how to check guinea pig teeth

14 Sounds Guinea Pigs Can Make And What They Mean!

In Behavior by Ana M

Guinea pigs express their feelings and thoughts not only with their behavior and body language but also by making different sounds. They use their vocals to communicate with each other and their owners.

In comparison to other small animals, guinea pigs are naturally very chatty which makes them perfect pets for young owners. Overall, there are more than 11 different types of sounds your piggy can make so read on to learn more about the meanings behind them.

What sounds do guinea pigs make when happy?

A content guinea pig can make a variety of sounds, such as:

  • chutting
  • purring
  • cooing
  • wheeking or whistling
  • rumbling or rumblestrutting

Let’s talk about each of them in more detail!

Why is your guinea pig chutting or putting?

Most commonly you can hear a chutt or putt – a short, staccato sound – when your piggy is exploring something new. Also, guinea pigs can be putting when feeling relaxed or content. When you bring a guinea pig to a new home for the first time and hear a chutting noise, it’s a sign that he is marking a new environment as safe.

This is quite a rare sound indeed, so only certain cavies, not breeds are able to make it. If you hear it for the first time, don’t be concerned by it because essentially it is similar to purring.

What does it mean when a guinea pig purrs?

Generally, when your guinea pig is relaxed and comfortable, it can start to purr – to make low and consistent sounds resembling a cat’s purr. They make this sound when seeking or enjoying physical contact. The most common situations are when you are stroking your pet or it is groomed by another guinea pig.

The biological structure of the guinea pig’s throat makes a purring sound very unique. Although most commonly guinea pigs start to purr out of happiness, sometimes they can make this sound in a scary situation or when they are annoyed.

When feeling threatened or after hearing a startling noise, guinea pigs produce a purr in short spurts. To show their annoyance piggies tend to produce a higher-pitched purr and the piggy overall will look tense and can even vibrate.

Why does my guinea pig making a cooing noise?

Generally, when your guinea pig makes a cooing noise, it can mean a few things. It can be a sign of affection as well as reassurance. Although it’s more common to hear a female guinea pig coo to her babies, piggies can express their feelings to the person they adore by making a cooing noise.

What’s the meaning behind guinea pig’s wheeking or whistling sound?

Wheek is the most thrilling sound every owner is looking forward to hearing from a pet guinea pig. You can recognize it by a high-pitched and long squeak or whistle when a piggy is feeling excited. The most common situation in which guinea pigs wheek is an anticipation of being fed.

Sometimes guinea pigs can wheek or whistle to grab your attention. A clever piggy starts wheeking before breakfast, lunch and dinner and will reward you with the sounds of excitement once you bring a treat!

Why do guinea pigs rumble or rumblestrutting?

The owners of single guinea pigs are unlikely to hear this sound. Rumble is a high-pitched vibration sound that a male guinea pig produces in an attempt to woo a female. It’s easy to confuse purring with rumbling, however, the latter is produced in a slightly lower tone.

To differentiate between these two sounds you need to take note of the behavior. The rumbling is usually accompanied by the male guinea pig wiggling his hips around the female. This phenomenon is called a “rumble strut” – a mating dance.

Females can rumble too. It’s some sort of a signal that a female guinea pig is giving to a male by saying that a mating season has started.

Okay, now you know how to tell when your guinea pig is happy and content. What about the sounds it makes when feeling upset or angry?

Let’s find out!

9 Sounds that Unhappy Guinea Pigs Make

When your guinea pig is unhappy or in pain, it can make a variety of noises, including:

  • loud squeaking – common when a guinea pig is frightened or in pain.
  • teeth chattering – to express anger, frustration and agitation.
  • hissing – to show the feeling of being upset.
  • chirping – demonstrates that a piggy is stressed.
  • whining – a sound piggies use to complain about something that bothers them.
  • growling – it’s a sign of distress.
  • shrieking – noise produced when experiencing physical pain.
  • boating or rumbling – it’s a way of expressing a fear or a desire to be left alone

What does it mean when guinea pig squeaks loudly?

If you hear that a guinea pig is making a high-pitched noise, then most likely it’s feeling frightened or is in pain. Usually, you can hear a squeak when a baby guinea pig is taken away from a mother. Some owners notice that guinea pigs tend to squeak when they are left alone for a long period of time.

What does it mean when guinea pig chatters?

Chattering is a warning signal and you can clearly distinguish it from other noises. It’s also known as teeth chattering because a guinea pig is gnashing the teeth together rapidly to make the noise. They are using this sound to express anger, frustration and agitation at a certain situation. Guinea pigs can start to chatter to communicate with other guinea pigs or people to make them stay away.

Another time when chattering takes is during the first encounter of a guinea pig with a new companion. This is a sign of a conversation regarding the territory and personal space.

If you own two males, they are very likely to chatter at each other to show dominance. Make sure you separate them before they get into a fight and supervise their further encounters. You can keep them at the same cage together once the chattering completely goes away.

Why is guinea pig hissing?

Hissing isn’t the most common sound guinea pigs make in comparison to teeth chattering, for example. However, it’s also used to show that the pet is feeling upset. It sort of resembles the hissing noise cats make.

Why is guinea pig chirping?

A Guinea pig who is chirping is associated with being stressed. The noise resembles a bird chirp and is most commonly heard when a baby guinea pig communicates to the mother that it is hungry or wants to suckle from her.

Why is guinea pig singing like a bird?

This is a rare sound for guinea pigs and several owners reported that their guinea pigs can chirp a melody like a bird. Why they are making this “song” is not currently understood. There are some theories that a chirping guinea pig can be in a trancelike state.

Why is guinea pig whining?

Did you hear that your pet made a high-pitched moan? That was a whining sound. They use it to communicate that they are disturbed or bothered. In other words, that is their way of complaining.

It can be related to fellow piggies and to us humans as well. For example, when one guinea pig distracts another one from a nap or takes its treat, you will hear this sound. Similarly, they tell an owner that they don’t enjoy something like being petted at the moment.

Why is guinea pig growling?

Yes, guinea pigs do growl. As with other animals they use this noise to show distress caused by being threatened by something nearby. A typical guinea pig’s growl is something in between loud and abrupt. The most common cause is a sudden change in the environment. If you hear your guinea pig growling, the best way to calm it down is to pet it and to speak in a soft manner.

Why is guinea pig shrieking?

Shriek is a piercing, high-pitched squeak that is unfavorable for any owner to hear. It is a signal of alarm, pain or fear from a guinea pig. Most commonly it is produced when experiencing physical pain. For example, when guinea pigs are fighting and one of them bites another one.

Any time you hear a shriek you need to act immediately. Make sure that your piggy is not hurt and investigate the cause of making a sound, take your pet to the vet if necessary.

Why is Guinea pig motor boating or rumbling?

Sometimes owners can hear their piggies producing a low vibrating noise that sounds a bit like a motorboat or a growl. This is their way of expressing a fear or a desire to be left alone.