A Guide To Guinea Pig Purring

     Purring! A common guinea pig sound. It sounds like low, quick rumbling noise. You hear it a lot! But what does it mean? And what should I do if my guinea pig is purring? You'll find out, in this post.

    Purring. A noise that cats make, meaning they are happy. So if your guinea pig makes this noise, it probably means they are happy, right? Well, not exactly. Purring can mean a few things. 

    Purring can mean your guinea pig is annoyed at something you or another guinea pig is doing. Want to hear them make an "angry purr"? Put your hand on their bottom. A guinea pig does not like being touched there, much like a human. Your guinea pig may also make this noise if you touch any other part of them and they don't want you to. Take your hand off them if they make this noise. You don't want to irritate them further. Purring is also widely confused with rumble strutting, which sounds increasingly familiar. Here is a trick: If your guinea pig is walking around the cage, making a low, long rumbling noise and moving it's bottom side to side slowly, that's rumble strutting. More about that in a future post. 

    Purring can mean your guinea pig is happy. Sometimes, your guinea pig may purr when they get hay or a new treat. In those cases, that means your guinea pig is making a sound called a "happy purr". Piggies make many other noises (and movements) to express their happiness, and this is the least common. But it can vary from guinea pig to guinea pig. 

    Examples of my guinea pigs purring: Pebbles will purr after she gets back in the cage after floor/lap time. She is always very happy to be back home! :) Pebby will also purr if she hears certain sounds she doesn't like, such as the typing on a phone/keyboard, as well as many (and I mean MANY) other noises. Trixie purrs on the rare occasion, mostly because of an annoying sound like Pebby.

    I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it was helpful! Make sure to subscribe and follow and see you next time on Trisha's Guinea Pig Adventures!