First thread

sqeakpigs

sqeakpigs

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Mar 5, 2025
Messages
27
Reaction score
15
Points
85
Location
UK
Hi, first thread here I'm just slightly concerned and curious about my female lola. She's coming up to 2 years old and has been very active and jumpy throughout having her. Not sure if she's just not scared of anything and happy or maybe something else... she will get very excited at any sign that your getting food for her and has jumped into and onto her hay bag before and gets in the way a bit when your cleaning the cage.

She is on heat at the moment so not sure if that can make her behaviour a bit more crazy. I pick them up by cornering them using one of their hideys up against the cage and they jump into my arms. Not sure if I should change this tactic.. Today lola attempted jumping out of my arms and was basically on my shoulder. Later on today another member in the household was saying goodnight and she tried jumping up at them, wasn't sure if she did this because she thought she was going to be picked up.

I don't know if I'm worrying a little too much or if there's actually a problem in her behaviour, any advice would be appreciated thankyou.
 
Hi, I don't have the experience to answer you questions, but you might get more answers from those who can if your thread title is a bit more informative. You could try "reporting" your post to ask for it to be changed. Hope you get some answers!
 
sqeakpigs said:
Hi, first thread here I'm just slightly concerned and curious about my female lola. She's coming up to 2 years old and has been very active and jumpy throughout having her. Not sure if she's just not scared of anything and happy or maybe something else... she will get very excited at any sign that your getting food for her and has jumped into and onto her hay bag before and gets in the way a bit when your cleaning the cage.

She is on heat at the moment so not sure if that can make her behaviour a bit more crazy. I pick them up by cornering them using one of their hideys up against the cage and they jump into my arms. Not sure if I should change this tactic.. Today lola attempted jumping out of my arms and was basically on my shoulder. Later on today another member in the household was saying goodnight and she tried jumping up at them, wasn't sure if she did this because she thought she was going to be picked up.

I don't know if I'm worrying a little too much or if there's actually a problem in her behaviour, any advice would be appreciated thankyou.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately, without a video clip it is rather impossible for me to read the body language to have a chance at interpreting the somewhat unusual behaviour.
We don't have a direct video upload on here since we are not part of social media and are a non-profit place that runs enirely on voluntary member donations and everybody pitching in for free in their own free time. The best way is to upload your vidoe on a puclic setting on a platform that doesn't require a membership sign-in since we also have a number of members who prefer to stay off social media; we find that youtube works best.

Some piggies are born with a high stress default setting, which they experience as their 'normal' in their highly stressed mother's womb. It is sadly not uncommon, due to the commercial mass breeding of for sale piggies these days. There is little you can do apart from avoiding stress settings and working around them but sight unseen I cannot tell you whether Iola is one of them or not.

Here are things you can do in order to avoid blind jumps and accidents:
- Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
- How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pigs Safely (videos) (the initial video has sadly expired but the other pictures do work)
- Cuddling with Iola rather on a pillow on the floor than a chair or sofa and not carring her on your arms in order to avoid accidents from blind jumps; piggies cannot see the floor clearly - they only react to movements and sudden noises at distances over 1-2 feet where their sharp sight runs out.

PS: It is nice to hear about another Iola (pronounced Yola). Mine was a bereaved end-of-life intake who lived with me from 2015-18; she spent the first 3 years of her life as Lola with an older neutered boar. She came here as a rescue referral after failing for months to find a free rescue space. All my piggies have Welsh names. Big Iola was quite a character!

1742148914130.webp
 
Thankyou for the response,
It'd be almost impossible to catch her dangerous acts on camera but I appreciate the information on that they can be born with a high stress setting and it makes sense that she can't see the floor clearly.

I will keep a eye out on her for now but thankyou alot!
And that's a beautiful little guinea! I love it when they have a little crest/crown.
 
sqeakpigs said:
Thankyou for the response,
It'd be almost impossible to catch her dangerous acts on camera but I appreciate the information on that they can be born with a high stress setting and it makes sense that she can't see the floor clearly.

I will keep a eye out on her for now but thankyou alot!
And that's a beautiful little guinea! I love it when they have a little crest/crown.
Click to expand...

You may find the practical green links with their how-to tips in my previous post very helpful and informative as it can take years or even a long life for highly strung piggies to start settling down as I know from having had quite a number of them over the years.
They can nevertheless have a very happy piggy life but you need to be aware for what I call jumpers and sudden movers or the 'furry blobs of mercury' which are very difficult to get and keep hold of for some necessary grooming...

The links explain how you can minimise the risks of setting off their prey animal instincts with some very simple but effective measures.

Heilin, who passed away in August was the last of my cresteds; I have had quite a number of them and have loved them very much. They were mostly down to earth and get-on-with it personalities and often the backbone that kept a group together and working well. ;)
 
Their behaviour is so interesting. Lolas sister pip is a bit more shy, she'll sniff and look around before engaging in new things but lola will be more confident, I think it's great to have a confident pig with a shy one because alot of the time they help eachother. I've also recently raised their cage up so their more on our level and I can see pip getting more confident 😁
 
sqeakpigs said:
Their behaviour is so interesting. Lolas sister pip is a bit more shy, she'll sniff and look around before engaging in new things but lola will be more confident, I think it's great to have a confident pig with a shy one because alot of the time they help eachother. I've also recently raised their cage up so their more on our level and I can see pip getting more confident 😁
Click to expand...

They all have their individual personalities which are usually much bigger than their smalle bodies... ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top