The guinea pig squeaks when it walks. They want to "communicate" with the opposite sex. Why does the pig scream, squeal and whine

Guinea pigs are interesting creatures. They "know how" to talk! At first glance, it seems that these are completely unsociable, quiet animals: they sit in their cage and constantly chew something. Actually living in the house cavy whistles, squeaks, purrs - in a word, communicates in every possible way with the owner and his own kind, if he lives in a cage not alone. To better understand your pet, you need to learn the basic "words" of his "language". Let's figure out why guinea pigs squeak or whistle, growl or chirp like birds - what does it all mean?

The "language" of rodents is quite diverse. Animals:

• squeak;
• whistle long;
• squealing plaintively;
• wombly cooing.

It is necessary to distinguish between when they “talk” among themselves, and when they require attention from the owner.

A guinea pig whistles when he is bored or lonely. For example, if a pair of rodents for a long time lived together, and then one of the neighbors was moved out, then the second tells the world about his loneliness and sadness. Indeed, without a comrade, he feels anxiety, longing and even fear.

Does a guinea pig whistle at night? Perhaps she is waiting to be talked to. Do not forget that these rodents have a different rhythm of life than humans: for the most part, they sleep in daytime hours and are quite active at night. Perhaps the guinea pig has run out of food, she wants to play, and the owner rests carelessly in his bed, and he will not be awakened. Here the animal is forced to make sonorous, not always very pleasant (especially at night) sounds.

Why does a guinea pig whistle all the time? She is probably spoiled for attention and likes to beg for tidbits.

Sometimes animals sort things out with each other. In these cases, they figure out "who is the boss in the house" and use other sounds. They can rumble loudly, intermittently, standing in a tense pose. Or click your teeth, as well as make hissing sounds. Thus, they warn the opponent: move away, I will attack now. Do not encroach on my territory and my food!

Why does a guinea pig whistle, and then her whistle turns into a chirp, similar to the singing of birds? The reasons here are different, but often they mean excitement, perhaps fear, stress.

It happens like this: guinea pigs stopped whistling when they were settled in one cage. If at the same time they have a good appetite, they are active, cheerful, then they just “found each other”. Just don't put a male and a female together! Pairs must be same-sex, otherwise the female will constantly bring offspring, and her vitality won't last long.

Another of the sounds of communication is uterine grumbling. Guinea pigs, when they feel good, when they are full and happy, can sprawl on the floor and purr measuredly. This is a great sign, but only when the rumbling is even. Restless, combined with nervous movements, indicates that the animal is afraid of something, he does not like something.

Why does a guinea pig whistle when communicating with a person?

If you come home and see this picture: the pig climbed hind legs, looks at you and whistles, this means her joy and impatience: the owner has come, he will soon give something tasty. The pig especially loudly expresses its desire to have a snack when it sees that the owner has reached for food.

Sometimes by night the animals manage to eat the evening portion of food and call the owner with a squeak, demanding that he add food. How to wean a guinea pig to whistle, making loud and soul-stirring sounds at night? Try adding more food and don't forget to add tidbits to it that the animal especially likes. It will be carried away by the absorption of food and will not bother you.

Sometimes a loud desperate squeak indicates that the animal is ill. Listen: the sounds are sharp, they stop only on inspiration, is the mumps restless? She urgently needs to be shown to the veterinarian: this is how rodents demonstrate that something hurts them.

If the pig is spoiled, she often squeaks with displeasure in order to arouse pity from the owner and demand a treat for herself. Be sure to pay attention to the behavior of the animal, just in case, check it with veterinarian.

It is difficult to understand at once all the signals with which the guinea pig “talks” to you. It will take patience and observation. If you learn to understand the "words" addressed to you, the pet will feel that his needs are being met. He will feel comfortable and warm in your home. Then he will live happily ever after, making you happy good appetite, cheerful mood.

Play with the animal, feed plenty, but do not overfeed, take care of the cage, talk to him, call him by name - and the pig will practically become a member of your family. In the evenings, she will greet you with a joyful whistle, and after a bite, she will purr on her knees like a cat. Learn her language to better understand each other!

Body language and sounds of guinea pigs

It is worth learning to understand the language of the guinea pig. Whistling, squealing and squeaking, grunting, grunting and other sounds made by these cute animals have their own meaning. Pigs express satisfaction, fear, aggression in their own language in this way, warn comrades about danger, etc. By often spending time with your charges, paying attention to these "sayings", over time you can begin to understand them.

The sounds that a guinea pig makes correspond to its mood in this moment time. Quiet whistling, and as the highest manifestation - gentle "squealing", means satisfaction. The most common sound is a sharp whistle, repeated at intervals of about one second. This signal is most often given by the pig as a sign of greeting to a person she knows when it's time for feeding.

The most piercing sound I have ever heard was a groan, which is an expression of pain. This is a very high-pitched and loud squeak, interrupted only for the duration of inspiration. Such a loud sound is really hard to expect from a small animal. The last sound in the guinea pig's repertoire that we are discussing here is a chattering grunt that sounds almost like an echo of a drum roll. Usually it is used as a greeting of meeting individuals, it also serves the male to lure the female. The rattling grunt is also an integral part of the sexual ritual. In this case, it is accompanied by characteristic pushing movements of the animal's body. I also heard a similar sound as a reaction of guinea pigs to unfamiliar situations or echoes.

If you want to understand a guinea pig, try not only to listen, but also to look closely at it, often your animal expresses its desires not only with characteristic sounds, but also with certain body movements.

In this article I will describe possible reasons the loud squeak of a guinea pig, when you try to pick it up or stroke it, why it knocks with its teeth and squeaks when you stroke them. Often, inexperienced owners are frightened by the sounds made by animals, believing that the pig is sick with something. In fact, the animal communicates to the person about its needs and emotions.

Why does a pig whistle and squeak when you stroke it

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

The loudest is a piercing squeak or whistle, quite unexpected for such a small creature.

A pet can squeak in some cases:

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

Only having appeared in the family, the animal experiences stress, tries to hide in the house or burrow into the hay. On attempts to pick him up, he will respond with a loud and indignant or frightened squeak. Do not forcibly grab and hold in your arms if she screams and tries to hide. In a few days, the shock will pass, and she herself will go towards the owner to get acquainted.

It is necessary to talk with 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 him with a satisfied, quiet squeak. Some bring out real trills, similar to bird songs. Some owners compare the chirping of pigs to the operation of a miniature radio transmitter.

When the animal is hungry or bored, as soon as he hears the steps of the owner, he will whistle loudly invitingly, demanding food or communication.

If a family contains a couple of guinea pigs, you can hear the animals call each other with a whistle or even swear, shrill food at each other.

What other sounds do guinea pigs make?

When the pet is in a good mood, he is full and sits in the arms of his beloved owner, the pet can make a pleasant ear, gentle cooing.

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

Sometimes, stroking the animal, you can feel the vibration and soft tapping, as if a motor started working inside the piglet. This is also an expression of pleasure, akin to a cat's purr.

Often the animal begins to run quickly around the cage, jump up sharply and squeal briefly. You should not be afraid of such behavior, everything is fine with the animal - he has fun and wants to frolic. This behavior of the animal is called popcorning, because it resembles the jumping of corn grains on a baking sheet when popcorn is being prepared.

How to understand what a pet needs by squeaking

Closely communicating with the animal, very soon the owner begins to understand the language of the ward.

The guinea pig needs close contact with humans.

If the animal is hungry, it squeaks loudly and indignantly. Can carry an empty feeder in the teeth around the cage. Lively reacts to the rustle of the bag with food.

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

In moments of good mood, the pig does not make loud sounds. Her squeaks or grunts are muffled and melodic. She often needs to be picked up and stroked. Locked up all the time in a cage, she suffers, and can acquire bad habits: gnaw rods, scatter food from a bowl.

By carefully observing the behavior of a pet, you can understand with high accuracy what the animal needs at the moment.

Having provided the pig with a comfortable content, you can almost always enjoy the contented cooing of the animal.

If you have got such an interesting animal as a guinea pig, get ready for the fact that he is very talkative and mobile. You will need to learn the rich sound and body language of this mammal in order to properly understand and interact with it.

What do guinea pig sounds tell us?

From the first minutes of the appearance of a guinea pig, your house will be filled with a variety of sounds: whistling, screeching, grunting, grunting and other sounds that this cute animal makes. All this is an expression of satisfaction, fear, aggression, or a warning of comrades about imminent danger.

The sounds you hear from your guinea pig express his mood at the moment. Over time, you will learn to understand your pet well. We will talk about the main sounds and their interpretation:

• The most frequent sound that a guinea pig makes is a sharp whistle, it repeats with an interval of about a second. This is the owner's welcome signal when the pig is hungry and it's time to feed. The sound is like "whoop, whoop." These same sounds may indicate that your baby needs attention.

• If your pet whistles softly and squeals softly, it means that he is satisfied!

• Grunting and sniffing another individual indicate a friendly greeting.

• Grunts and rattling, similar to a drum roll, indicate the greeting of other individuals, and the male thus attracts the attention of the female, and indicates readiness for the mating ritual. It's like he says "brrr".

• A taller and shorter "brrr" means the guinea pig is irritated or scared loud sound. So, for example, she can react to a phone ringing nearby or the sound of a TV, loud or unfamiliar voices around.

• A high-pitched and loud squeak, similar to a groan, which stops only on inspiration, indicates that the guinea pig is in pain.

• Tapping and clicking teeth indicate that the pig is angry and ready to attack (this happens mainly if two males meet). This sound also speaks of the fear of a guinea pig in front of another individual or person.

These animals are not only talkative, but also mobile. By their behavior and body movements, you can tell a lot about the state of the animal.

• If individuals touch their noses, this means that they are sniffing and greeting each other.
• Stretching on the floor denotes comfort and tranquility.
• bouncing up talking about good mood and playfulness of your pet.
• Throwing the head up indicates that the animal is demonstrating strength.
• If the guinea pig began to purr and lowered its head, this means that the animal is scared and offers to make peace.
• The tapping of the guinea pig with its teeth, the creaking indicate aggression, so it warns the opponent that the jokes are bad.
• When pulling the head forward, it indicates a manifestation of vigilance.
• If a guinea pig has its paws tucked up or pressed against a wall, it means that it is helpless and needs protection.
• The female opens her mouth wide and shows her teeth - thus drives away the annoying male.
• To divert the attention of the enemy, the guinea pig has to freeze in place and pretend to be dead.

The guinea pig is a unique creature. She will never cease to amaze you if you want to know more about this animal. Lastly, let's talk about interesting facts related to guinea pig:

• It is impossible to believe, looking at this small rodent, but the ancestors of guinea pigs are huge creatures, reaching up to 700 kg in weight.
• Guinea pigs are most active at night. The sleep of the animal is only about 10 minutes, and they sleep several times a day.
• Don't be alarmed if a guinea pig starts eating its own litter. By these actions, it makes up for the lack of vitamins of groups B and K in the body. With repeated passage through the intestines, these vitamins are better absorbed.
• Guinea pigs have the opposite number of chromosomes to humans. Humans have 46 and guinea pigs have 64.
• Under adverse or stressful conditions, a pregnant female guinea pig can “preserve” the pregnancy for several years or “resorb” the embryos.
• The most long wool guinea pigs reaches 50 cm. This is a feature of Peruvian rodents.
• Penicillin is deadly for guinea pigs.
• Fall even from low altitude can end badly for the animal, it can even become fatal.
• AT wild nature Guinea pigs live in burrows in small groups. Animals communicate with each other using special signals, which we talked about.
• When they appeared in Europe, the animals cost big money and afford such a pet could only know. In England, guinea pigs lived at court and were the favorites of Queen Elizabeth I.