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Really Strange Noise from Scruffy

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katiep

katiep

Adult Guinea Pig
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Yesterday morning, Tiger was very quiet, normally they are all up and about waiting for their morning veggies. Anyway while I was checking on him Scruffy, who has also been quiet for the last few days, began making the most unnerving noise I have ever heard from a pig - it was really loud squeaks but really fast like a machine gun - he sounded like a strange bird. I was really worried that it was a kind of warning, that he was ill or that one of the others was ill and he was sensing it. Does anyone know what it was? He is OK today but a bit quiet still ..
 
Never heard this noise in guineas before Katie but have heard it in Joey who was a budgie when he was ill. All I can suggest is getting him checked out, seeing as he is a bit quiet maybe its for the best.

Fingers crossed all is ok. x
 
Did it sound like a chirruping bird but with a stop start, stop start?

Some of mine have done this, it is just amazing to listen too...sometimes it is all one long bird type song and sometimes it stutters, like you say, a machine gun.

Fifi did this in the early hours of this morning literally as Lennie took his last breath for at least 2 minutes but some of mine have also done it for no apparant reason...I would love to know why but I guess it is another guinea pig mystery :)
 
It was more like a machine gun Fiona, very very loud fast squeaks. He stopped when I stroked him but started again when I took my hand away. It was very unnerving. I thought it was a warnig or something. He has just been on my knee for a cuddle, he seems physically OK but not quite himself. Poor little man.
 
All I can suggest is that you keep a careful eye and be sure he is eating/pooping ok. Guineas never cease to amaze me with their vocabulary!
 
Yeah, I can't think what else to do, he is eating fine and pooping OK, although the other day he did some very dark coloured ones.. he is playing in his hay now so seems OK tonight.
 
How are they today Katie?
Loads of healing wheeeeeeeks and loves for them both xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>xx>>>
I've never heard the sound you described........i can imagine it was very upsetting not knowing what he was trying to tell you :(
 
He is my special boy as he loves his cuddles, but we were really worried about him, he seems to be a bit quiet still. We think he might be lonely as the others all live side by side and poor Scruffy has lost 2 cage mates and although he is in the same room as Tiger and Jeremy, he seems lonely. We haven't been able to bond him though - Humphrey and Curly seem to be getting on quite well next to each other, it has brought both of them out of their shells. I even wondered about getting a lady for Scruff, but then my brother couldn't come round to stay as he is allergic to females.. and the other pigs would be jealous.
Does anyone know what the chirping means?
 
I don't think anyone knows what it means, but other pigs don't appear to care for it much apparently. I don't think I've ever heard any of ours do it. Hopefully he'll be okay Katie, but it is a worry when they don't seem themselves, strange noises included.
 
Aww Katie thats lovely I see it as a sort of gathering the herd together. Twinkle did it when Cuzzy was running over to the bridge and we found it comforting. Maybe Twinkle is just intune with everything, only thing is he likes to get on Milo's back and make him walk around literally a piggy back! lol
 
Gosh I really don't know. Sunny made this chirping noise but I never knew why, nothing ominous happened and like I said, Fifi did it for ages just as Lennie passed away. It is a communication of sorts, I would love to know one day :)
 
Squeaky started doing it a couple of weeks ago and she occasionally does it every week or so for about 2min. She is eating fine, pooing fine, fine in herself... She does go into a sort of trance and the other pigs are mesmerised by her when she does it but as far as i know there is nothing wrong at all :)

I love having a special piggy! Although its not great when you are trying to watch Americas Next Top Model and all you can hear is her chirping:x
 
As we don't know its all guess work but I do think it is a kind of gathering the guineas together kind of call. Is Scruffy dominant? Twinkle is my most dominant guinea so I thought well maybe he is boss guinea with them all and this is why he does it?

Mystery though! :)
 
This is the thing though... People have some ideas of what it means but no one knows why its only certain pigs that do it...
Some think its impending piggy death, otehrs think its an alarm call etc...

Nothing has changed in my house or regime lately so i can only assume she feels comfortable as she has always been the bolshy one...
Like SUnshine and Twinkle said is Scruffy the confident one?
 
I've never heard any of mine do it but did hear it when i had 2 piggies (from freecycle) in my bedroom, it was 4am & it woke me. There was nothing to spook them as it was so quiet so i don't know why.
I rehomed these piggies & looked after them in August when their owners were on holiday, every night at veggie time whilst i was feeding my piggies first did Squeak chirrup but she stopped when i went to feed them. I did ask their owner who said "oh she does it all the time" :)
 
I know another girl who's piggie did it, nothing bad ever happened after he did this...............
Perhaps different times it means different things?
It's a mystery that nobody has been able to identify yet.
I've not had my boys do it, but i was sent a recording of it and it's a beautiful sound x)x)x)
 
My Iggy did this noise once and nothing bad happened. She was as calm as a cucumber all the time she was doing it but the other piggies looked a bit alarmed.:))
 
One of mine does that weird chirping sound, not often, she's the only one I've heard do it!
 
I think Scruffy is a dominant pig but as he has lost his cage mates he is on his own at the mo, but is in the same room as the others so he can hear them. He made another nest last night, buries himself completely. He is stille ating, just looks a bit spooked and fluffed up.
We are moving him into the other room tonight with Humphrey and Curly - he will be closer to them, and they have both really come out of themsleves since being next to each other so hoping it will cheer Scruffy up. Poor little man.
Thanks for all your comments!
 
We moved Scruffy in with Curly and Humphrey - there was a lot of grumbling from Humphrey, and Curly just shouts constantly anyway, poor Scruffy must be wondering what on earth he is living next to! He seems a bit brighter though and hasn't made any more nests! I am however worried about his eyes - one of them looks a bit lighter, I hope he isn't getting cataracts like Tiger, but it might explain why he has been withdrawn and not himself.. as soon as I am over this flu thing I *** take him to the vets, they can check his eyes.
 
One of my girls started doing this after I had her for a year. Mocha continued for about 2 months going off on one & now has completly stopped. She only did it when it was late at night or when we were upstairs. I would love to know why they do it.
 
Well little Scruffy has been to the vets - he was limping last night too - so off we tootled, he had his legs throughly checked, turns out the only problem was his claws were too long and now that the vet has clipped them he is walking fine. I felt terrible, Scruffy has black claws and just will not let me trim them, he wriggles and squirms and gets distressed. It takes 2 people to do it, so I think I will have to practice with OH. The vet checked his eyes too, said there was some degeneration but nothing to worry about just yet. My poor little baby. He has been out for a big cuddle and has watched Emmerdale from his favourite perch on my shoulder or sprawled across my chest! I hope he perks up abit now, he is very special. xoxo
 
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