What do the sounds that guinea pigs make mean? What does the guinea pig want to say? They want to “communicate” with the opposite sex

Guinea pig sounds are a way of communication. They help them not only contact each other, but also communicate their needs to the owner. Emotional animals convey each mood in their own way, so they are able to reproduce many different sounds. When purchasing a rodent, a breeder must be prepared for the fact that guinea pigs talk, scream, sing, hiss, wheeze, whistle, squeak, growl, chirp, chatter their teeth and make other sounds.

Why does a guinea pig squeak? There are several reasons why she does this.

In their natural environment, frightened pigs squeak. A newborn animal tells its mother about its concern by squeaking. Males use this method of communication during courtship. The animal also squeaks when it is in pain.

Tamed animals use this sound to evoke pity from the owner and to attract attention. It could be a protest. For example, if an animal sat calmly on the owner’s lap and enjoyed stroking, and then it was abruptly put in a cage and deprived of pleasant communication.

Begging may also be accompanied by squeaking. Breeders who have a cage with a pet in their kitchen eventually notice that every time they open the refrigerator, the guinea pig screams.

Om-Nom-nom! Yummy!

A squeak when the owner appears can express joy from a long-awaited meeting and anticipation of a traditional tasty treat.

A hungry pet squeaks to inform the breeder of its desire for food.

It is important to learn to understand your ward and not attribute all his calls to whims. The animal may really need help, even medical help.

Rumbles/purrs/growls

The guinea pig rumbles and purrs, showing sympathy towards its owners or other animals.

Rumbling also denotes negative emotions. To determine the mood of the animal, you need to evaluate its behavior at the moment. A calm, relaxed and happy rodent will simply purr sweetly. But sudden movements, tense behavior and rumbling sounds similar to a roar are irritation. A well-fed and calm pig purrs and vibrates when petted. If the rumbling is intermittent, then the pet is not happy with something or is scared.

Purr purr! Open “On the Meadows” soon! I want to read new articles about myself

A growl is a rumbling sound at a lower pitch. During the mating season and mating, both males and females growl.

Grinding/chattering of teeth

Why does a guinea pig chatter its teeth? Most often this is a bad sign. A pet can express its dissatisfaction and even anger in this way. If an animal makes hissing sounds by clicking its teeth or shows its teeth, then you can be sure that the animal is aggressive.

Grinding or chattering of teeth can be a warning sign of a fight. If pigs are kept together, they can arrange a division of territory or a showdown. It is better to accustom the animal to the neighborhood gradually. First, give the animals the opportunity to only hear each other. After a couple of weeks, the pigs can be placed in the same room. After some time, the rodents will be ready to live together.

When a pet has no conflicts with its relatives, and there are no obvious reasons for its anger, then it is worth checking the state of its health.

Rodents often chatter their teeth when they have an upset stomach.

A conflict is brewing - maybe growl at him?

Grinding can occur due to overgrowth of teeth, insufficient grinding of them on solid food and toys. A dental defect can cause infection or deterioration. Therefore, you should visit a veterinarian without delay.

Squeals and whines/moans

The friendly animal does not tolerate loneliness well. A pet that has been alone for a long time may squeal loudly when its owner appears. In this way, the guinea pig talks and communicates. Therefore, it is recommended to keep pigs in pairs.

A guinea pig can easily make friends with a rabbit and even with an ordinary soft toy.

Let's be friends! Well, why don't you answer?

When there is severe pain or danger is approaching, the animal may scream shrilly and heart-rendingly. This pet behavior cannot be ignored. You definitely need to check his health or find out what the rodent was afraid of.

A pig experiencing severe pain may moan and whine. The breeder may notice that the pet yells when a family member or relative appears, as well as when performing some actions. The source of the animal's irritation must be eliminated.

In rare cases, squeals mean that the pet is happy.

Chirps/Tweets

A guinea pig chirping is a rare occurrence. Not all rodents make such sounds. It really is very reminiscent of birds chirping.

Chirping pets exhibit strange behavior, similar to a state of trance. Typically, a guinea pig sings for no more than 20 minutes, after which it returns to its business.

Decoding behavior

Scientists who observed animals came to the conclusion that the guinea pig chirps:

• in a state of strong excitement;
• under stress;
• after a quarrel with relatives or being socially overloaded.

Sniffles/wheezes/whistles

A satisfied pet often sniffles, and a well-fed pet whistles. While waiting for a treat, the animal may begin to sniffle and gradually switch to whistling. This situation can occur when opening the refrigerator.

Ah-ah-ah! They didn’t give me a treat!!!

If the owner does not get a treat, the pet can also whistle to attract attention to his person and get something tasty.

A prolonged whistle or a whistle repeated after a few seconds by animals can serve as a greeting or signal that they are hungry.

If your guinea pig wheezes when he breathes, he needs to be seen by a veterinarian.

In this article, I will describe the possible reasons for a guinea pig squeaking loudly when you try to pick it up or pet it, why its teeth chatter and squeak when you pet it. Often, inexperienced owners are frightened by the sounds made by the animal, believing that the pig is sick with something. In fact, the animal communicates its needs and emotions to humans.

Why does a pig whistle and squeak when you pet it?

The guinea pig is a rather talkative animal that makes different sounds.

The loudest is a high-pitched squeak or whistle, quite unexpected for such a small creature.

A pet may squeak in some cases:

• she is scared;
• hungry;
• she is bored.

As soon as the animal appears in the family, it experiences stress and tries to hide in a house or bury itself in the hay. When trying to pick him up, he will respond with a loud and indignant or frightened squeak. You should not forcibly grab and hold her in your arms if she screams and tries to hide. In a few days, the shock will pass, and she herself will go to meet the owner to get acquainted.

You need to talk to the animal more often, sitting next to the cage.

When the piglet gets used to it, it will respond to stroking and affectionate conversations with it with a contented, quiet squeak. Some produce real trills, similar to bird songs. Some owners compare the pig's trills to the operation of a miniature radio transmitter.

When an animal is hungry or bored, as soon as it hears its owner’s steps, it will whistle loudly and invitingly, demanding food or communication.

If a family has a couple of guinea pigs, you can hear the animals calling each other by whistling or even swearing, squealing shrilly at each other.

What other sounds do guinea pigs make?

When the pet is in a good-natured mood, he is well-fed and sits in the arms of his beloved owner, the pet can make a pleasant, gentle cooing sound.

This is an expression of the highest degree of bliss and contentment in life.

Sometimes, while stroking an animal, you can feel vibration and soft tapping, as if a motor was starting inside the piglet. This is also an expression of pleasure, akin to the purring of a cat.

Often the animal begins to quickly run around the cage, jump sharply upward and squeal briefly. There is no need to be afraid of this behavior, everything is fine with the animal - he is having fun and wants to frolic. This behavior of the animal is called popcorning, because it resembles the jumping of corn kernels on a baking sheet when making popcorn.

How to understand by squeak what your pet needs

Communicating closely with the animal, very soon the owner begins to understand the language of the ward.

A guinea pig needs close communication with a person.

If the animal is hungry, it squeaks loudly and indignantly. Can carry an empty feeder in its teeth around the cage. Reacts quickly to the rustle of a bag of food.

A long whistle indicates boredom; the pet stands on its hind legs, leaning on the net and looks out for when its beloved owner will come and take it in his arms.

In moments of good mood, the pig does not make loud sounds. Her squeaking or grumbling is muffled and melodic. She needs to be picked up and stroked often. Locked in a cage all the time, she suffers and can acquire bad habits: gnawing on bars, throwing food out of a bowl.

By carefully observing your pet’s behavior, you can accurately understand what the animal needs at the moment.

By providing a comfortable environment for your pig, you can almost always enjoy the contented cooing of the animal.

Guinea pigs are sensitive to changes in voice intonation. They are able to recognize when the owner is angry or when he wants to play with him. Pets have excellent hearing and are able to express emotions and desires using a range of sounds.

You don't need to be a wizard to understand what guinea pigs are talking about. It is enough to listen carefully to your pet.

What does it mean when a pig squeaks?

It is not difficult to understand the meaning of the sounds that the animal makes. When a pet squeaks, there are reasons for this:

• By squeaking, males attract the attention of females during courtship. So this could represent the mating sounds of guinea pigs.
• Newborn babies squeak furiously when they want to eat or something is bothering them.
• When an animal experiences physical pain, it squeaks.
• Pigs are very sociable, they get upset if you don't pay attention to them. He will squeak pitifully to make his owner feel sorry for him.
• Expression of fear, fear. Perhaps a dog or cat came into the animal’s field of vision, with which it had not yet become friends.
• The squeak of a guinea pig can also mean a request to get something. If an animal sees that its owners are eating, it will squeak and beg for food from the table.
• By squeaking, the pet expresses indignation at the situation. For example, if his favorite toy was taken away or there is no water in the drinking bowl.
• A joyful squeak also happens: when a pet meets its owner or is picked up.
• A barely audible, plaintive voice may mean that the rodent wants to eat.

Thus, the squeak expresses a wide range of feelings depending on the circumstances. It is imperative to respond to the voice of a guinea pig. It is important for an animal to be understood.

Rumbles, purrs or growls

When an animal purrs, it often means a negative attitude towards the situation. This sound is different from purring, which expresses pleasure and approval of what is happening around. If you sit a rodent on your lap and stroke it, it will purr like a cat.

Rumbling can also express pleasure if this sound is combined with body vibration. The pig can express joy vigorously. If it purrs and vibrates, in 99% of cases this means anticipation of a happy moment. For example, when they lay out an enclosure in front of a cage for walking. The understanding that the enclosure is a pleasant walk is fixed in the animal’s mind, and he will be happy.

If a rodent growls, it does not always mean that it is angry. During the mating season and at the moment of mating, the animal can growl in a low pitch. If you listen closely, such a growl is radically different from the sound that a pet makes when angry.

You can hear a grinding sound or the animal chattering its teeth

There are some sounds guinea pigs make that they don't make very often. You should pay attention to your pet when he chatters his teeth. This means he is very angry. If you look at the animal at this moment, you can immediately understand its condition. Teeth chattering is accompanied by sounds similar to hissing.

There is a reason for such aggressive behavior. Most likely, it is aimed at another animal. Those who are dissatisfied urgently need to be placed in different cells. It is recommended to remove the less aggressive animal.

Such situations do not arise often because pigs are friendly and rarely get angry. The fact is that animals are accustomed to being neighbors from childhood. If you add a couple to your pet as an adult, division of the territory is inevitable.

Animals need to be accustomed to each other gradually. First, place the cages so that the pigs can hear each other, then move them closer. When they stop being irritated by their proximity and begin to show friendly interest, you can sit them together for a while and observe.

If strange sounds similar to teeth grinding continue without a visible source of irritation, your pet should be taken to a veterinarian for a consultation. Problems with teeth or the gastrointestinal tract are possible.

Squeals, whines or moans

The pig can squeal with delight. She so vigorously expresses joy when she was picked up.

The pet must constantly be in the thick of things. If you take him to the back room and don't pay attention to him, he will get bored. When it is not possible to devote time to an animal, it is better to buy him a same-sex pair.

Walking around the room, the animal can easily make friends with other pets. Much will depend on the characters of the pets. If the kitten or puppy is sociable and friendly, they will enjoy the proximity of an affectionate pig.

An animal can squeal loudly not only from delight, but also from pain and fear. When trying to free a stuck paw or when another danger threatens.

What do moan-like sounds mean? This means that the pet is sick. In this state, he whines or groans. He will stop doing this only when he recovers.

Chirps or tweets

The pig can not only squeak and purr, but also chirp and chirp like a bird. The feeling from such sounds is as if the pet is singing. Such sounds mean an extreme degree of excitement.

The pig sometimes chirps for up to half an hour, not noticing anyone around, immersed in an exciting state. This is how she experiences severe stress.

The expectant mother can thus announce to everyone around her that she will have cubs. The male can use his chirping to attract the female to mate. If two pigs are chirping among themselves, you don't have to worry. Nothing bad happens.

Whistling, sniffling, wheezing

If guinea pigs make sounds similar to snorting or whistling, this means pleasure or anticipation of it. This happens before a walk or after a treat. By whistling, the pet makes it clear that it is ready to eat or greets the owner.

The appearance of wheezing means breathing problems. Wheezing is a bad signal that indicates a possible illness or that the animal has something stuck in its throat. The animal must be taken to a veterinary clinic and first aid provided.

When to be wary

When a guinea pig makes strange noises, it can mean both positive and negative emotions. You need to study the character of the pet, see what happens to it. A screaming guinea pig tries to attract the attention of its owner. The animal has problems and there is no other way to convey this.

Sounds that are alarming:

• The pet squeaks loudly. If there is no one nearby, the paw is not stuck, and no other visible causes are found, the animal must be urgently taken to a veterinary clinic.
• An animal that can hear wheezing when breathing needs urgent medical attention.
• The animal is shown to the veterinarian when teeth grinding is heard. There may be serious dental problems that need to be addressed.
• The cry of a pet signals that he is uncomfortable and scared. The animal is cold or, on the contrary, hot, its stomach hurts, there has been no water in the drinking bowl for a long time, it is tormented by thirst.

Each pet is individual. There are pigs who violently express emotions, squealing with joy at every occasion. Others may rumble quietly in the same situation. The owner’s task is to listen to the sounds the animal makes. If you are attentive, you can recognize what your pet’s mood is and what it wants.

Unfortunately, they are speechless, but this does not mean that they cannot communicate. They have a whole arsenal of sounds and body movements at their disposal. And although even scientists cannot yet boast that they fully understand everything that the animals want to communicate, there are means of communication that convey the “messages” of pigs quite clearly.

Sounds
Guinea pigs can make a wide variety of sounds. If your pig is happy, you will periodically hear squeaks, snorts and low grunts throughout the day: these are all common means of communication for these rodents. But sometimes owners hear other sounds.

Squeak: A common and distinct sound similar to that of children's squeakers. Sometimes it is also compared to a long whistle. Most often, this sound means excitement and anticipation of something pleasant (usually food). Sometimes it's just an animal trying to get your attention. Many guinea pigs make similar sounds when they see their owner opening the refrigerator or cabinet in which their food is stored.

Rumbling: This sound can have different meanings depending on its frequency and accompanying movements. If the pig is happy and comfortable, it lies in a calm and relaxed position, purring at a low note. However, if the rumbling is more high-pitched, it may be a sign of irritation. In this case, the pig will most likely sit in a tense position and seem to vibrate. The short rumbling sound (similar to "drr") that your pig makes while sitting still can be a sign of fear and uncertainty.

Growl: A lower, deeper sound than a rumble. It is usually produced by a male courting a female, or by a female during the mating season. Often the growling is accompanied by a “mating dance”. Sometimes owners compare this sound to a boat engine.
Clicking teeth: This is a sure sign that your pig is irritated. She often shows her teeth at the same time. This sound means: “don’t come close to me.”

Hiss: Like clicking teeth, hissing means your pig is upset or angry.

cooing: These sounds are usually used by a mother pig to calm her offspring.

Screech: A high-pitched, loud squeal is an unmistakable sign that your pig is scared, anxious, or in pain. If you hear this kind of squealing, be sure to immediately check to make sure your pet is okay and not injured.

Whining: whining sounds usually mean irritation or dissatisfaction with some actions of the pig's cagemate or owner.

Chirping: This sound is somewhat reminiscent of bird chirping and is the least studied of the entire “vocabulary” of guinea pigs. When a rodent chirps, it sometimes seems as if it is in some kind of trance. No one knows exactly what this “singing” means.

Guinea pig body language
Guinea pigs can also convey “messages” through body language and posture. Therefore, you should always know what movements are normal for your pet in order to notice changes in time and understand what is happening.

Jumping: the pig jumps high (usually many times). This is most often done by young pigs when they are happy or excited, or when they just want to play. Adult pigs also sometimes jump, but not as high as young pigs.

Numbness: If a pig is frightened by something, it may freeze for a while, as if numb.

Pig moves his nose: in this way, the animals try to find out what is happening around them, and also get to know their relatives (guinea pigs love to sniff the faces and ears of their relatives).

Pigs rub their noses: friendly greeting between animals.

Signs of aggression: the pig raises its head, raises its croup, shows its teeth, its fur stands up, the animal sways from side to side on motionless paws. All these actions may be accompanied by hissing and/or clicking of teeth. If your pig does any of the above, be careful: he may get into a fight with his neighbors.

Pig rubs against objects: Rodents often rub their chins, cheeks and rumps against objects that they wish to mark as their property. They may also urinate on objects or other pigs to show their superiority.

The pig fidgets while sitting in the owner’s arms: this could be a sign that the animal needs to pee, or that she is simply tired and wants to get back into her cage.

The pig raises its head: This is usually a sign that she is tired of stroking and caressing.

The pig licks the owner: most owners regard this as a sign of affection (although it is also possible that the pig likes the taste of salt on human skin).

The pig runs away and cannot be picked up: Pigs are timid animals, especially at first. Therefore, if your pet runs away, it is not a sign of antipathy, but simply a natural protective instinct. Be patient: after some time, almost all pigs get used to interacting and playing with their owners.

If you take the pig in your arms and gently stroke it from the head down through the fur, scratch it behind the ears and lightly massage its sides, it will sing to you. It will be a gentle squeak, quiet and intermittent at first. The more fun your guinea pig gets and the more he trusts you, the louder and longer his song. The pig may even lie flat like a pancake, close his eyes and purr: “Fit-fit-fit-puiiiiiiight!” This means she is relaxed and peaceful.

Pigs communicate with each other using similar sounds, only slightly shorter, if they are friends. Apparently, this is how they express recognition to each other and share their impressions. At the same time, they can jump up like popcorn (among pig breeders this is called “popcorn”). And squeak a little louder or quieter, depending on the emotionality of the animal.

Guinea pigs are little explorers. If you let them walk around the apartment, you can hear soft, gentle short sounds: “Bul-glug! Bool! This is how pigs show curiosity and interest.

During love games, pigs make sounds similar to blowing bubbles through a straw in a glass of water: “Furrrrr!” The sound can be drawn-out, monotonous, and not too loud. At the same time, they fluff up the scruff of the neck and shift from paw to paw.

Same-sex pigs can also exchange “love” sounds. This is how they study each other and mark the boundaries of their territory.

Negative signals

A frightened guinea pig will say a dull “Urrrr”, similar to a vibrating alert on a phone, and will tremble slightly. But she indicates irritation with a short sharp squeal - for example, when you carelessly touched her. If the pig is angry, it squeals for a longer time, while clicking its teeth, as if warning: “I’m not in the mood for jokes!”

One of the most impressive sounds a pig makes can be heard at night. This is a very sharp intermittent squeak, similar to the cry of a bird caught in a snare. At the same time, the pig freezes in place, her gaze glazes over. An inexperienced owner may be afraid for his pet. This sound is used by pigs to call their relatives. Little pig babies can express their fear this way.

Since guinea pigs are herd animals, they find it sad to live alone. If your pig makes this noise frequently, try petting your pig more often or give him a buddy in his cage.

If the pig is hungry, you won't miss it. She will stand up and scream shrilly throughout the apartment: “Wee-wee-wee!”, moving her ears. It’s amazing how loud such a small animal can be! Guinea pigs study their owners. They usually remember sounds, such as the sound of a knife hitting a cutting board when preparing a salad or the rustle of a bag from which cabbage is taken out. Subsequently, upon hearing these sounds, the pigs whistle invitingly. They also have a well-developed sense of smell. So you’re unlikely to be able to quietly snack on a cucumber; the alarm will immediately go off!