinea pigs may freeze up more and others will be more extroverted.
Don’t forget to slow down with your cavies regularly, they have a lot to say!
We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice.
Before adding any new product, please consult your exotic veterinarian. If your pet is acting unwell and you have concerns for their well being, please contact your vet immediately.
