One important thing to know as a guinea pig owner is the behavior of your piglet. This can help tell you when you’re not feeling well, when you’re angry, happy, or even lonely.

Piggies are attention seekers by nature. They can get very lonely very quickly, so they will make noise and jump, sometimes just to get your attention.

Aggression

When a guinea pig is angry, you will often hear its teeth chatter. It’s weird, but if they’re directing it at you, they want you to stay away, so respect their space. Piggies rarely chatter their teeth at humans and hardly ever bite, be aware that if they are very angry or upset they may bite. Pay attention if you have two piglets in a cage, one may be chattering the other’s teeth, this can lead to a fight. It usually occurs when two boars (male guineas), or two sows (female guineas), meet for the first time. They are simply organizing their hierarchy. The fur around their necks will stand up to make them look bigger. They will rock from side to side and slowly show their teeth. If you see your piggies doing this to each other, it’s best to separate them before a fight breaks out, just watch your hands. Drape a towel over his eyes to confuse them and separate them now.

Barber Shop

Grooming is when a guinea pig bites the skin of another guinea pig. Some speculate that it’s a sign of dominance, but I think they’re just being nice. Other piggies at the other end of the barbershop may sit quietly while getting their hair cut, others may thrash about and bang each other’s heads, or worse.

for food

Piggies love to beg for tasty treats. As they gain confidence, they will start to squeak when they suspect their vegetables are on the way, sometimes even standing on their hind legs, just like a puppy! They get very excited and look in your direction with eager eyes, hoping you’ve seen them.

biting

Guinea pigs rarely bite their owners. Most of the time they only nip or nip as a form of communication, especially youngsters who are still learning. There are a few reasons why your piglet may bite. Make sure you hold it correctly, if you don’t the guinea may worry that you will drop it and nibble at you as if to say “Hey be careful!” If you’ve been holding your pig for a while and he starts chewing on your clothes, this may be a way of communicating that he needs to use the bathroom, so to speak. Try not to hold your piglet for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Remember, they can’t cross their legs and hold it like we can. Most piggies will try to avoid doing it with you, but if you have a particularly comfortable one that doesn’t mind, keep a towel under it when you hold it, to protect your clothes. Not all of them will chew on your clothes, some may be restless or moan with you, this means that they would like to put them back in their cage.

Some Piggies bite by accident when you are feeding them. They get excited and forget to distinguish between fingers and food. Also be careful after you have been handling food, wash your hands or they may mistake your finger for the treat. Bites can also be caused by a parasite such as mites, if you pet a piglet with mites it can cause great discomfort and they will do anything to stop the pain. They may try to bite the area to get some relief, but if your hand is in the way, they may bite you. To learn more about moths, read my article on health care.

bite the bars of the cage

Some little pigs are prone to chewing on the bars of their cage. Some only do this when they want food, or when they hear something that makes them think food is on the way. They will start to complain, but if the chef takes too long, they will start biting the bars out of boredom and/or loneliness, even if you spend a lot of time with them. They need a cage mate after a while, if you’ve had a piglet for a while and feel confident in taking care of it, consider getting another one so they can keep each other company. They also bite bars if their cage is small and they don’t have much free time to roam. Lack of exercise can stress them out. Try to provide a larger cage, especially if you plan on having another piglet, and let your guinea go for a run around the house from time to time. The little pigs need their freedom.

eating poop

If you notice that your piglet puts his head down and you see that he is chewing on something, he is actually eating his own poop. It may sound gross to us, but it is very natural behavior for guineas. Rabbits will also eat their own poop. They are not the usual poops you see in the cage, this one is softer and smaller. Piggies do this to re-eat the ‘soft poop’ because their digestive system doesn’t extract all the vitamins from the food right away.

Depressed

If you notice that your piglet is slouched in a corner, looking sad or depressed, this may indicate an illness. Try offering him his favorite food, if he doesn’t show any interest take him to the vet right away. It’s very important to do this because a piglet’s health can drop quickly, it’s important to spot things at the first sign.

Freezing

Piggies will often stay still for a short period of time if they are afraid or have heard a sudden loud sound that they are unfamiliar with. It’s their way of making themselves invisible and letting others in the group know about it. Freezing is usually accompanied by a small vibrating sound, this indicates that they are afraid. This behavior can occur when the phone rings or someone knocks on the door.

Beating

Like most pets, some guinea pigs love to lick you when you hold them. Think of them as guinea pig kisses. Not all little pigs do it, about 3 out of 6 little pigs love to give kisses. Some think it’s because our skin is salty and they like the taste, I’m not entirely convinced and I think it’s more of an affectionate behavior.

the mating dance

Men and women participate in this dance. They will rock their hips back and forth and make a vibrating sound, known as power sailing. Don’t be alarmed if your female pig starts the mating dance with another female, she’s probably just feeling hormonal.

Mounting

Usually this is seen as sexual behaviour, however it can also be a sign of dominance towards another guinea. A dom male can do this to a submissive male, usually when they first meet they are just deciding who is boss or king of the cage. A female may also mount another female if she is in heat or if a neutered male is not paying attention to her. It’s all very normal, so don’t worry if you see pigs of the same sex mounting each other. However, if the males do it to each other, watch out for signs of aggression, you don’t want a fight to break out again. Before the montage begins, there can be quite a bit of chasing involved. The pig that is being chased can sometimes complain and/or get angry. As long as you don’t see any aggressive behavior, the shock sounds much worse than it really is. Having said that, being constantly chased can be exhausting and stressful, so if you have a spare cage it might be a good idea to separate your guinea pigs, so they can have some peace for a while.