Sounds Guinea pigs wont be quiet!!!

pigpigg · Nov 22, 2019

I've got two bonded females who just wont shut up. I owned guinea pigs as a younger child and my family currently also has a pair of bonded boars. We used to pet sit as well. In my experience with guinea pigs I have never had guinea pigs be this annoyingly loud. We adopted them around 6 months ago just after they turned 4 years old. They have been consistently loud, they will pointlessly scream at all hours of the night and then throughout the day as well. I used to get very concerned because we assumed they were fighting (something they do occasionally do) but the majority of the time they'll be sitting far away or close or even snuggled up together from just screaming and making various noise. We separated them for a night and one was fairly quiet until feeding time but the other was still consistently screaming. I've got them in my room and its begginging to really effect my sleep. I'm a full time student and an athlete so I cannot be regularly tired throughout the day. They have a consistent feeding schedule of veggies and a small amount of pellets, unlimited hay and water and have a decently sized cage. They get about an hour of floor time a day and if the weather permits, we go outside in the grass. I expected them to be more like all the other pigs we've cared for, easy to care for and fun to have around. We will have to rehome them if this problem cannot be fixed.

MerryFriarTuck · Nov 22, 2019

Here is a link to a list of audio recordings of nearly every guinea pig noise. Which do they most sound like?

https://www.guineapigmanual.com/guinea-pig-sounds/

Have they been doing this since you got them, or did it recently start? How big exactly is their cage? How often do they get their veggies?

pigpigg · Nov 22, 2019

It's a lot of wheeking and whining. At first I'd fly out of bed in a second because I thought something was happening but they were always perfectly fine. They both got the all clear by our vet in august so unless somethings new there's nothing wrong with them medically. They've done it since I got them in june. I messaged the previous owner within the first week but she was no help and told me "they've always just made regular guinea pig sounds." I'm not sure of the dimensions of their cage but it's two of those midwest cages put together ( google says one of those cages would be 47" by 24"). They get veggies in the morning and evening and sometimes a piece of fruit or carrot as a treat during the day too.

rosspiggys · Nov 22, 2019

Ours complain loudly and often when they want something. (They usually always want something, where do they put it all) If my daughter fills their water and hay and gives them a treat they usually quiet down for the night. I saw you said they have full hay and water access, I would try giving them some lettuce right before lights out and see what happens. Sexist alert! Of course they are girls and could just be gossiping.

Soecara · Nov 22, 2019

Personally if i was in your position the first thing i would do is move them out of the bedroom so you can get some proper sleep while addressing the situation.

To minimize unwanted wheeking there are some steps you can take. First is always feed them their veggies at the same time every day if you aren't already. The second thing that can help is to get them to associate a particular sound with being fed, that way your presence alone is not the indicator that food is coming. Make sure this sound or phrase isn't one you would ordinarily make, use this sound even when giving treats.

They may not ever be as quiet as the other guinea pigs you have had, as they may just be very vocal guinea pigs. It is also possible that some times when they are being loud one may just be pestering they other because she is in heat.

bpatters · Nov 23, 2019

Another thing you can do is feed them their largest meal just before you go to bed. But I absolutely second @Soecara's suggestion of moving them out of the bedroom.

MerryFriarTuck · Nov 23, 2019

I highly, highly recommend you try everyone's tips!

I'd also make absolutely certain there's nothing that's scaring or irritating them in your room ( if you leave them in your room ). Guinea pigs can be scared of the weirdest things--- ceiling fans, glimpses of birds outside a window, certain shadows, certain sounds ( especially sudden or high pitched )...etc.

If they don't already have them, you could try getting them different toys to keep them more occupied. Some piggies totally ignore toys, but others like them. My piggies love to play with seagrass/wicker balls, wood chews, and willow sticks

spy9doc · Nov 24, 2019

Soecara said:
Personally if i was in your position the first thing i would do is move them out of the bedroom so you can get some proper sleep while addressing the situation.

If you can't permanently house them in another part of the house, put their cage on casters (wheels) and move it out of the bedroom at night. I have my cage on wheels in order to move it for cleaning, but it would certainly be a solution for you to get quality sleep.

I have never had cavies who stayed up at night. My boys are in a separate room and know that it's bedtime when we turn out the lights. My cavies also have unlimited access to pellets as well as hay and water, and that prevents them from getting hungry at night. Also as previously mentioned, stick to a strict schedule of feeding. They are creatures of habit and generally won't beg for food at other times.

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Sounds Guinea pigs wont be quiet!!!

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