We adopt pets to get love and affection. If you are a new guinea pig owner or want to adopt one, you might be wondering if guinea pigs are affectionate.
The short answer is yes. Guinea pigs are known for being affectionate and loving. Although they might feel a bit unsafe in the beginning, you can definitely melt their hearts with proper love and care.
Now that you know that guinea pigs make friendly pets, you might be curious to know in what ways guinea pigs show their affection.
Read this blog further to get your answer!
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How Do Guinea Pigs Show Affection?
Are you wondering how to know if your guinea pig loves you?
While it’s obvious to guess that a dog loves its owner, things are slightly different in the case of guinea pigs as every pet has its own ways of showing affection.
Here’s a list of different ways in which guinea pigs show affection.
Licking
Licking is a common sign that many pets use to show love and guinea pigs are no different. If guinea pigs settle in your arms comfortably and take out their tongues to lick you, be happy as it is a sign that they love you.
Kissing
Don’t confuse kissing with nibbling or licking. Guinea pigs actually love giving gentle kisses to show their affection.
It’s more like a human way of kissing where guinea pigs nip your lips gently for a second or two.
Purring/Squeaking
Guinea pigs make a cat-like purring sound on being petted or tickled to show their love back.
They also squeak or make a short high-pitched sound on receiving love and affection to acknowledge that they loved your gesture.
Nuzzling
Nuzzling is simply when your guinea pigs brush their head against you, a behavior shown by cats and other pet animals too.
If your guinea pig loves nuzzling you, it’s a sign that they love your presence and consider you safe.
Spurting
Have you ever noticed an increase in the speed of your cavy’s movement as soon as they see you? If yes, it’s your pet’s way of showing that they are excited to see you.
As we have seen, guinea pigs are quite affectionate and have different ways of giving affection to their fellow mates and owners.
But what about you?
In what ways can you show love to your little furry pet?
How to Give Guinea Pigs Affection?
As pet owners, you can show affection to your guinea pigs in a variety of ways. Below is the list of things you can do to keep your guinea pig loved and pampered.
Spend Time
In order to create a strong bond with your cavy, you need to spend time with them.
Don’t leave it alone for hours or let it stay in its cage. Rather, you can take your pet out, hold it in your arms and let it move freely in your house for some time.
Feed them Properly
Feeding your cavy properly and on time is another way of showing your love for it. Prepare healthy meals for your pet and feed it as per the requirement to keep them stay healthy and lively.
Identifying your cavy’s favorite meal and treating them with it once in a while is also a good option to show your affection.
Keep their Environment Clean
Keeping the environment of your guinea pig clean is a way of being concerned about their wellbeing. Make sure you keep your pet in a clean cage and wipe it properly after every meal to keep mosquitoes and bacteria away.
Speak to them
Many guinea pig owners love speaking to them. It’s a great way of showing affection and catching your pet’s attention.
Petting/Stroking
Another way of showing love to guinea pigs is petting their backs or stroking their necks. Guinea pigs love being petted and stroked.
What about cuddling?
Can you cuddle with your guinea pigs to show affection?
Do Guinea Pigs Like to Cuddle with Humans?
In general, guinea pigs love to cuddle with humans. However, it’s not something universal. It may differ depending on your pet’s nature and behavior.
As per ScienceDirect, some guinea pigs show high human interaction, while some prefer passive human interactions. The same applies to a guinea pig’s preference to cuddle with humans.
Moreover, you need to understand the body language of your pets to sense when they are in a mood to cuddle with you.
If your guinea pig moves backward when you try to cuddle with them, understand that it’s not the right time.
According to My Pet Guinea Pig, it might take 1-2 weeks for your pet to get cuddly with you. However, if you try to rush things, you might scare them away.
Related Questions:
Do Guinea Pigs Like Being Petted?
Yes, guinea pigs love being petted. You can gently pet and stroke their backs or necks and even scratch them to make them feel better.
However, guinea pigs might feel a bit scared when they are newly adopted and brought into a new environment.
In such a case, give your pet some time so that it becomes used to your presence and starts feeling safe.
5 Things to avoid while petting your guinea pig:
- Don’t press its back too hard. Make sure you give your pet gentle strokes and run your hand slowly on its back.
- If your guinea pig runs away when you touch it, give it some time and space. Don’t make another move to pet him as it can make him afraid.
- According to Wow Animals World, move your hand in circles or waves while petting your guinea pigs as they love it. Also, avoid pressing your pet with your fingers while petting it as much as you can.
- You shouldn’t pet guinea pigs on their bellies and heads. They don’t like humans petting them on those areas.
Are Guinea Pigs Cuddly?
Yes, guinea pigs are known to be one of the cuddliest pets.
They love cuddling with humans if they develop good bonding with them. Once they start trusting you, they will rest on your lap and curl around you from time to time.
However, you need to give time for your pets to become friendly to you.
According to Pets Vills, you can make your guinea pig more cuddly by gaining their trust.
To make your guinea pigs more cuddly, you can follow the steps given below.
- Build a nice and comfortable shelter for your pets with toys in it. Make sure the cage of guinea pigs is large enough to let them move freely.
- Keep them away from loud noises. Guinea pigs don’t like loud noises as they take them as a possible sign of danger. Hence, make sure you keep their surroundings free from any such noises.
- Feed the vegetables they love the most. Try understanding your pet’s taste slowly and try to treat it with the food of it’s choice.
- Guinea pigs are social animals. They enjoy the company of their fellow mates. Therefore, get them one or two companions with whom they can play and enjoy themselves.
Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Picked Up?
Yes, almost all guinea pigs enjoy being picked up and kissed. You can try lifting your little pet too. However, make sure you take proper care while lifting them. Let’s see how to pick up guinea pigs.
- Don’t lift a guinea pig suddenly. Make sure to approach it calmly so that it doesn’t get afraid.
- Always pick up guinea pigs gently as they are small and delicate.
- To lift your pet, place your right hand around the front and place your left hand behind his bum. Ensure that you provide enough support to your pet’s back.
You should take care of the above points to hold your guinea pig carefully. According to PDSA, guinea pigs have delicate spines and their backs need proper support on being held up.
Final Thoughts
Guinea pigs are highly affectionate pets. They will shower you with love once they feel comfortable in your presence.
From curling around your lap to giving you kisses, guinea pigs have different ways of showing affection.
Although guinea pigs are affectionate, it takes two to tango. You need to treat them the right way to receive their love and affection.
Taking proper care of your guinea pigs and feeding them right are some ways in which you can make your gentle pets feel safe.