Guinea pigs are usually peaceful animals. Did you notice anything odd about your pets recently?
In this article, I will tell you the reasons why your piggies act crazy and what it means. Let’s read more below!
Table of Contents
7 Reasons Why Guinea Pigs Act Crazy
Here are possible reasons why guinea pigs act crazy.
- Sickness
- The need for space
- For food
- Excitement
- Boredom or sadness
- Exercise
- When they are scared or nervous
When They Are Sick
Guinea pigs are unique and fun-filled animals.
But once they start feeling sick, they tend to act irritated, grumpy, aggressive, and troublesome.
Therefore, it is important to know when your pig is sick and should be taken to a veterinary doctor for a checkup and treatment.
When They Need Space
Guinea pigs can fight each other, especially when many of them are kept together in a small space.
This fight for space and dominance can make them act crazy.
The strong and mature ones usually displace the weaker ones in an attempt to find space.
Hence, I recommend that you buy a spacious cage for your guinea pigs so that they will be comfortable.
Better still, you can sort and transfer some pigs to other cages to lessen the population. The larger their population, the crazier they act.
Food for Survival
All living things need food to survive.
When a large number of guinea pigs are kept together with small food, there will be competition.
And with such competition, the stronger ones bully the weaker ones to eat a greater portion of the food.
When They Are Excited
Guinea pigs are interesting pets you will want to watch especially when they are happy.
When domestic guinea pigs are happy, they engage themselves in fun activities like popcorning.
Popcorning
It is a character associated with guinea pigs, especially when they are happy. So, if your guinea pigs are running up and down, don’t worry! They are just excited!
When They Are Bored or Sad
Different guinea pigs will show different signs when they are bored or sad.
Some of them will become aggressive while others will become extremely quiet.
Most guinea pigs express boredom or sadness by making sounds like hissing, chattering, and growling.
For example:
A guinea pig spends every day alone in the same cage without any mate to bother or play with. That’s why it’s recommended to keep at least two piggies together for each other’s company.
When they are Exercising
Guinea pigs are very energetic creatures. Racing a few distances around their cage is their way of exercising.
Exercise is quite helpful to their health. Thus, when you see them behave crazily sometimes, they are trying to release energy.
Allow them to wander around occasionally. Preferably, in a secure place or a spot that is easy to clean.
When they are healthy, they will move all over the place. However, as they get older, their level of energy decreases.
When they are scared or nervous
Guinea pigs are usually anxious and this is not strange to think about.
If your pigs display attitudes like:
- Playing dead
- Aggression
- Shivering
- Repeated running around in their cage
- Hiding
Then they are certainly afraid of something.
They might be thinking a predator is around, and to ensure their safety, you have to keep pets and children away from their cages.
Now that you know why guinea pigs act crazy, Would you like to learn how to interpret their behaviors?
Read below to learn.
Decoding Your Guinea Pig Behavior
Understanding your guinea pig’s behavioral pattern gives you an edge over breeding healthy herds of piggies. Let’s take a look at them below:
Guinea Pig Breathing Weirdly
Whenever guinea pigs start breathing weirdly it could be a sign of respiratory tract infections.
It could also be a result of pneumonia or a disorder in the heart muscles.
These illnesses can affect the breathing pattern of guinea pigs.
Hence, it’s necessary to visit a vet. doctor for immediate and proper treatment.
Guinea Pig Running In Circles From Cage
When guinea pigs run around in a circle form in their cage, it could mean a lot.
They can do this for three different reasons.
- Dominance
- Mating
- Excited
For Dominance
When guinea pigs run around for dominance, you see the stronger ones heading the lead.
For Mating
When a guinea pig is running around to mate, you see the male ones hanging around the female counterparts in an attempt to mate.
This helps to stimulate the female pigs to choose their mating partner.
When They Are Excited
Guinea pigs can also be seen running around themselves when they are happy.
They tend to leap up in the air as a result of this circular movement. This process is called popcorning.
Guinea Pig Jumping And Twitching
Guinea pigs jump and twitch when they are excited.
Most pet breeders would usually call it popcorning because they are at peace.
Guinea Pig Squealing And Running Crazy
When guinea pigs squeal and run crazy it could be an indication of anxiety, or that they are scared.
Most of them also squeal and run crazy when they are in pain. This makes it important to know which one exactly is wrong with your guinea pig.
Guinea Pig Running Crazy At Night
When guinea pigs start running crazy at night, it means that they are frightened by predators. And sometimes they do this to burn off energy.
Guinea Pig Jumping When Being Touched
Guinea pigs are interesting and beautiful animals. They might jump when they are touched.
This often happens when they are happy or excited and can be seen as their way of playing too.
How To Calm Your Guinea Pigs
Although guinea pigs are fun and cuddly animals, they can feel stressed and sensitive to their environment.
This makes them react to possible actions or changes that may occur.
Here are the basic steps anyone can take to calm a guinea pig when it is running crazy.
Step 1: Build a Spacious Cage For Your Guinea Pig
Guinea pigs love their space and will want a comfortable cage to live in.
An ideal cage size for one guinea pig should be at least 30 by 36 inches (7.5 sq feet). Once they have a spacious home they stay happy.
Step 2: Keep Same-Sex Guinea Pigs in One Cage
Male and female guinea pigs will always fall out in a fight if kept in the same cage.
Thus, it is advisable to separate guinea pigs of different sex.
Even though breeders will mostly confuse a male for a female guinea pig.
A male counterpart has a visible and clear scrotum while most females have a Y-shaped spot on their genitals. This is a clear difference between the two genders.
Step 3: Introduce Pairs at an Earlier Stage
It’s always important to introduce guinea pigs to their pairs at an early stage.
By doing so, they grow up getting to know each other better. This will result in a better and happy life for the piggies.
Step 4: Maintain Their Routines
Guinea pigs live and enjoy a routine type of life.
They will appreciate it if you maintain a steady feeding and bathing pattern.
A sudden change in an already existing method will affect and make them uncomfortable.
Recap
A guinea pig can act crazy as a result of food, space, exercise, boredom, excitement, etc. It’s important to pay attention to them.
This is because they may show strange behaviors that don’t need veterinary care.
That’s why decoding your guinea pig’s behavioral pattern is important!
It’s now clear to you why guinea pigs act crazy, won’t you love to know more about it?
Read our article “Why are Guinea Pigs Noisy” to learn more.
