Can Guinea Pigs Mate Through Bars?

Having male and female guinea pigs as pets is one thing and preventing them from breeding is another. You might have tried separating them on different sides of a cage.

If so, can guinea pigs still mate through the cage bars?

The answer is no! Normally, guinea pigs cannot mate through bars.

However, male guinea pigs are very determined and clever when it comes to getting to females. So, do not underestimate them.

Interestingly, a boar (male) can still get to the sow (female) if the bars are wide enough for them to squeeze through. They’ll give it their best shot.

In addition, if the top of the cage is open, male guinea pigs can try as much as possible to climb over to the female section. So, that’s something to watch out for.

Now, we’re sure that guinea pigs cannot mate through bars. However, if you’re worried about your guinea pigs mating, you need to watch out for these signs.

See them below…

How Do I Know If My Guinea Pigs Are Mating?

Males Will Mount Females

This behavior is the most common way to tell if your guinea pigs are mating. Similar to most animals, male guinea pigs will mount females when mating.

This is the point where a male cavy can get a female pregnant. However, since the males have to mount the females to mate with them, then mating through cage bars is impossible.

They’ll Make Mating Calls

An amazing thing about cavies is that they’re very vocal. Communicating with one another is something they’re pretty good at.

Guinea pigs have many ways they communicate and have a very good sense of hearing. You can spot their mating calls very easily.

Interestingly, both males and guinea pigs make these mating calls.

Before mating, male guinea pigs will make deep rumbling sounds while they wander about the cage. Moreover, a shake of the hips from side to side also accompanies the rumbling sound.

On the other hand, if females are in heat, they’ll also rumble to get the attention of males that are around them. Hence, rumbling sounds are the kind of sounds you’ll hear often when guinea pigs are mating.

READ ALSO: GUINEA PIG NOISES AND WHAT THEY MEAN

They’ll Do the Mating Dance Often

Male guinea pigs have a special mating dance that they use to impress females around them. As males do this, they never forget to rumble very loud (the mating call). 

The dance is quite funny and involves body vibrations and a parade. It makes them look more dominant and superior to other males around them. 

However, females also do this dance to show they’re better than other females. But this behavior is most common in male guinea pigs.

Males Will Chase Females Around

Chasing females around is a very common thing males will do when mating. It involves a male targeting a female he wants to mate with and then chasing her about.

This chase continues until the males catch up with the females and probably mount on them. However, this chase doesn’t just happen once. 

Hence, you might see your male guinea pig constantly chasing a female in the cage during mating.

Sniffing and Licking

I’ll consider this to be a kind of guinea pig foreplay. Sniffing and licking are signs you can use to tell if your guinea pigs are mating. Moreover, males do it the most during mating periods. 

Males looking for mates will often sniff or lick the rears of females when they get close to them. Male guinea pigs will also do this to confirm if females are in heat and ready for mating.

How Do Guinea Pigs Mate at Home?

A male guinea pig will mount a female to mate with them at home. This is similar to how they mate naturally in the wild and in any breeding center.

However, mating at home is much easier when it’s a single male and one or more females. Similarly, in the wild, it’s normally a male and many females.

This means the male doesn’t have to do a lot of attention-seeking and compete with no other males.

But in a situation where you have both males and females at home, each guinea pig will want to show their dominance and superiority. And this is very common with males. 

Males will try to impress females and females will want to attract males. This brings about competition and activities during mating periods.

You’ll see males do the mating dance often, make mating calls and chase females around. Interestingly, male guinea pigs will fight each other over females and that’s normal.

Do Guinea Pigs Get Pregnant Easily?

Yes, guinea pigs get pregnant easily. Females are very fertile and become sexually mature at very early ages – about 4-6 weeks. 

What’s more interesting is that they can even get pregnant right after giving birth to young ones. This is because they go into heat immediately after giving birth. That’s strange but very true. 

Can Male and Female Guinea Pigs Be Together in a Cage?

Yes! Male and female guinea pigs can live together in the same cage. However, you might be concerned about them breeding. Probably, you need them to be only pets and not parents of their own.

You might have equally thought of separating them. But that’s not always the best for guinea pigs. These creatures are not loners. They prefer the company of other guinea pigs – whether male or female. 

Hence, letting them live on different sides of the cage or even in different cages isn’t a good idea. You’ll just be driving the males crazy as they cannot get to the females. 

The best way is to neuter your male and spay your female. This way, they won’t be able to breed even if they try to mate. Moreover, it helps them stay together.

ALSO READ: WHAT GUINEA PIGS CAN LIVE TOGETHER?

Final Thoughts

To conclude, you now know that guinea pigs cannot mate through bars. It’s difficult as they both have to be very close for mating to happen.

However, males try so hard to get to the females, so you must not overlook this. They could climb over the top of the cage to the female’s section top if it isn’t covered.

Males can even try to pass through slightly wide cage bars. But be mindful of this. They can hurt themselves. It’s best to get your guinea pigs spayed and neutered so they can live safely together.

In addition, you can also be able to tell if your guinea pigs are mating. Watch out for sighs like mating calls, mating dances, and males mounting females.

However, do you often spot traces of blood on your female guinea pig’s genitals? You could possibly think they have periods.

Click here to know if this is possible and normal for guinea pigs.