My Guinea Pig wheeks CONSTANTLY :(

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StinaG79

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Hi all, I'm a new guinea pig owner and this is my first post. I'm still learning my way around these little guys so bare with me, but I need help! LOL.
Here's a bit of background in my limited piggie experience in case any of this is helpful to my situation.

I bought my children 2 male guinea pigs about a year ago. Oreo and Cookie. About 8 months later Cookie passed away due to unknown reasons :( I had read that they tend to do better in pairs so after many months of debate I purchased a companion for Oreo named Harry. We named him that because his hair grows in a hilariously messy pattern. I believe this breed is called Abyssinian but I've got to do more research on that. Anyhow... Harry was introduced to Oreo and they hit it off right away, Oreo is like the big brother and Harry just follows him around everywhere in a cute little way. Oreo has never been overly vocal but he did wheek when he heard the plastic bag that indicates his treat is coming or when I make a little clicking sound with my tongue that I make to call them over for treat time. It didn't take Harry long to catch on to these ques and their reaction to it used to be cute, but now it has gone too far lol.

Harry wheeks nonstop. At first it was just a little squeak when he heard the plastic bag. That evolved to him wheeking when he heard the fridge open, then wheeking when he heard me in the kitchen, then wheeking when he heard me come downstairs, then wheeking as soon as I walk into the house. Now it's gotten to the point where he is wheeking constantly and it's driving me crazy! Sometimes I'm upstairs and I can still hear him downstairs just squeaking and squeaking away. Lately when it's treat time he literally begins to wheek in such a high pitched scream it makes me not want to do treat time at all. He does not shut up. Even if I'm just sitting there reading a book he just wheeks and wheeks non stop. He is very well fed and gets all of the exercise he could want since I piggie proofed the downstairs area and usually just let them roam free. If I bring in groceries he screams. If I make any noise in the kitchen at all he screams. He even makes a little squeak sound with every step he takes when he runs around. I can not emphasize enough how much noise this little guy makes lol. Sometimes I just want to hang out and relax and watch tv but I end up going up to my room instead because his constant squeaking gets so annoying. It even seems like Oreo wheeks less now because Harry is always yelling at me. I feel like he's emotionally harassing me and I'm praying that one of you will tell me that this is normal in some younger pigs and hopefully he will grow out of it. That will give me hope lol. If this is just his personality I don't know what I'll do. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Did I spoil them and that's why he's this way? Did I create this wheeking monster? Is there a way I can reverse this behavior if it is my fault?

Thanks so much for any and all tips. I'm here to learn:)
 
Who is the boss? You or your pig?
I’ve linked a thread above which you may find useful.
The only advice I can give is to ignore any wheeks, don’t pay it any attention and soon he’ll realise there is no reason to wheek as nothing happens.
Personally I love wheeks, none of my boys have ever been very vocal wheek-ers but it’s one of my favourite noises they make after their inquisitive bubbly noise.
 
Little Ones said:
Who is the boss? You or your pig?
I’ve linked a thread above which you may find useful.
The only advice I can give is to ignore any wheeks, don’t pay it any attention and soon he’ll realise there is no reason to wheek as nothing happens.
Personally I love wheeks, none of my boys have ever been very vocal wheek-ers but it’s one of my favourite noises they make after their inquisitive bubbly noise.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for the link, I'll be sure to read that post thoroughly lol.
Yeah I used to think their little noises were cute too before this little guy showed up. He's taken it to another level lol.
 
My boar Squeaks is so named because he was similarly vocal when we first adopted him aged 6 weeks. He used to hear me walking up the corridor and wheek loudly even though he couldn't see or smell me from that distance. I thought he was probably wanting food or treats, but eventually he got the idea that food only appeared at certain times. He's 4 years old now, his sow wives bite the bars at feeding time, he sometimes wheeks to tell me to hurry up, but nothing like the first months.
Hopefully your Harry will quieten down too eventually!
 
My boys have never been that bad and I find it cute but I find sticking to a routine helps them to understand when is food time and when I'm just getting human food. they will squeak like mad if I'm a moment late or when they hear me getting their veggies ready but tend to wheek less the rest of the time.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
My boar Squeaks is so named because he was similarly vocal when we first adopted him aged 6 weeks. He used to hear me walking up the corridor and wheek loudly even though he couldn't see or smell me from that distance. I thought he was probably wanting food or treats, but eventually he got the idea that food only appeared at certain times. He's 4 years old now, his sow wives bite the bars at feeding time, he sometimes wheeks to tell me to hurry up, but nothing like the first months.
Hopefully your Harry will quieten down too eventually!
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I've only owned 3 guinea pigs in my life, but 2 out of 3 were no where near as vocal as Harry lol. I'm sitting here at my laptop right now at the dining room table, minding my own business and he's just a few feet away squeaking his little heart out. I think it is a good idea to not give in to wheeking and stick to a routine.
 
Sweet Potato said:
My boys have never been that bad and I find it cute but I find sticking to a routine helps them to understand when is food time and when I'm just getting human food. they will squeak like mad if I'm a moment late or when they hear me getting their veggies ready but tend to wheek less the rest of the time.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely going to stick to a routine. No more treats on demand lol. The other day I was eating a steak and he ran up to me and squeaked and I know he can't possibly want steak XD
 
He may be doing it because it gets your attention and gets him what he wants. You just have to resist and ignore unless it’s time to feed them. Sometimes topping up their hay also quietens them.
 
Siikibam said:
He may be doing it because it gets your attention and gets him what he wants. You just have to resist and ignore unless it’s time to feed them. Sometimes topping up their hay also quietens them.
Click to expand...

The needing attention thing makes sense but it seems odd because if I take a step near him he runs away. I don't handle them much because they didn't seem to like it when I first got them and I felt bad holding them and knowing they were scared of me, so I never forced it. Oreo is at the point where he will crawl up onto my lap if I'm sitting on the floor but still doesn't like to get held and Harry runs from all contact. I don't know what attention I could give him that he likes, aside from snacks lol.
 
Keep snacks to a weekly treat rather than every time he wheeks. They’re bottomless pits so you have to curb their eating!

Piggies are prey animals so most don’t like being picked up. It’s best to use a tunnel or cuddle sack or similar. You have to pick them up for their weekly weigh and health check anyway. Have a read of the thread below.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
Siikibam said:
Keep snacks to a weekly treat rather than every time he wheeks. They’re bottomless pits so you have to curb their eating!

Piggies are prey animals so most don’t like being picked up. It’s best to use a tunnel or cuddle sack or similar. You have to pick them up for their weekly weigh and health check anyway. Have a read of the thread below.
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the link! I have come to understand that they are literally always hungry, it's easy to give in to the snack demands but I will do better. Starting right now.
 
My guinea pigs squeak a lot, but nowhere near as much as your Harry!😂 Although guinea pigs squeak when they’re excited, they may also squeak when they’re scared. When I took Popcorn and Candyfloss to their new hutch the first time, as soon as they climbed up the ramp to the hideaway and realised they were too scared to get down, they squeaked a whole new squeak that I had never heard before. 😂Your piggy might be scared as you said he runs away when you approach? Whether it’s happy wheeling or unhappy wheeking, for me it always seems to work if I just talk to my piggies slowly and soothingly. Hopefully it will be something Harry grows out of, but you will need lots of patience and using all the tips! (Limiting his treat intake, ignoring his squeaks, soothing him, giving him plenty of hideaways and floor time, etc) If you think he is just squeezing because he wants food, you must not give it to him. Otherwise he will then learn if he squeaks he gets food. He might just squeak because he loves you! Lots of guinea pigs squeak when they sense their owner and get excited, so you could try putting something that has your smell on it in his enclosure,( i.e. an old price of clothing) to help him feel secure.
 
Abyssinians are the Noisiest breed ever - if you are ever mad enough to have a large group of them you will not be able to hear yourself think! None of the other breeds I have owned have ever been so noisy as my Abbys, in fact my smooths are positively quiet, and only squeak for good reason. The Abbys, well they even yell back at the birds outside and I'm just waiting for them to learn to bark along with the dogs.
 
What you need to realise is guinea pigs are appetites with fur as @Merab's Slave so aptly puts it. Don't give into wheaking demands for food. They will have just as much fun in a pile of hay to go hay diving in as anything else. @PigglePuggle gives her herds treat bags a couple of times a week. I'm sure she'll be along soon to let you know all about those.
 
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