Behavior Piggies reacting to thunderstorms???

[Peach and Zelda]

Well, it's April in Indiana and that means thunderstorms. I have noticed that the piggies started wheeking like crazy during a thunderstorm the other day, so I went and sat with them and gave them some fresh hay and that seemed to appease them. Today it's been storming all day and anytime my hubby or I go near them, the wheeking starts. Is there anything more I can do to comfort them? Is this a normal behavior? Thanks!

 

[pinky]

Mine have never reacted to thunderstorms which surprised me since the thunder gets loud sometimes. I wonder if they're just used to all the daily sounds around here so they just ignore it. I can run the vacuum right next to their cages and they don't even move. I wouldn't even be concerned about it. Just make sure they have a place to hide in and toss in some veggies to distract them if they seem distressed.

 

[bubblepig]

@pinky Mine don't either. We had LOUD thunder and wind gusts the other day,and occasionally Twix would go in the hidey but I think rather to rest not because she was scared.

 

[bpatters]

I'd bet they're just wheeking for food. I live in Houston, where we have bodacious thunderstorms. Mine pay no attention whatsoever.

 

[Sindas]

I'm in Indiana too, and was having toweltrick laptime with one of the girls when it really started thundering. Ashie would jump, wheek a little, and try to turn herself around to hide. Meanwhile Zelda, in her cage, would wheek as well. They haven't been here long though, and are still really skittish. When the thunder stopped, they seemed to relax a bit. When the rain started hitting the window hard, like it just now did, Zelda just jumped. I just wrapped the towel nice and snug, and pet them. Seemed to help.

 

[SheWolfSilver]

We live in Oklahoma and ours don't really react unless there is a very loud clap of thunder then they will run and hide. When it is storming is on of the few times I put their hideys in the cage. Tomorrow might be kind of bad here tomorrow the weather person told us to be weather aware tomorrow and that's never good! I have a small carrier to put them in just in case we all have to make a trip to the storm shelter. It's quite a feat to get 4 dogs, two cats, and two guinea pigs in a storm shelter. LOL

 

[Rhyue]

My boys don't really seem to care much about loud noises (we don't get much thunder, but when we do get some sort of loud noise they normally don't seem to care much, maybe duurr the first time and think about hiding but quickly don't care). Then again mine don't care about the vacuum or anything else really, they're pretty brave.

My guess for your piggies is they just want food. If they're weeking for food they're probably not that worried (else they'd be hiding and not looking for food). They learn pretty quickly when food is involved so they might have just associated "thunder" with food since you were feeding them during the last one (like how piggies week when you open the fridge, chop things, rustle bags etc).