Guinea Pig Sounds

Everyone knows that birds chirp, cats meow, and dogs bark. What about pocket pets? While some of our smaller animal companions don’t make a lot of noise, others are actually quite talkative. Take the Guinea pig, for instance. These adorable little furballs make a wide variety of sounds! In this article from Arapahoe Animal Hospital, your Boulder, CO vet, serving Louisville and surrounding areas, a local vet discusses some of the adorable sounds Guinea pigs—also known as cavies—make.

The most common Guinea pig sound is often described as a wheek. Your pet may wheek for a variety of reasons, from excitement to happiness to curiosity. Don’t be surprised if you hear lots of wheeks at feeding time. Just like any other pet, Guinea pigs love food!

Did you know that Guinea pigs can purr, almost like cats? Cavies purr for a variety of reasons, but, just like our feline pals, they most often do it when they are feeling content and relaxed. However, there is more than one kind of purr. When your pet is feeling calm and happy, he may make a low rumble. If he’s annoyed, scared, or uncertain, he may vibrate at a higher frequency.

Hissing isn’t usually a sign of contentment in pets. This holds true for Guinea pigs as well. They usually make this sound when they are scared, upset, and/or feeling threatened.

Guinea pigs often coo to communicate with one another. This sound is most often made by mama cavies that are reassuring their babies.

Like most of our animal companions, Guinea pigs will react with a loud squeal or shriek if something hurts them or startles them. If you hear a shriek coming from your pet’s cage, take a minute to go check on the little guy.

If your pint-sized pet is irritated by something, he or she may whine about it. If you have more than one Guinea pig, your pets may also whine when they annoy each other.

As you can probably guess, Guinea pig chirps are rather squeaky. Your cavy may sound like a bird at times! It’s worth noting that these guys sometime seem to be a bit zoned out when they chirp.

Do you have questions about your Guinea pig? Contact us here at Arapahoe Animal Hospital, your Boulder, CO vet, serving Louisville and surrounding areas.