Are Guinea Pigs Boring?

Lorcan said:
I had a guinea pig in the past that would just go to the toilet whenever he felt like it. Never seemed to occur to him to let me know to put him down again. But my current pair of boys don't. Comet starts nipping at my clothes (and it's the only time he does it) when he wants put down, and Blitzen just gets even more irritated with me than usual.

As for boring, not a chance. My two are great entertainment. Blitzen got into a disagreement with a bowl recently because apparently the silly thing was in his way and he shouldn't be expected to have to look for a bowl in his way when he's hungry. When I was coming home from London on Saturday, Comet kept poking his bum as far out of the carrier door as he possibly could, so everyone could see this mass of red/brown fur and kept mistaking him for a cat. I've seen attempts at dominance displays end when Comet gets distracted and falls over, I've seen Blitzen's headbanging when he popcorns, I've seen the fallouts when they both wind each other up - they may not be going for walks or curling up at your feet to go to sleep at night, but they're no less entertaining and fun as pets, especially as they become more comfortable with their owner or carer.
Click to expand...
Aww! They sound like a lot of fun!
 
Leah123 said:
Aww! They sound like a lot of fun!
Click to expand...

I have seen Comet physically shove Blitzen out of the way, because Blitzen's sleeping in the middle of Comet's zoomies circuit. I've seen Comet fall over his own legs trying to popcorn. I've watched them play Tug of War over pieces of thyme, parsley, sugarsnap peas. I've watched Blitzen play Hide and Seek all day because I'm clearly evil until I produce the thyme, and suddenly he'll run all over the cage being led by his nose. I've watched Blitzen put his foot on the edge of a bowl that he *knows* is there, and then get surprised when it reaches up and smacks him on the nose. I've watched Comet tip a bowl of water over the both of them and neither of them were particularly impressed about it.

I should mention this is a daily thing. There's no end to the antics. I mean I've lived with cats and dogs before, and the guinea pigs might be less affectionate but they've been no less fun as pets.

Then again my two are completely bonkers, so...heheheheh.
 
Mine too do a lot of the above! Gave me a bit of a scare a week into owning them when Chewie zoomied into BB and sent her flying!
 
Lorcan said:
I have seen Comet physically shove Blitzen out of the way, because Blitzen's sleeping in the middle of Comet's zoomies circuit. I've seen Comet fall over his own legs trying to popcorn. I've watched them play Tug of War over pieces of thyme, parsley, sugarsnap peas. I've watched Blitzen play Hide and Seek all day because I'm clearly evil until I produce the thyme, and suddenly he'll run all over the cage being led by his nose. I've watched Blitzen put his foot on the edge of a bowl that he *knows* is there, and then get surprised when it reaches up and smacks him on the nose. I've watched Comet tip a bowl of water over the both of them and neither of them were particularly impressed about it.

I should mention this is a daily thing. There's no end to the antics. I mean I've lived with cats and dogs before, and the guinea pigs might be less affectionate but they've been no less fun as pets.

Then again my two are completely bonkers, so...heheheheh.
Click to expand...
Aww! That's Soooooo Cute! I Can't Wait To Adopt A Pair Of Piggies!
 
@Leah123 I guess you don't have piggies yet? I don't want to cause any offence but they really don't sound like the pet for you.

They do pee on you and they do poop on you.
 
Jaycey said:
@Leah123 I guess you don't have piggies yet? I don't want to cause any offence but they really don't sound like the pet for you.

They do pee on you and they do poop on you.
Click to expand...
That's alright! I was just wondering how often they do it.
I had chicks that would poop on me every second, I didn't mind it. :)
 
Guinea pigs are prey animals who live on grassy plains. They are designed to eat constantly. As a result they poo a lot.

They may come to enjoy laptime, although only one of my girls relaxes and its too early to tell with my boy.

Have a good read around the forum and bear in mind that they may well wee and poo on you but that they are beautiful, gentle and vocal little creatures who thrive with the company of other guinea pigs (so much so that in Switzerland it is illegal to have only one gp).

Also lap pads made of fleece an absorbent fabric and fleece are a great way to minimise the wetness!

Enjoy the forum.
 
flowerfairy said:
Guinea pigs are prey animals who live on grassy plains. They are designed to eat constantly. As a result they poo a lot.

They may come to enjoy laptime, although only one of my girls relaxes and its too early to tell with my boy.

Have a good read around the forum and bear in mind that they may well wee and poo on you but that they are beautiful, gentle and vocal little creatures who thrive with the company of other guinea pigs (so much so that in Switzerland it is illegal to have only one gp).

Also lap pads made of fleece an absorbent fabric and fleece are a great way to minimise the wetness!

Enjoy the forum.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help! I don't mind them going the bathroom on me :)
 
Leah123 said:
Thank you so much!
Click to expand...
Just gone online and read your query. My piggy is Never boring. He comes out of his 'bedroom' whenever I sit on the sofa in the hope of being given a treat, He will play for ages with a number of different simple toys for example a small piece of cucumber inside a paper bag. He sits for ages on my arm either being stroked or falling asleep and dreaming. He gets unsettled when he needs to wee or poo but waits until I put him back in his house.
 
Like as many say above, they aren't boring. They are funny and entertaining. The more interesting toys and things to explore they are highly watchable.

They can pee on you, but you get to know the signs. Weirdly, Captain jack and Admiral Jellicoe love sitting on my shoulder, others are happy just to cuddle on my lap.
 
munchmonster said:
Just gone online and read your query. My piggy is Never boring. He comes out of his 'bedroom' whenever I sit on the sofa in the hope of being given a treat, He will play for ages with a number of different simple toys for example a small piece of cucumber inside a paper bag. He sits for ages on my arm either being stroked or falling asleep and dreaming. He gets unsettled when he needs to wee or poo but waits until I put him back in his house.
Click to expand...
Aww! They sound like a lot of fun!
 
Never a dull or boring day when you have piggies in your life. They are such big personalities and voices, there is no way you could get bored :D
 
Guinea pigs who are not well cared for, kept alone and in a tiny cage, are probably boring. They do not have the opportunity to do much of anything in that situation. Guinea pigs kept in pairs or groups in roomy cages are anything but boring, in my experience. They all have unique personalities, they have a range of communication and natural social behaviors that are fun to watch when they have the opportunity to act them out with other pigs. They are certainly social and will communicate with the humans in the vicinity too (I find them more fun to interact with than animals that are not as socially wired, like the hedgehogs I owned in the past. Guinea pigs certainly know who you are and are adept little people manipulators, especially when they think you might have food for them!) It depends on what you want in a pet, I think. It's good that you are doing research so you will have realistic expectations. If you are expecting your guinea pig to be a mini-dog, you will probably be disappointed... if you go into ownership knowing what to expect, they are charming and sweet little pets!

As for peeing/pooping on things... your mileage may vary. I have been peed on by guinea pigs (and hamsters... rabbits... rats... mice.... hedgehogs, etc.) It's not uncommon for small animals. However, I have found that my pigs do try hard not to pee on the humans, and if I put them back when they get squirmy and/or start backing up, I will not get peed on. They do try to hold it. I do put a blanket down on my lap, but more because I don't want to get covered in fur. They shed like any other furry animal. Any animal might pee on your floor if they have no other option of where to go. We have a cage at floor level that they can come and go in (we fence off an area of the room for them to be able to run around at will with access to the cage.) Mine do go back in the cage to go to the bathroom, though it's not something I've taught them to do and I'm not sure that all guinea pigs will. We have had floor accidents, largely from young pigs who hadn't quite learned to go back to the cage yet or from old animals or animals with bladder issues who just couldn't hold it as well anymore. However, I can't remember the last time they had a floor accident with the pair I have now. Of course, as I said, they have access to the cage at all times and your mileage may vary depending on your cage setup and your pigs.

Some pigs love being held... others really don't. All of mine have at least tolerated being held by regular individuals (basically me and the kids- people they saw/heard every day.) A couple of mine have been real lap pets who would sleep on our laps for hours and were good with new people. A couple liked being held but were constantly alert when being held and never lay down or slept while being held. A couple were very nervous of unfamiliar people and didn't like being picked up by anyone who was unfamiliar. One of them absolutely did not like men with deep voices and would try to get away from them. She was high strung generally but was fine with the kids and I. Terrified of my dad, who she didn't know well and who had a 'man voice.' Personalities are all different, so your mileage will vary. However, I've never had a guinea pig who wasn't able to be held or handled (I did have a hedgehog who was badly neglected who was near impossible to handle- was very difficult when she needed nail clipping or meds. I've never had a guinea pig where I couldn't do basic maintenance and plop them on my lap for a pat, even though some clearly enjoyed it more than others.)
 
I wont say my Guinea Pigs are boring, however they are VERY lazy which makes less active! But one of them are old and the other one is very shy, so I understand why they don't really do much. But I love them because they were my very first pets <3 However every guinea pig has different personalities, and to understand them and their personality research is needed. Once you understand them, they're not as boring. Owning a guinea pig will take time to understand them :hug:
 
No boring piggies here. They are very entertaining when they are up and about. Of course they have their quiet times when they are chilled out or napping but rustle a bag and that all changes. They are full of character, each one of my 6 is different. I enjoy watching them interact with each other and exploring their cage/run.

I have kept many different pets over the years and the guinea pigs are one of the most entertaining.
 
My two cents, even the piggies that don't like being held are still really fun to watch. Scooby (who i think may grow into a loner, but we'll see) loves floor time and he popcorns so high its too funny.
Shaggy my other boy popcorns to and they run and chase each other, but he also really likes being held and has already learned a few food based reward tricks. for instance if you are feeding him near your chest and say kisses, he will give you a little kiss. He can also stand and his back legs pretty good still with the bait of food. ANd he will touch paws.
Scooby on the other hand if you try and get him to do anything looks at you like you're dirt :D :D
 
Scooby& Shaggy said:
My two cents, even the piggies that don't like being held are still really fun to watch. Scooby (who i think may grow into a loner, but we'll see) loves floor time and he popcorns so high its too funny.
Shaggy my other boy popcorns to and they run and chase each other, but he also really likes being held and has already learned a few food based reward tricks. for instance if you are feeding him near your chest and say kisses, he will give you a little kiss. He can also stand and his back legs pretty good still with the bait of food. ANd he will touch paws.
Scooby on the other hand if you try and get him to do anything looks at you like you're dirt :D :D
Click to expand...
Ha ha sounds like my Ryuko.
 
Dear Leah,
also a newborn baby may vomit some milk on your t-shirt and if you don't want to risk anything you may want to use a blanket or simply you keep the baby into his pram... :)
Every piggie is different, but I honestly tell you what my piggies do. Calliope is on my lap and starts watching at me, licking me and being a bit nervous, but DOESN'T wee. If I don't understand her message, she moves backwards until her butt is outside and then she wees (on the sofa).
Calipso does not care of everything and she wees on everybody. But she usually pulls our clothes with her teeth for sending you the clear message. Not always, though.
My former piggie Ugo used to move in round before weeing on us.
Let's say that if I am dressed up or if it is winter and I don't want to risk to change the clothes I prefer cuddling them with a blanket. Now that I stay at home in underwear I don't care (and in fact nothing bad is happening).
About the poo all around, my piggies leave their poo during floor time only in certain corners of the kitchen. The poo does not smell at all and it becomes dry in a short time. They leave also the wee on the floor in certain corners. I don't care... maybe there is some method for teaching them to wee and to poo in a civilised way, but for me their corners are okay.
The hay is flying everywhere... I am always with the broom in hand... but for me it is not a big concern if I have no guests at home...
Piggies boring: also children are boring for a lot of people... I love all the animals but I would not like a dog. We are different and before adopting a pet we need to ask ourself what we are looking for, what we like and what we don't like. I love the cats and I was thinking about a cat; but for thousand good reasons I know that I cannot live in peace with a cat...
Piggies can be very tame and follow you around the house, or can purr to you, or they can do nothing as that and can even be nervous when you stroke them. My Calipso is a bit nervous and during lap time she often turns back and shows you her butt; no purrs; sometimes she bites too... And I can say the same of my second daughter: she did not want to stay in my lap... But I cannot say she was boring for me.
If you are looking for a pet with "no bad surprises" about his personality (and there is nothing wrong in this) remember of talking a lot with the owner of the rescue and of course go only to a rescue; because a breeder has too young piggies whose personality is unknown and the shop has to sell.
 
Last edited:
Leah123 said:
Don't they go the bathroom in your lap? I've seen people wrap theirs up in blankets and was wondering if they go the bathroom in you.
Click to expand...
One of my piggies has peed under my sister, on her and in her (climbed in her clothes)

My other piggie is a real gentleman, bless his soul he waits until I place wood shavings to pee.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top