Coffee Alert For Food?

Hoppity.K

Hoppity.K

Adult Guinea Pig
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Can guinea pigs relate a smell to their routine of food?
We’ve had our 3 girls ten and half weeks now so they’re getting used to our routine. Every morning the coffee maker brews coffee ready for me to come downstairs & make the girls their breaky.
Today I’ve had the girls in their play pen as we’ve given them a big clean out. As we were nearly finished, I set the coffee maker. Then “wheeek wheek”... off they went. Even Cocoa. So vocal....
Could it be the smell of coffee? :hmm:
 
It’s the sound they respond to. Mine know that when the coffee maker goes on (in the morning) it means I will be doing their veggies shortly afterwards. It’s an association. Sadly for them they are. Disappointed at the weekends when the coffee machine goes on several times during the day but the veg only appear at brekkie time. :lol!:
 
My lot know that in the morning it's pellet time so as soon as the patio door is open is wheak time. Then in the evening after cuddle time its VEG. The wheek wheeeak wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak for that. Especially Meg who has the loudest voice. You'd think she was being murdered! They all gather in the same spot every night waiting for their veg and fall on it as if they haven't eaten for a week which of course isn't true. They have unlimited access to hay and pellets every morning.
 
You can't rustle a bag anywhere near my two without Comet sticking his nose out to smell whatever delicious food is coming his way, and he gets rather miffed if I'm eating a bag of crisps and he can't smell any fresh vegetables.
 
I must have the only guinea pigs that don't wheek when the fridge door is opened lol but they will respond to any veg being cut up on the cutting board even onion. They have a towel over their bed area that once I take it off they know breakfast is going to be next.
 
I prepare the pigs breakfast the night before and store it in plastic takeaway boxes.

Each morning I get up for work and the lazy sausages stay asleep or laid down in the hay.
But when the lids of the boxes are cracked open they all come alive and start jumping at the bars. Even my poor boy who currently can't have veg springs out of his bed.

I was looking after a pig last year who was apparently deaf. He was oblivious to everything but he started wheeking at super loud volume when I chopped a carrot. I think he was faking it! :xd:
 
When the chopping board comes out, that’s what sets off our vocal lot :))
 
Your piggies definitely know that when they hear the coffee maker their food is on its way! Whenever the pigs hear me come down the stairs they start wheeking XD (I give them a dish in the morning and evening, but usually sneak some treats in throughout the day... hehe my bad...) Whenever they see that it is another family member or me without food they go back to minding their own business. Its quite amazing to hear 8 piggies wheeking as loud as they can to get food! :)
 
Jaycey said:
I prepare the pigs breakfast the night before and store it in plastic takeaway boxes.

Each morning I get up for work and the lazy sausages stay asleep or laid down in the hay.
But when the lids of the boxes are cracked open they all come alive and start jumping at the bars. Even my poor boy who currently can't have veg springs out of his bed.

I was looking after a pig last year who was apparently deaf. He was oblivious to everything but he started wheeking at super loud volume when I chopped a carrot. I think he was faking it! :xd:
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I like that idea of preparing the veg the night before, that would certainly save me time on a morning when I’m always rushing for work. Very organised of you xx
 
Mine assume that the opening of any door and the sound of the chopping board means food and off they go.
The rustle of a bag is also a cue for some very loud wheeks and piggies can certainly when loudly!
 
Piggies are little alarm bells!
I caught myself tip-toeing up the steps one day when I came earlier from work as they would expect food! I thought this is just ridiculous! They heard me anyway...
For my boys it's fridge, rattling with packages, steps, cooking etc!
If anyone is on weight watchers plan put piggies in your kitchen! I guarantee you you'll not be visiting fridge and snacks!
They're so clever and greedy that combined it's one big explosion. Hard not to give them snack when they're hanging off the bars, begging or popcorning and "singing" the song of "Human provide food"...
 
CBFA82E3-45B6-458B-A7E6-FFE709EC1846.webp :nod: They definately relate to noises. My late Abyssinian Sammy, I had I remember I had a lie in one Sunday morning (a rare thing as I can’t lie in bed late) and I swear she knew I should be up as the time I normally get up and wasn’t up she started squeaking. She only did it that one time.
 
Hoppity.K said:
I like that idea of preparing the veg the night before, that would certainly save me time on a morning when I’m always rushing for work. Very organised of you xx
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I'm not very organised with most things but I am with the pigs. To be honest I think it was to make my life easier because if they have to wait then they start screaming the house down. I make their breakfast and dinner on an evening and if I have to go the next evening I'll do 2 diners and 2 breakfasts.

Can you tell we eat a lot of takeaway because we have so many boxes?! :woot:
 
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