Peculiarities of behavior of guinea pigs: popcorning, bad habits

In our previous article, we talked in detail about how guinea pigs behave with their relatives and other pets in the apartment. Today we will talk about the behavior of guinea pigs towards people.

You shouldn’t be scared, you probably already realized that these cute fluffy rodents are quite loyal to people, quickly get used to their owner, know how to express their feelings, and in general are excellent friends for many years.

And, nevertheless, there are behavioral features of guinea pigs that any furry owner needs to know.

Personality of guinea pigs

Compared to other rodents, guinea pigs have a very calm disposition. They are not at all characterized by aggression. It takes a lot of effort for a guinea pig to bite a person.

The bite can be triggered by pain or fear. A sound that is too loud or sharp can frighten the animal, and careless movements can cause pain. Also, a pig may bite if your hands smell of something tasty, so we recommend that you wash your hands before you start playing.

On the other hand, if the guinea pig is behaving too passively, has lost its appetite or/and is yeasty, then it is possible that the guinea pig is already dying. You can still save her, or prevent the death of your pet.

Some breeders consider guinea pigs even somewhat phlegmatic. In addition, these animals can be clumsy, which causes affection.

Adaptation is very important in the life of guinea pigs; after acquiring an animal, he needs to set aside a couple of days to get used to it and not touch the animal. Having gotten used to the new home and smells, the animal will make contact without problems. If you manage to make friends with a guinea pig, you will notice that they will pay attention to your voice, so they can be taught simple commands.

To establish friendly relations, you need to:

• pick up an animal;
• show affection by stroking the animal;
• do not touch the animal if it is busy - eating, playing or resting;
• pay attention as often as possible.

By the way, many breeders note that guinea pigs are capable of making purring sounds when stroking them, vaguely reminiscent of a cat’s, thanks to which you can understand whether your pet likes such tenderness.

Despite their calm nature, guinea pigs are very social animals and will be incredibly happy to receive attention from their owner. These animals need communication, and from its lack they can even get sick. If your guinea pig is not given enough attention, they may begin to refuse food and become uninterested in toys.

If you cannot devote enough time to your pet, you should think about purchasing a pet. If you do not plan to have offspring, you can purchase an animal of the same sex; females get along very well with each other, but males of some breeds can make trouble, establishing leadership or dividing territory.

As for other pets, you should be concerned about the safety of the rodent and place the cage out of reach of other pets. It is advisable not to allow a cat or dog to observe the animal, as this can cause stress in the animal. After all, hearing the smell of the enemy, the pig will feel discomfort and constant danger.

It is also unacceptable to keep a guinea pig and, for example, a rabbit in the same cage. Each species has its own food preferences, which may be prohibited to the second.

Of course, there will be no unwanted offspring, but they can get into fights and not only injure each other, but also kill each other.

What to do if the animal squeals, whines, moans?

Strange sounds, similar to squealing, can express delight when the pig is noticed after long hours of solitude. This is a socialized animal that needs not just attention, but communication.

If household members are at work all day, then it is better for the animal to buy a pair. It must be two girls or two males. But it happens that a pig chooses a decorative rabbit, a cat, a Pekingese or a soft toy as a friend.

The animal may squeal while trying to free its stuck paw. A screaming guinea pig asks a person for help. She moans and whines when she gets sick. As soon as the source of suffering is eliminated, the whining will stop.

Guinea pig behavior

Many may doubt whether it is worth purchasing a guinea pig; doubts arise due to the seeming phlegmatic nature of these rodents, especially in comparison with other active relatives, for example, mice, who swarm around in a cage all day long. However, this opinion is wrong: these rodents can also be very active; it is enough to observe their life for some time.

A sense of security is very important to them. If the animal is comfortable, it will happily show its sociality and friendliness. If a pig has made friends with its owner while walking around the apartment, it will not look for somewhere to hide and will come out of a secluded place if called. Pigs can also attract attention to themselves, for example, by grabbing clothes or lightly biting a person. In addition, they can express their emotions through sounds. Over time, any breeder begins to understand the sounds of a pet: whether the animal is scared or, conversely, enthusiastic about something.

The most common sounds and their meaning:

1. Rumbling is a sound accompanied by vibration that can signal that your pet is in a good mood. He talks about satiety or pleasure, for example, during stroking.
2. Snorting may indicate that the rodent is interested in something.
3. Crackling - a grumbling sound similar to tapping may indicate that the animal is flirting, showing interest and readiness to mate.
4. Whining can signal that the animal is in pain. You should check it for damage: if there are no visible wounds or abrasions, observe the behavior of the animal and, if necessary, visit a veterinarian.
5. Hissing or chirping can indicate aggression: perhaps the animal is frightened, afraid or anxious. You should find out why the animal was scared and eliminate the reason. At these moments, it is better not to touch the pet, it may bite.
6. Whistling: this way the animal can talk about hunger. But if you hear rhythmic whistling and the animal is calm, it may just be eating. Some animals can make this sound when eating food.
7. A loud, drawn-out squeak may also indicate pain or severe fright, for example, the animal could be stuck somewhere, causing pain to itself.

These rodents can be tamed in a short time, so they will be an excellent gift for a child. They will never bite when stroking or trying to be picked up; moreover, they are easy to catch when escaping - once in a new, uncharted territory, most likely the animal will simply freeze and remain in place.

It is important to know! When an animal clicks its teeth, it is better not to touch it: in this way they show aggression. Such movements can be noticed during quarrels with relatives or when the pig is in danger.

Cute chirping, tweeting

It's not often that you hear a guinea pig making strange sounds that sound like birds chirping. Psychologically, from the outside, this can be compared to when a person sings in the shower. This behavior continues for no more than half an hour. Animals in the process of tweeting do not notice anyone around.

Chirping can be triggered by a state of strong excitement or emotional stress. For example, after a quarrel with cagemates.

The females chirp with the knowledge that she will soon have cubs and is happy to announce it. The male can thus invite the female to mate. When guinea pigs talk by chirping, there is no cause for concern.

Guinea pig intelligence

Many people mistakenly believe that guinea pigs do not have intelligence - they do not understand what is happening, not to mention new skills. Undoubtedly, in comparison with a cat or dog, pigs are not capable of complex tricks or commands, but they are definitely capable of recognizing their owner.

If desired, they can be taught a few simple tricks without effort, for example, going out or entering the cage on command. Guinea pigs have a fairly well-developed memory, therefore, after a while, the rodent will respond to its name and easily distinguish the guest from the owner.

Guinea pigs perfectly understand the mood of people; they can behave differently with different people, showing friendliness towards some, and, on the contrary, wariness towards others. Moreover, the pig remembers its offenders and those who treat it friendly.

It is important to remember that a guinea pig, like a person, can have its own character, can be calm, or, on the contrary, can be very active.

In order for the animal to feel comfortable in its new home, you just need to clean the cage as it gets dirty, monitor food and water, and pay attention to it, then you will get a reliable friend who will give you a lot of positive emotions!

Grinding or chattering of teeth

When your guinea pig chatters its teeth, you need to be wary. This extreme degree of anger, which does not happen often. Often guinea pigs make sounds similar to hissing, chattering their teeth and showing a grin. This means the animal is aggressive. And there are good reasons for this.

A fight is inevitable if you do not react in time and do not seat the animals. At the same time, it is necessary to remove a less aggressive animal so as not to turn out to be “extreme”.

Why can rodents quarrel? More often this is a division of territory. To avoid such disagreements, you need to install a very large cage to house two or more animals. Animals are accustomed to being neighbors in stages. It is possible that, like people, they may exhibit psychological incompatibility due to their diametrically opposite character.

To begin with, they place the cages close to each other, but so that the voice of the guinea pig can be heard by the future neighbor. After one or two weeks they can be placed side by side. And only in ten days will they be given the opportunity to share one place of residence.

If conflicts are excluded and no other external irritants can be detected, the animal should be shown to a veterinarian. This may be deviations in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, the growth of teeth that were not sharpened in time.

Guinea pig facts

The very name “Guinea Pig” confuses many pet owners. And those who have simply heard about these cute creatures are surprised where such a nickname comes from, because the animals are clean and have nothing to do with the sea.

In fact, the origin of the name “Guinea Pig” owes to America. It was from there that the breed was brought, that is, as they said in Rus', the animal was “Overseas”.

Interestingly, in European countries the animal is often called “Guinea pig”, “Indian pig”, or “Pig mouse”. As you can understand, only the “Pig” part of the name does not raise any questions. Again, it all comes down to the characteristics of the animal: in everyday life they sometimes make grunting sounds, very reminiscent of an ordinary pig. This is where the animal got its name.

The inhabitants of the Andean system first began domesticating animals; this happened 5 thousand years ago. At that time, they played the role not only of pets, but were also considered ritual animals sacrificed. Some ate their meat.

Only in the 13th century did Indian tribes see promise in pigs, and by 1533 they were able to develop many interesting breeds.

Today, these animals are rightfully considered one of the most popular types of pets. Especially in families with small children.

Due to the fact that animals are easy to train and get used to being handled, at home they become real members of the family.

With proper care, pigs live a fairly long time.

Science today does not stand still, and breeders have managed to develop breeds that are not similar in appearance to each other. For example, the most common difference is in the length and color of the coat; there are even specimens without fur, which is not for everyone.

The body length of a guinea pig rarely exceeds 35 cm. They are distinguished by a wide muzzle with hanging ears, a round body and a complete absence of a tail. The maximum weight of males reaches 1.5 kg, females - 0.8 kg.

Individuals in the wild have a brownish-gray coat color on top, and the belly and inner side of the body are lighter in color.

When should you be wary?

So, the same sound can mean both good and bad emotions; you need to delve into the context of what was “said.” Look at the environment, at the events that preceded the sound.

List of sounds that you should be wary of when you hear them:

• The animal squeaks shrilly. If no external irritants are found that need to be eliminated, the animal should be taken straight to the veterinarian.
• Grinding of teeth almost always means problems with chewing function. It is necessary to examine the animal's teeth. An infection can settle there. Only a veterinarian can see this.
• The loud cry of a rodent means that the animal is scared and in danger. Stress factors for the pig must be eliminated, otherwise it can become seriously ill.
• Wheezing when breathing is also a reason for urgent medical attention.

Each animal can bring personality and express special emotional notes. The squeak of a guinea pig is an expression of a palette of feelings. Recognizing them is a difficult but interesting task.

38...interesting facts about guinea pigs

1. Many note that these animals have little in common with pigs. Except for the body structure without a waist and sounds reminiscent of grunting. That's why they got their name. “Sea” means “Overseas”, since the animal was brought from America, an overseas country.
2. The pigs' ancestors were several times larger in size and weighed up to 700 kg.
3. For the Incas, pigs were a source of meat, which was considered valuable. For this reason, they began to breed and domesticate animals in the 5th millennium BC.
4. And the people of the Mochica tribe, on the contrary, deified the animal, worshiped them and created various works of art on this topic.
5. Even today, guinea pig delicacies are popular in the countries of Peru and Ecuador.
6. The body length of the animal is 35 cm, and the weight of the male is 1.5 kg.
7. Due to the peculiarities of the digestive system, pigs eat almost constantly; their main food is hay.
8. Pigs eat their droppings, however, this process is considered vital for them. The fact is that vitamins K and B are absorbed by the body only by repeatedly passing through the digestive system.
9. Pigs are considered one of the most tame pets. They respond to names and are also able to purr in response to the owner's stroking.
10. If the pig is pregnant, it may sometimes make sounds reminiscent of birds chirping.
11. The average lifespan of an animal is 5 years. But with proper care, the period can be extended.
12. Guinea pigs mature a month after their birth.
13. Penicillin is prohibited for animals , since their bodies will perceive the substance as poison.
14. Animals' teeth grow throughout their lives. Therefore, it is important to give them food on which they can wear them down.
15. With a certain dose of happy hormones, pigs can jump in place or stretch.
16. The longest lifespan of a pig, recorded by the Guinness Book of Records, is 15 years.
17. Animal DNA contains 64 chromosomes, which is 18 more than humans.
18. If the animal “changes its mind” about becoming a mother, the cubs can either be preserved in the body for several years, or dissolve within it naturally.
19. Pigs are able to sleep for 10 minutes several times during the day. The rest of the time they remain cheerful.
20. Despite the marine name, animals do not like water.
21. A pet can suffer from a fall even from a low height.
22. Unlike a number of other rodents, pigs have the ability to distinguish colors.
23. The maximum recorded length of pet fur is 50 cm.
24. Pigs became known to Europe after the discovery of America by Columbus.
25. There are no mechanisms in the pig's body responsible for the production of vitamin C.
26. Despite the frighteningly long claws and teeth, pets practically do not scratch.
27. Pigs are considered a musical type of animal. The fact is that they can produce the widest range of sounds of any known pet.
28. If a pet stretches in your arms, this means the highest degree of his happiness.
29. Thanks to the 4 curls in the inner ear, the animal's hearing is many times better than that of humans.
30. The Land of the Rising Sun has a network of specialized stores with fashionable clothing and accessories for animals.
31. Peru hosts an annual Guinea Pig Festival. The author of the most original costume receives the main and coveted prize.
32. If there is a child with autism in the family, then a guinea pig will help reduce stress and adapt to special conditions.
33. If an animal wants to demonstrate its strength, it throws its head up.
34. In Europe, the first animals cost astronomical sums. And their owner automatically acquired the status of a rich person.
35. But in South America, guinea pigs are considered symbols of general bad luck and failure.
36. If there is a need to distract a predator, the pig can pass itself off as dead, automatically stopping the body's processes.
37. The body of an adult animal does not digest lactose well.
38. To reduce the stress level of guinea pigs, the Swedish authorities passed a law that prohibits keeping animals alone. In order for the law to come into force, the country has a special animal rental office.

Despite the animal’s well-fed body, pigs never cease to set world records, surprising breeders, scientists and the owners themselves.