Wheek/popcorn?

[Nat_Piggy]

Hi everyone!

So I just moved my guinea pig out of her way-too-small, just-temporary cage into a big, big pen where she has at least 4 1/2 x 4/12 feet to run around!
I noticed that when she popcorns--which she used to only do when I took her out of her small cage but now does it inside her big pen--she wheeks. Is this normal? She wheeks and squeaks, but I'm sure she's popcorning--I've looked up tons of videos, and they all look just like her. She runs around super fast and jumps too. I know wheeking can be a sign of pain/hunger, so is it different when she popcorns, or is she not popcorning?

Thanks!

 

[Posyrose]

She's one v happy guinea pig......no need to worry at all.
Well done for giving her all that extra space

 

[Vandamf]

Wheeking is a happy piggie, and popcorning a super happy piggie. Doing the two together I can only guess that is one ecstatic little creature you have there! And doing zoomies just puts the icing on the cake

 

[VickiA]

You have one very happy Guinea pig indeed. Wheeking, popcorning and doing zoomies all at the same are all signs of sheer delight. Well done

 

[Nat_Piggy]

Thanks so much!
My sister has a question do (this is about our other guinea pig).
So, a lot of websites and stuff say plain wheeking is a sign of pain/hunger/need for something, but you guys say it's delight. My sister claims when she picks up her guinea pig, she wheeks, but when other people do (I did yesterday) she doesn't. What does wheeking mean in this case?

Makes me more than happy knowing my guinea pig is a happy piggy

 

[VickiA]

There's different types of wheeking/squeaking! A wheek eg for veggies is an excited happy sound. The noise when you chase them is more a shriek of alarm. It takes a while to learn to distinguish them but you will in time.
Here's a link to a site with sounds and descriptions
Guinea Pig Sounds

 

[Wiebke]

Your sister's guinea pig is comfortable with her, but not with strangers. Vocal guinea pigs are always a good sign; it means that they are comfortable and confident in their surroundings.
You may find this link here helpful in understanding guinea pigs better: How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

A lot of the wheeking sounds very similar/same-ish to us humans, especially new owners, but it is actually quite differentiated. You have to also take body language and situational context into account, which is why we don't have a wheeking dictionary on here.

 

[VickiA]

A lot of the wheeking sounds very similar to us humans, especially new owners, but it is actually quite differentiated. You have to also take body language and situational context into account, which is why we don't have a wheeking dictionary on here.

I so wish there was a definitive wheeking dictionary - it would make life so much easier! Even my piggies make different sounds from each other and you have to look at the body language as well as the sounds.