The sounds of chinchillas are quite varied. They are social animals that love to socialize. They can make sounds similar to barking, squeaking, snorting, etc. This is how chinchillas transmit various messages to each other and establish interpersonal relationships.
Communication occurs through a wide range of intonations. To understand your pets, you need to clearly translate their speech.
However, out of all the variety, there are only a few basic sound “patterns”. By widely changing the tone and volume of their voices, chinchillas create their own special language of communication.
If you listen to them carefully, you will find a great similarity in emotionality with human speech. The experience of our nursery confirms this statement.
Over the years of observation, the most frequently repeated patterns were identified, which we present below.
Note: Some sounds are very rare. They are difficult to capture and are presented only in text. Animals are very individual. Some are talkative, others are silent or even grumpy. We also noticed that one animal is less talkative than a pair or more (one has no one to talk to).
Chinchilla sounds can be divided into the following categories:
- Anxiety, fear
- Anger, rage
- Children's communication
- Contact
- Pairing
- Protest, defense
Chinchilla sounds - anxiety and fear
Danger warnings (chinchilla barks)
If your pet encounters something it does not understand, it emits a series of short, intermittent screams (sometimes up to 15 in a row). This typical warning is heard as a “bark” (it is referred to as “the chinchilla barks”).
In the wild, a family member, noticing danger or something unknown, warns the entire group with such a sound. In this recording, you can hear concern about fireworks in the street.
If your recently purchased pet makes this sound, everything is fine, don't worry. In this way, he explores the new environment, gets used to it, strengthens himself psychologically, and encourages himself. As he gets used to his new home, he will calm down, become tame and more domestic.
Remember, external sharp sounds can be irritating for chinchillas. For example, being in a car and hearing a door slam, the animal will bark. For him, this is an unusual manifestation of the world, which is frightening. A sudden bang or a box falling to the floor will give the same reaction.
From time to time you can hear barking in your sleep. It is a slightly hoarse, muffled sound. It is unknown why this happens. We tend to believe that pets, like their owners, have dreams, perhaps even nightmares. People sometimes cry out in their sleep too.
Please take care of your charges, do not frighten them once again with something new, their psyche is very vulnerable!
Short alarms
Chinchillas are cowards by nature. When they hear a sharp loud noise, they get scared and almost always run away. Moreover, they run so selflessly that they forget to properly warn others about the danger. The result is a crumpled mutter like "Habababapp" that follows the furball as it runs away. When you see this, you will laugh for a long time!
DON'T SCARY PETS! They are likely to have a nervous attack or even die from such shock.
Fear and pain
In extreme situations, animals can make an alarming high-pitched sound. Usually this is done by individuals with a “subtle, vulnerable nature” or, on the contrary, who are too nervous.
In most cases, regular pet chinchillas do not do this. They are tamed, mentally stable, surrounded by comfort - they have nothing to be afraid of so much or suddenly.
Be careful - they can scream like that when they feel severe sharp pain (like a person in a state of shock). For example, when they get their paw stuck in a cage and can’t get out on their own.
Such screams also occur with internal, hidden pain (colitis, pancreatitis, etc.) - this means more a request for help than anxiety.
Take care of the safety and health of your pets, listen to them!
Normal noise while eating
Before buying any rodent, you need to remember that they eat quite noisily, especially at night, when there is absolute silence in the house. Chinchillas are very active at night, so after playing and running around they immediately want to eat.
Chinchillas make a very loud noise at night when:
- They chew their house and shelves
- They chew on wood and mineral stones
- Eating crackers and sweet sticks
After reading this article, I hope that it will be easier for you to distinguish the sounds that your pet makes and if he asks for help, then you will understand it. It is very important to recognize your chinchilla's requests so that its life is comfortable, as a result of which it will make less noise at night and disturb you.
Before buying a chinchilla, you need to remember that the chinchilla will live in a separate room from where the sound will not be heard, or you will have to get used to noisy nightlife. Of course, it is possible to train a chinchilla to sleep at night so that it makes less noise, and we have a separate article about this.
Sounds of chinchillas - rage and anger
Animals are susceptible to these feelings from childhood. To survive you need to be the strongest. In not very milk-producing females with large litters, there is competition between the babies for mother's milk. Even one-day-old puppies are capable of showing aggression to establish dominance or gain access to food (mother's nipple with milk).
In such cases, the cubs can stand up on their hind legs, “fight” with their front legs, knock, grind their teeth, and even knock each other to the ground. No matter how scary it may look, as a rule, everything ends well. This is simply a clarification of relationships (building a hierarchy within the family).
Because of such family conflicts, the female is nervous, grumbling with displeasure, making a noisy, rough snort. If this does not help, she is capable of spraying restless kids with a stream of urine. This cools the dust.
When understanding this behavior, be careful. A grumpy mother will not miss the opportunity to splash you with urine if you get too close and fall under the hot hand.
"Family Disputes"
The energy of chinchillas sometimes interferes with their own behavior. The most spacious cage or display case still limits the space. This is felt more clearly when more than one tail lives together. As a result, “family scandals” may arise (as with people living with a large family in a cramped apartment). But more often than not, conflict is just an excuse to “let off steam” and defuse the situation.
Another striking example is untimely courtship. Here the male pesters the female (touches her with his teeth, as if trying to kiss her), but receives a sharp refusal and a stream of urine. The female tried to snort displeasedly. This did not help, we had to use heavy artillery. This is especially audible towards the end of the track.
The male, full of discontent, jumps up. Running around the cage ensues with verbal altercations expressed by dissatisfied grunting.
Causes
- Marriage games.
When a male hamster courts a female, he sings a song to her. The most gallant individuals perform a serenade for the female before starting mating.
- Good mood.
There is no need to worry prematurely. Quiet squeaking can mean joy from a pleasant meal or meeting with the owner. If your hamster is cheerful and energetic, but starts squeaking when he sees you, know that this is how he says hello!
- Stress.
The hamster may become agitated, for example, when moving. New surroundings and smells frighten the fluffy, and he may squeal. It usually takes a rodent about a week to get comfortable in a new space. During these days, it is recommended not to disturb the hamster, not to squeeze it, not to pick it up. Over time, the pet will adapt and stop squeaking.
- Defense of the territory.
The cute hamster becomes aggressive when it comes to protecting his territory from any other rodents, including his own brothers. If the owner carelessly places two hamsters in the same cage, a fight will inevitably occur. Before a fight, the hamster makes loud sounds similar to squeaking and hissing, as well as crackling and chirping to scare the enemy.
- Need for help.
If your hamster squeaks when it hasn't done so before, check to see if it has food and water. Perhaps he is tormented by hunger or thirst. An animal may also vocalize if it is hot or its cage is dirty.
Oddly enough, some are sure that hamsters do not drink water, but get all the necessary moisture from juicy food. In fact, hamsters, excluding newborns, need water. You need to place a drinking bowl in the cage where there will always be fresh water. It is necessary to train your pet to use it.
- Dreams.
When a hamster squeaks and twitches in his sleep, he is simply dreaming. He can twitch his limbs, make faces and make sounds.
- Bad feeling.
Illness is a serious reason why a small rodent may squeak. Behavior can tell about it: lethargy, loss of appetite, decreased activity, drowsiness. Appearance also says a lot about the health of the animal. He stops cleaning the fur, which makes it look sloppy.
The first thing you need to do is examine your pet: examine its paws, teeth, and skin. Both squeaking and loud screams can indicate discomfort. For example, a squeak after a fall indicates injury. After all, hamsters do not know how to fall and jump correctly, like cats. Therefore, falling from a height, they often receive serious damage.
After being bitten by a subcutaneous tick, the hamster experiences such acute itching that it screams, squeals, gets angry and nervous. If it is not clear why your pet is squeaking, and there are skin problems, demodicosis should be suspected.
Hamsters may experience discomfort due to poor diet. Sometimes they squeak for this reason. In this case, it is worth reviewing your pet’s diet.
Sounds of chinchillas - babies
Kids communicate a lot - with mommy, with each other, with people. Cubs are generally more talkative than adults.
Feeding babies
To eat, a whole ritual takes place. The baby comes up to his mother, sniffs her face (like a dog puppy licks his mother’s face, asking for food). This is how the baby says to mommy: “I’m hungry, feed me.” He squeaks piercingly - loudly and sonorously (so that they would probably hear).
The mother responds with a soothing, caring grunt and licks the baby’s ears (as if stroking the head, calming the baby).
Having received the mother's approval, the cub climbs to the tummy, looking for a nipple with milk. He lies on his back under mommy's nipple to make it easier to drink milk. She cleans it, licks it, making it beautiful. The mother also stimulates the baby’s genitals in order to “start” the body’s bowel movements (cats and dogs also lick babies for this purpose). Meanwhile, the mother grunts caringly, and the baby squeaks happily.
Sleepy kids
As already mentioned, children communicate more and a little differently than adults.
Here, for example, are the sounds of a sleepy puppy sleeping near its parents. He was disturbed by his brother, who climbed in to warm himself.
The brother was too careless, the baby woke up and immediately spoke with a different intonation (similar to dissatisfied curses with complaints).
Observing babies, you can notice some behavioral similarities with human children. Children, they are children everywhere!
What to do with a screaming homa?
We figured out how hamsters scream, squeak and cry.
If animals make strange sounds, be it squeaking, screaming or crying, and it doesn’t matter if they are Syrians or Djungarians, you should not ignore it. Having found out the reason why the hamster screams, you need to immediately exclude it
Livestock breeders often wonder why the Djungarian hamster squeaks when entering a new habitat. The pet is stressed. He should be placed in a quiet and comfortable room for a while. This way no one will bother him again. After some time, the strange exclamations made by the hamster will stop, and he will calmly begin to settle into his new house. Believe me, he will be favorable to you. And with good care, you can easily tame it.
If your Djungarian hamster squeaks very often, then you should pay attention to the contents in the cage. It is possible that something is bothering him or, on the contrary, something he is missing (food, drink)
In this way, the animal can respond to the need for a sexual partner.
What to do if a hamster squeaks and even lunges at its owner? In this case, your inaction is the best panacea for the rodent. Just leave him alone for a while and you will notice how he gradually comes to his senses and calms down.
But if the hamster makes strange, incessant screams, similar to crying and screaming, then most likely he has serious health problems. In this case, you need the help of a doctor.
Cute furry babies - pet hamsters, have long and firmly occupied the niche of pets. Getting a cat or dog is quite a troublesome story. You need to walk with them, spend a lot of time on their hygiene and other needs. Hamsters in this sense are an ideal option. They do not cause excessive trouble with feeding, do not require special care or effort in training, and do not damage furniture or interiors.
It’s so common for these little lumps, sitting in their cages, to be exclusively occupied with eating and building holes, that when the hamsters start making alarming sounds, we get lost and don’t understand what to do.
Sounds chinchillas make when making contact
Manifestation of relationship
When communicating closely, a couple in love makes a sound reminiscent of grunting with pleasure and squeaking at the same time - a soft, pleasant tone. This means closeness, good mutual attitude and a good attitude.
However, tails can grunt like this, being completely calm. We heard this when the female was sitting alone, as if she was sad about her friend (we put the male away for a while).
Perhaps this is expressing out loud good memories or thoughts about someone or something.
To attract attention
Chinchillas love and can attract attention. Whether they want to get something tasty, want to go for a walk, or are just bored, they attract attention to themselves.
“Hey, hey you, I want to tell you something” - this is how this sound can be translated.
We observed such sounds. One animal began to eat the found delicacy, huddling in a corner of the display case. The second one was lounging around, bored. Eating the treat was observed. The bored tail headed towards the glutton, squeaking: “Hey, buddy, what are you eating there? I’m coming to you, show me.”
And this female is looking for her soul mate. She wants to rub her face, exchange tenderness - “I missed you so much, hug me,” she seems to say.
Video on the topic
If the owner of an animal wants to understand his pet, then you need to listen to him more often
. This will help you figure out when the animal is scared and when it just wants to attract attention. Show care for your furry friend, and you will receive a lot of positive emotions in return.
The sounds of chinchillas are quite varied. They are social animals that love to socialize. They can make sounds similar to barking, squeaking, snorting, etc. This is how chinchillas transmit various messages to each other and establish interpersonal relationships.
Communication occurs through a wide range of intonations. To understand your pets, you need to clearly translate their speech.
However, out of all the variety, there are only a few basic sound “patterns”. By widely changing the tone and volume of their voices, chinchillas create their own special language of communication.
If you listen to them carefully, you will find a great similarity in emotionality with human speech. The experience of our nursery confirms this statement.
Over the years of observation, the most frequently repeated patterns were identified, which we present below.
Note: Some sounds are very rare. They are difficult to capture and are presented only in text. Animals are very individual. Some are talkative, others are silent or even grumpy. We also noticed that one animal is less talkative than a pair or more (one has no one to talk to).
Chinchilla sounds can be divided into the following categories:
Sounds chinchillas make when mating
Mating foreshadowing
When the female is ready to mate, she goes into estrus. The male courts her, making an unusual calling sound.
He cleans the floor under him and attracts the female by wagging his tail (like a dog when he is happy). This waving is called the "Wag Tail Dance."
If the female reacts normally, the male becomes more and more persistent. He approaches her with the goal of jumping in to cover her.
Sometimes the female is not ready for quick intimacy. She begins to defend herself, snorting with rage and anger (see above). It may bite him slightly or even cool his ardor with a stream of urine.
If the male is loyal and has a fairly gentle character, he “complains about the difficult lot of men,” squealing.
This squeal happens like this.
When a mother gives birth to babies, the partner is often separated so that there is no re-covering. Then he attracts her, leaning against the cage and whining pitifully like that.
Or like this.
After successful mating
In case of successful mating, the partner notifies about this in a rather interesting way. The signal resembles a loud hiccup in a hoarse voice and sometimes lasts up to several minutes.
After this, the couple relaxes together. They are dozing on the shelf of the cage, snuggling gently. At such moments they express complete idyll and peace!
When to be wary
Very frightened, when feeling pain and injury, the chinchilla utters a sharp calling sound, which sometimes turns into a melody of 20 repetitions.
When transporting an animal in transport, you can hear an alarm sound, indicating a stressed state of chinchillas. It may sound like crying.
Sometimes nursery owners do not give chinchillas the necessary attention. Animals run wild and see people as a threat. In such cases, the animals have such a reaction.
It happens that a pet makes a similar sound based on past experience (former owners could hurt, hit or scream without studying the animal’s manners).
If you encounter this behavior in a purchased animal, be patient. This is an affectionate, gentle animal that has endured cruel trials. He closed himself off from the whole world and stopped trusting people. It is necessary to help him trust people again, to find cheerfulness.
By spending time with your pet every day, especially letting him out of his crate and allowing him to explore his surroundings, you can get to know him better and learn to recognize the meaning of each sound.
After a while, you can easily understand when a chinchilla needs something when it simply behaves friendly and greets its owner.
Learning what your little friend says is one of the most fun things to do. So give your chinchilla your attention and work hard to earn her trust and companionship.
Sounds of chinchillas - protest and defense
"You hurt me"
This is how tails whine when they are irritated or embarrassed by others. They do this all the time, from birth. The sound shows defenselessness, vulnerability, and actually speaks about the situation of the victim. It is analogous to the expression “pressure on pity.” If this does not work, more stringent methods are used.
If you pick up your pet and notice that he is whining, stop immediately! Otherwise, your actions will not be a manifestation of love, but violence. Try showing your kindness in a different way. Your actions should be mutually pleasant. Perhaps your friend is not yet mentally prepared for such a turn of events.
Protest
When an animal feels oppressed from the outside, it grumpily swears, making it clear - “Hey, I don’t like your behavior! I'm against! Stop it!”
The reasons can be varied - a queue for a bowl of food, pestering by a boyfriend, inappropriate playfulness, etc.
If this sound does not produce results, the chinchilla will begin to display rage or anger.
What to do: provide comfortable and safe conditions
The animals are most active at night. They sleep most of the day. Individuals living in pairs or groups prefer to hug or climb on top of each other.
Even a soft knock can wake up the animal and put it into an excited state. If you choose a chinchilla as a pet, then you will have to adapt to its rhythm of life.
. Since these rodents like to get ready for bed at a certain time, they will need to feed and clean the cage according to a schedule.
If the baby lives alone in a closet, then most likely he will choose the sleeping position - lying on his belly. Seeing a pet lounging on its side, you can be sure that the animal is accustomed to a person and completely trusts him.
Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures, spending most of the day sleeping. It is important to remember, no matter how long the animal sleeps, you cannot wake it up!
Health problems
Uncomfortable living conditions
Sometimes a squeak means that the hamster is screaming for help. There is no drinking water or food in the cage, it is too hot - all this provokes the pet to declare itself. When thinking about why a lonely Syrian hamster squeaks, check its conditions of detention.
Respiratory diseases
If your pet constantly makes strange sounds - sniffles, whistles, snorts, this indicates difficulty breathing. A rodent can have either a common cold or pneumonia. You should contact your veterinarian.
Strong pain
If a hamster cries in pain, it means it is beyond the pale. A rodent can silently endure even a broken leg. The most common cause of suffering is colic. If the stomach growls and increases in size, and the hamster is worried and whines pitifully, the cause is bloating. Analyze the diet: there are foods that cause fermentation (cabbage).
With strong gas formation, the animal may die.
Discomfort and itching
When infected by a subcutaneous mite, the itching is so severe that the animal squeals in pain and becomes nervous and aggressive. If it is not clear why the Djungarian hamster squeaks and at the same time there are skin problems, you should check your pet for demodicosis.
A hamster's squeak is a signal that a caring owner should try to decipher. If your hamster squeaks and you don’t know what to do or what happened to him, you should contact a rodent specialist - a rodentologist.
You should not deliberately tease your pet in order to hear hamsters scream. Although some people think that a screaming hamster looks funny, for the animal itself it is a lot of stress, which shortens its already short life.
Reasons for squeaking, screaming and crying in a hamster 4.9 (97.5%) 40 votes
Cute furry babies - pet hamsters, have long and firmly occupied the niche of pets. Getting a cat or dog is quite a troublesome story. You need to walk with them, spend a lot of time on their hygiene and other needs. Hamsters in this sense are an ideal option. They do not cause excessive trouble with feeding, do not require special care or effort in training, and do not damage furniture or interiors.
It’s so common for these little lumps, sitting in their cages, to be exclusively occupied with eating and building holes, that when the hamsters start making alarming sounds, we get lost and don’t understand what to do.
If your pet only squeaks at night
Since chinchillas prefer to sleep during the day, the main phase of activity occurs in the dark. Squeaking at night means that your pet is awake and bored.
A lonely rodent complains with a dissatisfied squeak about a lack of attention from the owner or a desire to receive a treat.
Married couples can noisily share a delicious piece or fight for a cozy sleeping place, and kids often argue over the possession of a toy. Sometimes a calling squeak means an invitation to games.
Why does a chinchilla shed?
The chinchilla is a fairly peaceful animal and only conflict or stressful situations can force it to express its emotions by screaming. By listening and recognizing this or that intonation, you can make your rodent’s life easier and make him a happy, obedient pet.
