Guinea pigs are herd animals
Guinea pigs are animals that live in natural conditions in numerous groups. Complicated social relations develop between members of the herd, resulting, inter alia, from the hierarchy prevailing in it. Man in home conditions is by no means able to provide a single animal with what another guinea pig can give him.
Both friendships and conflicts arise between animals living in a group, as well as between people. Guinea pigs have their own language of communication that they use to communicate with each other. They also developed characteristic social behaviors that are not understandable to other animals. The communication method of guinea pigs is based on 9 sounds. Each of them transmits different information. Animals use them to communicate to express their emotions: joy, anger, curiosity, irritation, a sense of danger, romance, hunger or domination. The sounds made can be described as various kinds of squealing, grunting and grinding teeth. A separate article will be devoted to the meaning of individual sounds.
In addition to their own way of communicating, guinea pigs have developed their own peculiar herd behavior. They include the so-called popcorning, i.e. a quick run combined with high jumps up and the accompanying spinning in the air by the pig. This behavior is misinterpreted as a symptom of an illness by many people. Meanwhile, such joyful bustle and jumps are a manifestation of great joy.
What many people don’t know is that guinea pigs have a very sensitive sense of smell. Very often, when animals want to check what is happening in their environment, they raise their mouths up and sniff. Very often it is the result of a threat or the need to check if there is something tasty nearby to crunch.
What many people don’t know is that guinea pigs have a very sensitive sense of smell. Very often, when animals want to check what is happening in their environment, they raise their mouths up and sniff. Very often it is the result of a threat or the need to check if there is something tasty nearby to crunch.
If we want to provide the guinea pig with the best conditions, we must remember that it cannot be tormented and should be accompanied. A pet of the same sex will be perfect for this role. However, it should be remembered that two males may not get along sometimes. In order to effectively prevent this, the animals should be treated with the same attention. Otherwise, one of the pigs will feel favored and lead to a fight. Each of the pigs should receive the same amount of food and have different activities to divert their attention. It is also very important that they do not come into contact with the female and do not separate them. This can lead to a situation in which, even after a short separation, guinea pigs will no longer tolerate each other.
Having two females is not that troublesome, because they will get along better with each other. However, it should be remembered that females tend to be both more skittish and less trusting towards humans. Another option is to adopt a female or two and a castrated male. Such a combination will guarantee that the animals will not only not reproduce, but also will not fight each other.
Guinea pigs that get along with each other are more energetic and joyful animals. A compatible group of pets living together will be a great field to observe their interesting behavior in the form of funny chases or funny dragging pieces of food between them.
