Guinea Pig Behavior, Guinea Pig Questions, Guinea Pigs

Are Guinea Pigs Ticklish?

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Guinea Pigs are the pets that everyone loves to have. They look nothing like their name but is still one of the most cuddly and adorable little pets. As we know that animals also exhibit behavior that is similar to humans. But are Guinea Pigs Ticklish?

Many people have filled the internet with questions like “my guinea pig makes a weird sound whenever I pet him,” “the guinea pigs laughed when I touched him on his belly, are they ticklish?” and many others. But as we have concluded that they exhibit the same behaviors as humans, being ticklish can also be one of those behaviors.

 

What is Tickling for Guinea Pigs?

Few people know that in real Guinea Pigs are prey animals. They have a massive fear for anything that comes their way. And this fact includes you. So, before you directly try to tickle your pets, you first have to ensure that they trust you enough to submit themselves to you. If they have doubts, then while you try to tickle them, they can bite you, and you will surely bleed.

Take time to put your hands on them and let them come for it. Once they trust you, they will use our hand as a cover, and that’s when you can be sure that you pet them. For Guinea Pigs, just petting them is not ticklish. So to tickle them and make them laugh, you will have to find a tickling spot first. Just as not every human is ticklish, you will find some guinea pigs too that won’t respond if you tickle them.

But the ones, which can be tickled, have a soft spot right down their legs, belly, back of the ears, etc. Every Guinea Pig has its own spot for tickling. So, there is a chance that even you just mingle our fingers around that tickling spot, they will smile and make a loud noise similar to laugh.

 

What sounds reflect that Guinea Pig likes being tickled?

Usually, every animal has a different pitch and sound to express their emotions. The same concept applies to the Guinea Pigs. Guinea Pigs makes different kinds of sound whenever they get tickled. This helps the owner to understand whether they like to get tickled or not. Well most of them do, so notice what sound your pet is making so that you will know that it is safe to tickle them in a particular spot.

The most common sounds that a Guinea Pig makes are listed below:

 

Purring

Cats are not the only animals that purr when they are happy; Guinea Pigs often do that too. Whenever they feel comfortable and serene, they make a low and rumbling purring sound that indicates their happiness. They might not smile, but still, it is a good sign that signifies that everything in their world is better than ever.

 

Wheeking

The Wheeking sound is similar to a whistle. If you hear this kind of sound coming from your pet while tickling, that means he is delighted. It might bring a smile to his face. Then afterward, they will come to you on their own and put your hand on the spot so that you would tickle them.

 

Murmuring

Murmuring is also a happy sound made by Guinea Pigs. They make this sound when they are fond of something. And if you hear a murmur when you tickle them, that means the really like it and keeping cooing to ask you to continue doing it.

 

But you have to be careful not to press them hard while tickling. Every animal has a defense mechanism, so even if by mistake you hurt them, they could bite you or attack you.

 

How to know Guinea Pigs don’t like being tickled?

Some Guinea Pigs are not that friendly as you would think. They can get irritated and harm you if they don’t like being tickled. So, before they bite you, it is vital that you notice if your pet is making the below-listed sounds. This will ensure that they are not ticklish and instead of thinking of attacking you.

 

Shrieking

If the Guinea Pig makes a loud squeaking sound when you try to tickle them, it means that they are already in pain and doesn’t want you to touch them. We know that they easily get frightened by almost everything and hence you must ensure that your cavy is ok.

 

Squealing

Squealing is a high-pitched jarring sound that Guinea makes to send alert to its companions. This is like a warning for his mates. So, if you hear squealing, then you can be sure that your pet doesn’t like to be tickled on any spot and you have to avoid it in the near future.

 

Chattering

This is another warning sign given by the pets. You will hear the chattering of teeth if they don’t like you touching them in a particular area. This signifies that the Guinea Pig is being irritated by your hand and wants you to leave him alone. While the chattering could be a sign that you should leave them, but they also make this sound when the way you are holding them is uncomfortable for them, or they only just want you to stop petting them.

So, now you know that they are ticklish but do have a preference of their own when it comes to the tickling spots. A story will help you understand a little bit more what the Guinea Pigs do when they are ticklish.

 

Conclusion

I had five Guinea Pigs in my home, one for every family member. And it is Luna who is my favorite. I love her more than any other because she seems to be fond of me. And when I pet her at the bottom of her ears, she turns around and lies on her back. I often see her smiling too when I do that. She also has another tickling spot on her legs. She even laughs when I tickle her there. But the other one, named Bee doesn’t respond when I try to tickle her. She even kicks me when I do that. So whatever people say, I believe that Guinea Pigs are ticklish. It just depends on the pet.

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