My guinea pig freezes

[Anna12]

Hi,
I don't know if this is a topic for this section or whether this is really an issue at all, but there's something my guinea pig does that worries me.

Our guinea, Fien, has been with us since last year June. She's really at home here by now and we love her a lot but she sometimes just freezes in the middle of doing something. It can happen at any moment, even during floortime in the middle of the living room. During a freeze she'll just sit there sometimes for quite a few moments (in rare occasions even minutes) and she just doesn't seem to be"there". Though we can snap her out of it by approaching her it's unlike anything else I have seen with any of my other piggies. For the rest she seems perfectly healthy and happy. Is it just a weird way of sleeping? Or Is it something I should be worried about? Has anyone else seen such behaviour in one of their piggies?

I'd love to know.

Thanks,

Anna

 

[Siikibam]

There was a member on here who’s piggy did/does that. But I’m not too sure. Does it appear random? Could it be the freeze in fear instinct - maybe she’s heard a noise that scares her?

 

[Anna12]

Yeah it appears to happen completely randomly. Maybe it's fear, i really do not know. Sometimes she just seems to phase out completely without reason and it happens in the middle of her happily exploring the world, so in that sense fear seems unlikely to me. Also, I feel like a scared guinea pig that freezes will keep an eye on it's perceived threat. But Fien just doesn't seem to be there at all mentally. I'm just worried sometimes, but i do not know if it's something I *should* be worried about.

 

[stef.trg]

Pewter & Cornelius do that sometimes! It usually happens when something startles them. Sometimes they unfreeze quickly, other times they‘ll just sit there and stare into the void for a few minutes (Cornelius‘ record is about 5 minutes!). Below is an example of what it looks like when Cornelius freezes.

For my 2 it’s nothing to worry about, it‘s just part of their personalities. However, if you‘re concerned at all I‘d get your piggy checked over by a vet!

 

[Anna12]

Oh that's what she looks like! Glad to hear that this happens to other piggies too and that it's not necessarily something to worry about. It never happened with any of my other piggies, which is why I got worried. But I feel reassured now.

 

[Freela]

Most of my small animals (guinea pigs, hamsters, mice) have done this occasionally. I've always interpreted it as them being alert to something, like a sound or a movement. I find it easier to guess this with the hamsters, they often prick their ears forward too (though guinea pigs do not have the same degree of ear mobility.) My kids always say they're 'buffering.' LOL!