Did you know that social scientists consider the guinea pig as the model animal for studying social evolution among mammals? So, guinea pigs have a strong sense of social connections. Usually, as a guinea pig pet parent, you may ask, “Do guinea pigs love their owners?”
Guinea pigs love their owners because they’re intelligent animals full of affection—hence they care. Some signs that your guinea pig loves you include kisses or licks, nibbling, eating from your hand, giving you a signature dance, and following you around the house.
In the rest of this article, I’ll answer the burning question, “Do guinea pigs love their owners?” I’ll discuss the crucial signs that your guinea pig loves you. Let’s get started!
6 Signs Your Guinea Pig Loves You
Some people are still trying to determine whether their guinea pigs love them or simply see them as food sources. They find guinea pigs anxious around them. However, here are six sure signs to look for to know that your little pet loves you.
1. Your Guinea Pig Nibbles Your Hand
One of the most obvious things to consider is how your piggie responds when placing your finger in the cage. Generally, he should respond by nibbling and not running away for cover.
Guinea pigs love nibbling and grooming one another. So, nibbling is a vital sign that he feels safe and contented by your presence.
You may wonder why the nibbles. Usually, the little furry friends acquire essential information from the action – they want to remember your scent and taste. It’s vital for future reference when you come around again.
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2. Your Guinea Pig Eats From Your Hand
Besides licking and nibbling your finger, the guinea pig can also eat from your hand. That’s a sign that he’s very comfortable around you and trusts you.
With such trust, you can easily feed your little friend treats directly from your hand. Eating from your hand is also vital when he refuses to eat alone because he’s sick or something is wrong with him.
To gain your guinea pig’s trust and confidence, give him enough time to associate with your scent. Be patient as he gets used to your stimulation.
Remember that accidents can happen while taking your finger or hand toward your guinea pig pet. For example, he could bite your finger as you hand feed. Just be keen on how you are doing the whole thing of feeding.
3. Your Guinea Pig Makes Friendly Noises
Usually, the guinea pig makes wheeks and whoops when you talk and play with him. They are expressive creatures at best and do not fear making their current emotions known.
The following table summarizes a guinea pig’s sounds to show love, care, hunger, or distress.
| Guinea Pig Sound | What It Means |
| Wheeking | When your guinea pig wheeks, he’s probably hungry. Wheeks are usually expected when he feels it’s eating time. Wheeking is an expression he puts across humans and an indication that you need to provide food or treats. |
| Purring | Purring is heard when cuddling your guinea pig. When a guinea pig purrs, it indicates satisfaction and comfort. Purring comes out as a soft, low sound that’s constant. You’ve heard how a cat purrs – the guinea pig does something similar. |
| Rumbles | Rumble sounds like purrs, but it’s accompanied by a vibrating effect and a much lower pitch. Rumbles are made by both the male and female guinea pigs to signal the mating season. |
| Teeth Chattering | Teeth chattering happens when your guinea pig is highly vocal and produces a streak of squeaks. It shows how angry, unhappy, or agitated your piggy is. Teeth chattering is most common when introducing a new guinea pig to another in the cage. |
| Shrieking | This is another sound that shows your guinea pig is threatened. It’s a distress call to an impending danger or discomfort. |
That said, mark that guinea pigs produce different types of noises for communication. You should learn these sounds to understand whether your little furry friend is trying to communicate happiness, excitement, satisfaction, love, care, distress, or anger.
4. Your Guinea Pig Loves Kissing And Licking You
A guinea pig’s first solid indicator of connection to his owner is through the licks he gives you; they represent kisses.
Usually, when you make kissy noises, the piggy typically responds with little licks. Piggy licks or kisses are a notable sign of the love the little pet has developed for you.
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5. Your Guinea Pig ‘Talks’ to You
With time, your guinea pig will come to learn your voice. He gets fond of you as you talk gently and quietly, especially during hand feeding and training.
He’ll soon start appreciating your voice by ‘talking back.’
You’ll always hear the chatters as you come close to him. He will run towards you when you approach the cage to say hello.
6. Your Guinea Pig Just Loves Playing Continuously Around You
A happy and excited guinea pig usually popcorns as a sign that everything is fine now that you’re there. Popcorning involves the piggy jumping up and down suddenly in a standing position while running in circles and turning.
He does this when he fully connects with you and knows you as his carer. You can respond by doing the same to return the affection.
Do Guinea Pigs Enjoy Being Around Humans?
Guinea pigs enjoy being around humans as long as they’re trained and handled well by people from a young age. With proper training, they eventually learn to appreciate humans as friends and trusted companions.
Generally, guinea pigs are people-shy. During the early stages of interacting with your little furry friend, seeing him jolt and hide as you approach the cage would not be strange. That’s an indication that he’s yet to get used to you.
Researchers found that petting guinea pigs could cause stress to the animals. They identified reduced eating, increased startle, and increased freezing as the leading indicators of an increasingly stressed guinea pig.
You can expect such results when handling a guinea pig for the first time. You need to be patient because it takes time for the little piggy to get fond of you. You should take the training gradually or risk repulsion from the guinea pig.
Once the guinea pig adapts to the new human environment, he should start interacting freely with you.
Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Cuddled?
Guinea pigs like to be cuddled and petted once they’ve recognized their owner or carer. However, the far you go with cuddling depends on how much trust and confidence they have gained in you.
Guinea pigs do not cuddle each other in the wild. Therefore, this may take training and learning to get the piggy to start to like the cuddles.
Guinea pigs typically run away for cover from humans. They probably think you’re a predator, all thanks to their instincts.
So, to have the guinea pig sit on your lap for cuddling may take time, patience, and deep trust. Remember to guarantee your little chap security, safety, and affection first. They’ll reciprocate once they are sure you have established the connection.
The following tips will help you get started with cuddling your guinea pig.
- Talk to him frequently: Make sure you make your voice known to the piggy in his early stages of development. Talk calmly in low sounds – you don’t want to sound harsh.
- Provide the guinea pig with treats: Treats communicate to the little furry animal that you love him. Be mindful of the treats you give, as they could also result in health problems such as obesity.
- Learn how to hold a guinea pig correctly: PSDA recommends holding a guinea pig gently close to your body with all four limbs positioned downwards. You want to be careful with this handling because a guinea pig’s back is sensitive and fragile.
Do Guinea Pigs Recognize Their Names?
Guinea pigs can recognize their names with proper, consistent training. However, training a guinea pig to know his name is more challenging than you would for dogs. It takes time, skill, and patience.
So, if you have a name in mind for your new guinea pig, it’s time to start calling it. The little pet will need to hear it frequently. And remember, this is not something you achieve in a few days or weeks—it could take months.
You probably understand that the piggy needs to know you first. Once you establish a close relationship, he will learn a lot from you. He is willing to learn your voice and the sounds you make.
He will remember and respond positively if you teach him names and words repetitively.
How will you know whether your piggy knows his name after a long training period? They can come running when they hear you call their name from a distance.
Also, they will pay close attention as you address them. Then, they respond with squeaky sounds and chatter to indicate they understood what you said. You can make it even more interesting for the piggy by accompanying the names and words with certain body movements like waving.
Final Thoughts
The question “Do guinea pigs love their owners?” may have been met with skepticism by some, but the evidence is undeniable.
These small, furry companions are capable of forming deep emotional bonds with their human caregivers.
They communicate their affection and trust through their subtle behaviors and expressions. From the gentle purring to the excited popcorn jumps, the signs of love are unmistakable.
