How Do Guinea Pigs Show Affection? 6 Signs of Affection

It took me several months to bond with our guinea pigs and gain their trust. It takes time and patience to grow this bond, but now that I have I can see how guinea pigs show affection. It’s a wonderful feeling once you get there.

There are many ways that a guinea pig can show affection towards you. In this article, I will help you identify these signs of affection. Some behaviors can be misinterpreted as affection when they are in fact signs of annoyance. So before you get your guinea pig out for cuddles, you need to gain their trust.

Earning a Guinea Pigs Trust

Guinea pigs are not naturally very trusting and will be very skittish around you at first. This is because they are hardwired to be extremely cautious of potential dangers and in particular; predators.

Now obviously you are not a threat to your guinea pig and you just want to bond with them, but unfortunately, they won’t know this. Not straight away at least.

Give New Guinea Pigs Space

When you get your new guinea pig it is important to give them time and space. You should allow them at least a week to just get used to their new home before even attempting to pick them up. Resisting the urge to handle them at this early stage will pay off in the long run. Once they have got used to their environment they will become less panicked and more likely to trust you.

Whilst your guinea pig is settling in you should still make your presence known to them. Talking to them frequently is a great way to get them used to you. Anytime you give them pellets, hay and vegetables make the effort to talk to them in a calm, soft voice. If you also use their name when feeding them they often even learn to respond to their own name.

If your goal is to create a bond with your guinea pig and to have them show you affection (which it should be), I highly recommend that you set their cage up in an area where you will be around frequently. This helps guinea pigs get used to you being around and they will eventually learn that you are not a threat.

Signs Your Guinea Pig Likes You

It is only when a guinea pig has started to trust you that they will truly display their personality. It’s quite usual for owners to see a complete change in their guinea pigs’ behavior once they have gained that trust. It is very rewarding to experience this, but it takes patience and effort.

When we first rescued our guinea pigs they didn’t really have much human interaction before. For about a month they would run and hide whenever we came near and would barely leave their hideaways.

After a few months, some patience, and lots of food bribes, we got to the point where they now come to the side of their cage when we call them. It’s such an amazing feeling as we never expected them to become as friendly as they are now.

So how do guinea pigs show affection? Here are 6 things to look out for:

Licking

Guinea pigs often show affection to others of its kind by licking them, which is their way of grooming each other. If your guinea pig starts licking you it is a very good sign that they like and trust you as they are essentially grooming you.

Of course, this may just be a sign that they like the taste of your skin if they only lick your fingers. But if your guinea pig starts to lick your face it confirms that this is a true sign of affection.

Of our two guinea pigs, Ken (the silkie) is definitely the more affectionate one. It only took a few weeks until he would lick my hand when being held. Then only a few weeks later he started licking my nose and beard.

Squeeking / Wheeking

There are a lot of different noises that guinea pigs like to make and they all mean different things. A guinea pig that makes a noise that sounds very much like “wheeking” is a sign that they are happy or excited.

You will often hear this noise when you are preparing food for your guinea pigs, once they learn that the sound of rustling bags and the chopping of vegetables means food time. Some guinea pigs also “wheek” when being petted. This is a good sign that they are enjoying the attention.

Our guinea pigs make this noise a lot now, particularly when being massaged on the back of the neck and on their bum.

However, if the “wheeking” changes to a high-pitched purring sound or a high-pitched short squeak, it is time to leave them alone as this is a sign that they are getting annoyed.

Purring

You’d normally consider purring to be something a cat does, but guinea pigs are also known to purr. There are several different types of purr that a guinea pig can make and they all mean different things.

When petting your guinea pig the type of purr that you want to hear is one that is a low-pitched purr that is deep and soft. This noise means that your guinea pig is relaxed and content with you stroking them.

As mentioned earlier, a high-pitched purr is usually an indicator that your guinea pig is getting annoyed. If you hear this it’s time to put them back in their cage and leave them alone for a while. They’ve quite simply had enough. An abrupt, panicked sounding purr may mean that they are afraid.

Lying Down on You

If you can get a guinea pig to trust you enough to lie down on you, you’ve done it! You truly have their trust and affection. A guinea pig will only lie down on you if they are completely content and feel safe with you.

It takes time to get to this stage, however, and it also depends on your guinea pigs’ personality. They may just be too curious and active to want to lie down, so don’t take it as a bad sign if they never do this.

A good way to make your guinea pig feel safe and content when you hold them is to have their favorite food for them. They may be a little apprehensive to eat whilst on your lap at first, but be patient. Guinea pigs love nothing more than eating, so leave the food in front of them and wait until they feel calm enough to take it.

Doing this every time you handle your guinea pigs will eventually teach them that being with you is a positive experience.

Coming Out to See You

A good sign of affection and that your guinea pig is excited to see is when they actually come to the side of the cage to see you. It does take a lot of time to develop this level of trust and friendship though.

The best way to get your guinea pigs to do this is with food, particularly with their favorite vegetable. Before you go to give them their daily vegetables, call them over to the edge of their cage whilst holding some veg out to them. You may be ignored at first, but if you persevere your guinea pigs will eventually be unable to resist the lure of food.

Getting into this habit on a daily basis will very quickly build a bond with your guinea pigs. After all, food is the best way to a guinea pigs heart.

Nuzzling

Some guinea pigs will show their affection towards you by nuzzling into you. They may nuzzle into your arm or under your chin. This is often a sign that your guinea pig enjoys being close to you.

However, nuzzling may sometimes mean that your guinea pig is scared and is trying to hide. It all depends on the individual guinea pig. If your guinea pig is nuzzling but doesn’t show any of the other mentioned signs of affection, you may need to give them space and work on building trust with them first.