If you own a guinea pig, you probably know that they are very affectionate animals! Here are some of the ways that guinea pigs will show their affection.
How do guinea pigs show their owners affection? Guinea pigs can be very affectionate pets that show affection by licking your hand, softly squeaking, or even dancing. But generally speaking, if your guinea pig doesn’t run away and hide; it’s affectionate towards you.
Let’s dive in a bit deeper now.
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How do guinea pigs show affection?
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One way that guinea pigs show their owners that they love them is by licking their person’s hand or fingers! Your guinea pig may also show that they love you by “talking” to you.
Guinea pigs are very vocal creatures and their vocalizations can tell you a lot. If your pet is making a soft and consistent squeaking or whistling sound, that is their way of showing you that they love you. They may do this when you are petting them gently in your lap and it is their way of telling you that they are content and happy with your love. Sometimes this sound is even accompanied by little body vibrations.
While this isn’t tied exactly to affection, “popcorning” will show you that your guinea pig is happy! Young guinea pigs that do the popcorn dance are showing their owners that they are happy! How can you tell if your guinea pig is popcorning? Look out for “dance moves” like running, jumping, landing on all four feet, hopping up and down, and then turning the other way to repeat it. That is the popcorn dance!
Even though all of these behaviors are great indicators of your guinea pig’s feeling toward you, the easiest way to see if your guinea pig likes you is to see if they do not run away and hide from you. Guinea pigs are prey animals, so they are always on alert. They still have their wild instincts to run away from any other creatures (including you) and it is completely natural.
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When you first get a pet guinea pig, they may be very skittish of you and that does not mean that they do not like you, it just means that they are still unsure and their natural instincts are kicking in. Over time, your guinea pig will learn to recognize and trust you. If your guinea pig approaches you voluntarily, that means that your pet sees you as their protector and friend. Aw! What could be a better sign of affection than that?
How can I bond with my guinea pig?
To get your guinea pig to really love you and get them comfortable showing their affection to you, it is important that you bond with your pet! Here are the best ways to bond with your guinea pig:
1. Spend a lot of time with your guinea pig every day.
2. Spend some time with your guinea pig on the floor. In a safe, protected space, if you are both on the floor together, you will both be able to get to know each other and get comfortable together.
3. Hand feed your pet treats like vegetables or hay.
4. Talk to your guinea pig often so they recognize the sound of your voice.
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How do guinea pigs show affection to other guinea pigs?
Guinea pigs are very social animals and they love being other guinea pigs. Guinea pigs usually live in herds of two to five guinea pigs and they like to be able to play with and talk to each other, and they are very affectionate towards each other! How exactly can we tell when they love their fellow guinea pigs?
Just like your guinea pig may lick your hands to show you that they love you, they may also lick another guinea pig to show them their affection! If you have more than one guinea pig living together, you may notice that they start to lick each other or brush their heads up against each other. They are helping to groom one another and keep each other clean, which is a great way that these animals show affection to one another.
Since guinea pigs are so social, should I have more than one pet guinea pig?
It is a good idea to have more than one guinea pig – even if you only have a small place, it is nice to have two guinea pigs who can play with each other. Just remember that if you are planning on getting two or more guinea pigs that they should all be of the same gender (unless they have already been spayed or neutered).
With that being said, guinea pigs can live alone as long as you have plenty of time to spend with them. Since these animals love socializing so much, make sure that you set aside time every day to play, pet, and talk to your guinea pig so they know how much they are loved and how much you care for them!
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