Why Do My Guinea Pigs Go Extra Fluffy At Meal Times?!

[Mairi M]

Here is Pippin happily eating his pellets. As you can see he is all fluffed up! He does this at vegetable time too; in fact more often for veggies than for pellets. Parsley, his brother, does this as well at feeding time. I also noticed the sows that I occasionally look after do this too. Why do they do this? Are they just happy that they are getting fed or is there something more going on?

 

[Wiebke]

Several of mine do, too!

 

[Katherine]

Mine also go all fluffed up when they're eating their vegetables. I think I read somewhere on the forum that it might be to make themselves look bigger, in an attempt to scare off predators, as they're even more vulnerable than usual when engaged in eating. I've no idea how true that is though! Or maybe they just want to scare off other guinea pigs who might try and pinch their food...!

 

[Mairi M]

Mine also go all fluffed up when they're eating their vegetables. I think I read somewhere on the forum that it might be to make themselves look bigger, in an attempt to scare off predators, as they're even more vulnerable than usual when engaged in eating. I've no idea how true that is though! Or maybe they just want to scare off other guinea pigs who might try and pinch their food...!

Haha! Maybe! But to us they just look even more cute - as if that were possible!

 

[Katherine]

Haha! Maybe! But to us they just look even more cute - as if that were possible!

Agreed! I must say, I can't think of anything less scary than a guinea pig!

 

[GPTV]

My Ellie used to puff up too when she was eating. I'm sure I have seen somewhere its to make them look bigger &scarier to predators (not more tubby with extra meat )

Makes them look really cute ....especially the one in your picture

Xx

 

[gizzy]

l think it is to make them look bigger and more formidable

leave me alown, this is my food

 

[PiggieHerd]

All my girls do that...I always believed that they do it to make themselves look bigger so the other piggies don't steal their food.

 

[Nic bee]

I've never noticed this! So funny! I'll be monitoring fluff levels tomorrow

 

[nana piggie]

2 of my three girls do that.

 

[ayemee]

A couple of my girls do that too, especially Mabel.

 

[Julesie]

I'd always wondered the same thing!

 

[Mairi M]

Please add any photos of fluffy guinea pigs! Big scary (!) fluffy guinea pigs!