Strange behaviour today - I'm a bit concerned

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hannah Boo

Hannah Boo

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
63
Reaction score
8
Points
165
Location
Hampshire, uk
My two guinea pigs (both 2 year old girls - and have been together since birth) are currently in an indoor cage (I brought them in for the winter and they haven't gone back outside yet to their hutch). This morning when I came downstairs I went to the kitchen to get some cucumber for their breakfast. I heard this almighty wheeeeeeeeek coming from the front room where they are. I have NEVER heard a wheeeek this loud before and I've had four sets of different guinea pigs throughout my lifetime - it was piercing.

At first I thought that one of them must be really excited about breakfast - much more so than normal, but I now know that wasn't the case.
I went in the front room and Doughnut was sat right in the corner of the cage and Crumpet was sat in one of the igloos...They were both the same side of the cage. I thought it was a bit odd and they didn't really squeek or get excited about breakfast. I thought no more of it and went upstairs and about an hour later the same thing happened again. By the time I got downstairs Doughnut had stopped wheeking but she was very jumpy and looked scared. Again I left them and did the washing up etc and about an hour or two later there was another of these almighty piercing wheeking noises. Doughnut was sat in the corner again. Since then both pigs won't go over to the right hand side of the cage and they both seem a bit jumpy whereas they normally wouldn't be. They are actually really tame and usually sit in an igloo each chilling out, however neither is interested in the igloo on the right hand side of the cage now and they both keep sniffing the air and seem nervous.

Anyone else experienced this??
 
I'm not sure about the odd behaviour but mine have started doing really piercing wheeks around this time of night (when they usually get their veggies) if they think I haven't fed them on time, or if they have run out of pellets. Greedy boys.
I hope there's nothing sinister with your girls. It could be one shouting for food and it spooks the other, which in turn spooks the original pig? They are strange little things aren't they.
 
Have you checked the area in question for bees, wasps and other stinging insects or sharp objects? I would strongly advise to clean out/change the cage and rearrange it. Something is definitely not right and has frightenend/hurt the piggies.

If you leave things as they are, you will notice that the piggies will continue to act strange for quite some time and will avoid that pigloo.

I had some strange behaviour once when a mouse got past the piggy house in the little patio hutch which my roaming duo used to use when let free in the garden. After that, Llewelyn refused to enter the hutch ever again under his own steam.
 
Last edited:
mine do it occasionally, its usually when Bumble goes into season... she's cuddly with Bea at the best of times... much to Bea's dislike... and she normally gets a nip or two when she tries to hump Bea's face rolleyes

Usually its a shriek of protest
 
I'm not sure of the reason but its nothing I've experienced ever before, and like I said I've had 4 sets of guinea pigs in the past. I'm going to clean them out now (although its getting late!)....But I'm hoping they might relax with a clean cage. I can't relax until they are happy and relaxed again. Thanks for your messages everyone :)
 
Its quite funny as I've actually gone out to my guinea pigs years ago when I was a child and there was a mouse sat in their hutch and the two guineas couldn't care less (I was pretty horrified). But they just carried on eating their breakfast... The mouse must have been their friend or something!
 
When you clean them out check them both all over to see if theres any nips or anything, it could have been a squeal of protest if the underpiggy was pushed to their limit and thought "no sod you, you might be in charge but you're not stopping me from doing this" or if one got over amorous when in season with the rumbling and humping :))
 
I'm sorry to hear about this, i hope you find out what is up with your piggies soon! :)
 
Just to update you all, I've just finished cleaning them out and they are roaming about their cage and very happy as normal.... Very strange but the cleaning out worked!

I have no idea what all the weirdness was about but this is the first time they've been happy in their cage all day long. Thanks for the advice everyone and by the way I checked them and there are no clear signs of bite marks or anything...

:))
 
that's great news, hope it was just something small that they are now over and they get back to normal
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top