"Chirping" In Guinea Pigs
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One day, I was in the living room watching television when I heard weird, piercing chirps from the guinea pig's room (my bedroom). I raced into hear ear-splitting cries that sounded exactly like a bird. I looked for the bird, but could not find one. It took a few minutes, but it finally sunk in that one of my female guinea pigs was making the incredible bird noises. It was Foot Foot sitting back and head raised, very still, chirping for all she was worth. The other guinea pigs were quiet and kept back from her. She kept this up for nearly an hour, and then went back to making more normal guinea pig noises.
What Was That?
One of the great things about living with animals is that you can never learn all there is to know about them. Each day brings up more questions to pursue answers to. One of these mysteries yet to be discovered is just why guinea pigs sometimes chirp or sing like a bird. It is not one of the usual guinea pig noises.
It literally sounds like CH-CH-CHIRP CHIRP! CH-CH-CHIRP CHIRP! Guinea pigs who do chirp seem to do it at different speeds, volume and length of "performance". This behavior only seems to happen to female guinea pigs (usually called sows), but only some of them. There have been a few males (called boars) reported to chirp. There is no predictable time when they chirp. It almost like a seizure of sound.
Not even the great guinea pig maestro Peter Gurney was ever able to figure this bit of guinea pig behavior out. Perhaps as guinea pigs live with more and more people and they share information more and more on the Internet, then maybe we can figure this out.
My Guinea Pig Chirps. What Can Be Done To Stop It?
So far, chirping does not seem to be any indication of poor health or even distress for a guinea pig. And when they start, there is no way of stopping them until they are done. When Foot Foot would chirp, it was as if she was in a kind of trance, very reminiscent to how people act when they are "speaking in tongues".
When Foot Foot would start chirping, sometimes she was so loud that I had to put her temporarily in another room just so I could get some sleep. She didn't complain about it. Although the sound can be annoying and unpredictable, it does eventually go away. All in all, chirping in guinea pigs is a minor inconvenient mystery at most.
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Thanks for the information, Sue! When FootFoot chirped, she faced anything and chirped in darkness or light. The mysteries of the gp mind!
My piggie, Delilah, chirped for a bit yesterday. it wasn't extremely loud, but it was something she'd never done before. I was confused, because it is winter, and birds don't usually sing or come near during the winter months. When I noticed it was her, she was sitting in the middle of the bottom floor of her cage looking at me. head high, chirping away. Nothing I did made her move, stop, or even twitch. Then my girlfriend tripped on a bottle of water and knocked it over. That's when Delilah stopped.
I haven't noticed any strange behavior in her recently, but she is getting somewhat large around the middle. Since my family is trying to breed several of our piggies, my initial thought was a sign of pregnancy? She chirped again this evening. I'm at a loss for what she means.
My guinea pig Daisy is a mega-chirper, but its not a mystery to me why she does it at all. Daisy will chirp whenever I talk to her directly, she knows her name... my friends are astounded when I call to her from the other room and she responds back with her chirps. She also gets vocal whenever somebody rustles plastic bags lol. Something else interesting is that when she chirps her ears jump up and down, its very cute. She's very vocal over all though, and has a ton of other sounds in her usual repertoire.
I have a male guinea pig and he chirps! He only chirps early in the morning between 2-4am and does so very loudly. He does it so loudly that it sometimes wakes me up! The first time I heard him I thought it was a bird! His chirping, although loud is very melodic! I am curious as to why he does it, but I feel lucky since I've read that it is not common!
my guinea pig named dixie chirped for the fist time yesterday when i took her out side and let her search for her food around my big house
I just got a guinea pig and I am a first time owner. I'm wondering if it's okay to use cedar chips in his bed. I'm also wondering where I can get a bigger cage and what sorts of toys I can get for him. I have a corner litter pan for him but he's having trouble learning to use it. Any ideas?
i used to have a guinea pig but he never did that, but I do have four hamsters and 3 out of four make the noise.
sometimes they do it when one hamster is too close, i dont think that is the case here because you said that the others were staying away
sometimes they do it if they just were annoyed, i am leaning toward this one because you weren't in the room when she just started.
and sometimes they do it in their sleep because of (im guessing) bad dreams, or they might just be uncomfertable. I dont think it was this one because you said she was awake.-jacinda
Meredith,
I know for sure that pine bedding is harmful to gp, and I think cedar might be too. The kind of bedding that I use is called aspen bedding. Make sure that your bedding doesnt have smells. They can be harmful to your pig. Also, for a cage, you can make cages out of advertising plastic for the indide, and metal organizing cubes to make the out side. This type is much bigger than store bought cages, and half the price. Remember, one guinea pig needs a minimum of 2 square feet of cage space. Hope this helps. Have fun with your guinea pig! :)
I was out in the garden and noticed a bumble bee heading towards the guinea pig hutch, i tried to shew the bee off but it kept crawing closer. In the end i put a mug over the bee a walked back into the house, withing seconds i heard Eddie chirping louder and louder from the kitchen. I rushed out and bought him in the house. This only tends to happen when he either wants attention or if something is threatening him. I think its some kind of defence!! I think its so cute, He then gets all relaxed when i pick him up, kind of like a crying baby.
1.5 y/o male guinea pig. chirps seemingly randomly. first time, we were sleeping, and woke up to "bird" sounds, but comming from inside the apartment. found out it was ponnie. 2nd time we were playing video games, about 3 weeks later. then about once every month or so, he would chirp, until about 2months ago. we thought he had stopped or grown out of it, but today, after their salad, ponnie started chirping again. we have another male who has never chirped. it seems like he gets really jumpy when the chirping is going on. oh, the mysteries of guinea pigs.
Changed eddies bedding this eve, bought some shredded white paper stuff from a pet shop, he loves hiding inside it. Anyways the chirping started again, this time he was chirping for ages untill i picked him up for cuddles. Cant work out if hes happy or if hes sad!
My boy, Zephyr, started Chirping last night.
It was right after I changed his cage and gave him his veggies, he just chirped and chirped.
My other boy, Xombie, was freaked out
My male cavy Radley has recently been making a very light chirping noise. I'm not sure if it is the same as what everyone else hears but it sounds distinctly like a bird chirp but he only makes one quick soft chirp now and again usually when he is lying down or resting.
I have two females, Halloween (or Weenie) and Pumpkin, but only the younger one, Weenie, will chirp. I have never heard her doing it during the day time. The first time I heard it was around 3am and I was so startled I ran to her cage and picked her up. She didn't stop chirping until I touched her. I was up about five other times that night trying to quiet her so my fiancee could get some sleep. I tried uncovering the cage (I keep it covered at night with a towel), turning the light on, removing her house (they only get the house during the night to prevent territory battles during the day), and even feeding her. I was so worried I even took her to the vet, who had no idea why she was doing it but said she was perfectly healthy.
It had been about two months without any chirping and she just started up again two nights ago, and then again last night. Pumpkin just sits there and stares at her, apparently unconcerned. Pumpkin doesn't even try to hide when Weenie is chirping, and she's usually the first to run for cover.
I read on one website that they can be "inspired" to chirp if they hear another piggy or a recording of chirping enough times. We got a cricket stuck in the house a few days ago, so I'm thinking maybe the cricket (who is incredibly loud for a cricket) is inspiring her to chirp back. Now all I have to do is catch the cricket and put it outside....
I have two females, Halloween (or Weenie) and Pumpkin, but only the younger one, Weenie, will chirp. I have never heard her doing it during the day time. The first time I heard it was around 3am and I was so startled I ran to her cage and picked her up. She didn't stop chirping until I touched her. I was up about five other times that night trying to quiet her so my fiancee could get some sleep. I tried uncovering the cage (I keep it covered at night with a towel), turning the light on, removing her house (they only get the house during the night to prevent territory battles during the day), and even feeding her. I was so worried I even took her to the vet, who had no idea why she was doing it but said she was perfectly healthy.
It had been about two months without any chirping and she just started up again two nights ago, and then again last night. Pumpkin just sits there and stares at her, apparently unconcerned. Pumpkin doesn't even try to hide when Weenie is chirping, and she's usually the first to run for cover.
I read on one website that they can be "inspired" to chirp if they hear another piggy or a recording of chirping enough times. We got a cricket stuck in the house a few days ago, so I'm thinking maybe the cricket (who is incredibly loud for a cricket) is inspiring her to chirp back. Now all I have to do is catch the cricket and put it outside....
Different subject on the pigs, I have noticed that the pee or wetness in my male pigs cage is like a white film. Does anyone know what this could be, I am asking because we had 2 pigs and one died 2 days ago, and I have no clue why.
i have no idea y the guinea pigs chirp or wat it sounds like but just by reading other ppl's commments it sound like a way for them to get your attention obviously enough everyone who had a gp that chirpped noticed it right away and went to go see what was wrong. Maybe its a way for them to tell u they want your attention because they might be lonely, something is threatining them, their happy,or maybe they just do it at random. I would like to know that of all the ppl who tried to stop the chirpping was picking them up most succesful at stopping the noise. in That case it maybe because of attention. Somebody also said that when their GP chirpped it was facing the other GP's and also that the other GP's would not go near it. Maybe it could be a establishment of authority or control. I honestly cannot say that wat i have just said is true. but maybe my ideas will help other ppl.and they can make their own ideas and hypothesis's.
my gineapigs never ever chirp
Sorry my gineapigs do chirp but why?
My little piggy meg. Aka megatron she chips late at night and faces the other two ladies in the cage. Peter and worf in the other cage are always out of the pigloo watching her. She stops if I touch her or if she sees or hears me come in the room. I can't figure out if it's a mating call or a dominance thing or if she is lonely (she is my baby and gets all the attention most one on one time). None of the other 6 do it
Typical example of guinea pig chirping. Film by zoeperzazke.
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Sue Harper says:
2 years ago
One of my female guinea pigs is very verbal overall. She does chirp as well. However, If I enter the room and it is dark and I turn the light on she will stop. Also, if it is day and I come near her cage and pet her she will stop. One thing I have noticed is that when she is Chirping she faces another guinea pig, not the wall or a window.