Was My Guinea Pig Purring?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Maddykins

Maddykins

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
292
Reaction score
110
Points
355
Location
Merseyside
I've had my two boars for almost exactly a year now. They aren't really cuddly pigs, I guess they were not very well socialised when they were very little but we've made progress with them slowly over time. One of them in particular is very shy and doesn't usually like to be touched. Today I got him on my lap for about 15 minutes (with no real fussing which is really good going!) and I was stroking him, and I could feel a little vibration sort of like a pur from his body! I took the telly off to listen closely but I couldn't hear any noise still, I could just feel it. We were sitting right by the radiator so I highly doubt he was cold...but maybe he was scared/unhappy with me touching him which is possible :( but usually in those situations he will nip or bite or fidget or make little squeaky unhappy noises or growl, I've never had this silent vibrating before.

So could he have been purring? How loud do guinea pigs purr? Or is it more likely to have been little shivers of dissatisfaction (or cold), bless him?

Even if he wasn't purring he sat nicely and didn't bite me and if you had met him when I first got him and seen all the nasty bite wounds I've had from him you would know how happy an achievement this is regardless of whether he was purring or not haha :)
 
In my experience the vibration and a short sharp brr is displeasure. The purr from being pleased while stringing does not include a vibration. Do not worry though as some times my pigs do this if they do not want to be touched. They do have their off days.
 
Yeah, I know what you mean about the angry 'brr' noise, Martin (the guinea pig in question) is particularly king of that noise when there is a noise that goes on that he doesn't like. He hates music with deep basslines and does it over and over again unless we turn it off, haha! Sad to hear about that, I thought he was happy, aww :( I thought it was different because I could not hear any noise and usually it's quite a loud, sharp brr noise like you said. I guess it was just a more subdued version of his usual grumpy noise :P Maybe he was too tired to brr loudly because he was napping before I snatched him up! Poor little thing! I love my boys but I do wish they were more cuddley but it's not their fault they're not, bless them.
 
But of course it could be a happy noise if you say he usually does the short sharp brr. Piggy language can be confusing. If I press any buttons on my radio my pigs do that noise. They hate the sound for some reason!
 
Mine have three different similar purr noises.

1. The most obvious 'rumblestrut' brrr with bum waving!
2. A short sharp 'brr' in response to a sound. This is the one that means they don't like the sound. The purr is easily audible for this one.
3. A quiet purr almost without sound, where they just sit and rumble. I've known mine to do this after a bath when wrapped up in a towel, and rarely when sat on my lap on fleece. Hard to tell if its associated with being happy! But I think it is.
 
Two of my young ones, Dandy and Beano, will sometimes sit and "shiver" when having cuddle time. They do not always make a noise. I think it is a fear response. The shivering stops after a while, when they realise that nothing nasty is going to happen to them! As Piggyfan says, a short sharp "Brrr" and vibration is a sign of displeasure, and also a danger signal brought on by a sudden noise or movement, usually un-noticed by humans.
 
I think it is probably the unhappy thing 7squeakers mentioned because it was like a little shiver every time I touched him. He does not usually enjoy being touched you see so it is the most likely. I feel well bad now! Poor little thing.

It can be so hard to understand their communication sometimes! Though that is part of their intrigue :)
 
if he was shivering out of fear it stops eventually. out of anger or dissatisfaction you'd know. out of happyness like a cat just sit thier and quietly vibrate.
id say he was happy, they seem to like tv, and gentle stroking, so id say he was happy
 
I went on YT and searched for 'guinea pig purring' and mostly there were pigs doing what I thought was an angry 'brr' noise! Some of them weren't quite as sharp and short though, is that the only difference? I am really struggling to hear what the difference is, I thought if I heard it I would know it was different but my ears can't really distinguish the difference!
 
From what I have seen on you tube there are a lot of clueless piggy owners! I would not take notice of those videos.
 
Do you know a good example of a video or sound clip of what a happy purr sounds like?

Yes I know, I always cringe when they're like 'look at me stroking my happy pig' and the pig is like chattering their teeth and jumping in alarm!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top