woltra
New Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2004
- Messages
- 2
I found your site a day after we came home with two baby guinea pigs, since then I have been learning as much as I can. I have a question about "popcorning" as I have never heard of that term before coming here.
Our little rascals (named Spanky & Alfalfa, ages 9 & 11 weeks old) usually go completely crazy during floor time and I am wondering if this activity is the "popcorning" you are talking about. I cant help but laugh when they do it, but at the same time I worry that if this is NOT popcorning then what is it.
First of all, at times they look like they are trying to be bucking broncos. They rear up kicking their front legs, then buck kicking their backlegs in rapid repeats, almost as fast as they run, but this is a different movement from their normal run. They really look like they belong in a rodeo with a tiny cowboys on their backs. They also do run, full speed, and if they get going opposite directions from each other they have at times had a head on collusion with each other resulting in sneezing (cuase I think they hit their noses pretty hard).
Other times they just jump while running, and then other times they are at a complete standstill and it looks as if something startled them by touching their butts (but nothing did) and so they jump with a full twist as if they are instantly trying to catch whatever it was they thought was there.
I don't think its because they are scared of us, because they are getting used to climbing up on our laps to get their favorite snack (parsley), and they also run laps around us, under our legs, behind our backs. It seems that they run out into the open, then race back to us to hide behind us. It is true that most of the time when we try to pet them they run off out of reach (unless we have the food, then they have to stay, lol).
So, I'm just wondering if this is normal popcorn behavior. If it is I can stop worrying and just enjoy it without feeling a little guilty because I'm laughing. I wouldnt want to laugh if they were feeling distress. We love them and want them to be happy.
Also, how is the rumbling different from purring? When they are facing off doing the head raising thing I hear them rumbling/purring at each other. Then at times when they are in their cage (a 2x4 grid size) I try to pet them, they do this same rumble for me. I stop petting them because I dont want to make them mad. But then in this other book it said that when you pet them they will "purr" when you pet them in just the right spot. We've only had our babies for a week now, so I'm not really completely sure how to make them happy.
Our little rascals (named Spanky & Alfalfa, ages 9 & 11 weeks old) usually go completely crazy during floor time and I am wondering if this activity is the "popcorning" you are talking about. I cant help but laugh when they do it, but at the same time I worry that if this is NOT popcorning then what is it.
First of all, at times they look like they are trying to be bucking broncos. They rear up kicking their front legs, then buck kicking their backlegs in rapid repeats, almost as fast as they run, but this is a different movement from their normal run. They really look like they belong in a rodeo with a tiny cowboys on their backs. They also do run, full speed, and if they get going opposite directions from each other they have at times had a head on collusion with each other resulting in sneezing (cuase I think they hit their noses pretty hard).
Other times they just jump while running, and then other times they are at a complete standstill and it looks as if something startled them by touching their butts (but nothing did) and so they jump with a full twist as if they are instantly trying to catch whatever it was they thought was there.
I don't think its because they are scared of us, because they are getting used to climbing up on our laps to get their favorite snack (parsley), and they also run laps around us, under our legs, behind our backs. It seems that they run out into the open, then race back to us to hide behind us. It is true that most of the time when we try to pet them they run off out of reach (unless we have the food, then they have to stay, lol).
So, I'm just wondering if this is normal popcorn behavior. If it is I can stop worrying and just enjoy it without feeling a little guilty because I'm laughing. I wouldnt want to laugh if they were feeling distress. We love them and want them to be happy.
Also, how is the rumbling different from purring? When they are facing off doing the head raising thing I hear them rumbling/purring at each other. Then at times when they are in their cage (a 2x4 grid size) I try to pet them, they do this same rumble for me. I stop petting them because I dont want to make them mad. But then in this other book it said that when you pet them they will "purr" when you pet them in just the right spot. We've only had our babies for a week now, so I'm not really completely sure how to make them happy.
