• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Very Strange Occurance, URGENT

Status
Not open for further replies.
MargeAndCinnamon

MargeAndCinnamon

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Oct 2, 2012
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
Points
120
Location
Merseyside
Hi Everyone, it has been a while since I've last posted but something extremely strange has happened today.

The piggies (Marge, Cinnamon and Snooki) were out enjoying grass time today and I left them out a bit longer than usual as the weather has been really good today. I looked outside my bedroom window and saw a white patch contrasting against the green grass by the hutch, I put my glasses on because I couldn't make it out and it was a cat, sitting and watching the pigs. This run is enclosed and has a lid which is secured by a brick just incase so there was no fear of it breaking in. I brought them in and gave them some fresh hay, dry food and water as I usually do. And when I was in the living room I heard a loud chirping noise, identical to that of a bird. A quick staccato chirp, almost like a demanding baby bird. I actually thought it could be a bird but it sounded like it was in the house. BUT it was Snooki! She was chirping and I could tell it was her as she was breathing heavily&stopped as soon as I petted her. So I left then she was started almost immediately. I ran and got a cardboard box and but a towel in and some veggies and placed her inside. She hasn't 'chirped' against but is lying down on the towel, which is out of character for her, she is usually very inquisitive and takes a while to settle down. However, I noticed yesterday she didn't seem exactly as herself as I've had her from birth and know her personality very well and she seemed a little subdued. The hutch wire is secure and the holes are not big so the cat wouldn't have been able to place it's paw in the run, I don't know what it could be, but the cat seems to have triggered this sort of panic attack! I don't think she has been physically hurt.

When I say chirp, I mean that it was almost not a guinea pig noise, or not one that I have heard in almost 10 years of keeping guinea pigs. Could this be a result of a fright from the cat and she was wanting my attention and approval to calm her down. Does this sound seem familiar to anyone else? If yes, what as the cause of the noise? Is that the noise of a guinea pig in pain? It wasn't long squealing noises like I've heard in pain/distress before but very different, I'm so confused.

Thank you, and if you have any possible insight, any information will be greatly appreciated.
 
I have heard that some guinea pigs do make this noise. My Hamish does it very occasionally and yes it does sound a bit bird like. I have never connected it with alarm but I suppose it could be. I hope Snooki is ok and that someone with more experience in these things will come along soon. :)

You don't think she's got an upset tummy from too much grass or got too warm outdoors, do you? Just a thought.
 
Guinea pigs can chirp like birds - I was woken up at 4 am to a concert from my Heulwen just the other night. Nobody really knows why piggies do it, but one theory is that it is rather connected to distress than joy. The other piggies in earshot are very quiet and attentive meanwhile. Hearing it for the first time is quite a shock, isn't it?

Here are some more sound bites: http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/guineapigsounds.html
 
MargaretB said:
I have heard that some guinea pigs do make this noise. My Hamish does it very occasionally and yes it does sound a bit bird like. I have never connected it with alarm but I suppose it could be. I hope Snooki is ok and that someone with more experience in these things will come along soon. :)

You don't think she's got an upset tummy from too much grass or got too warm outdoors, do you? Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks for responding :)

It could be, but, although she's a vocal guinea pig I have never heard this from her before and it is very different from loud squeaking they make when they want to bed fed :p I'm going to put her back into the cage and see if she makes this noise again. I guess she could be abit sluggish from the heat, but from my experience too much grass is never too much for Snooki!
 
Wiebke said:
Guinea pigs can chirp like birds - I was woken up at 4 am to a concert from my Heulwen just the other night. Nobody really knows why piggies do it, but one theory is that it is rather connected to distress than joy. The other piggies in earshot are very quiet and attentive meanwhile. Hearing it for the first time is quite a shock, isn't it?

Here are some more sound bites: http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/guineapigsounds.html
Click to expand...

That last sound bite is identical to the noise Snooki was making! Thank you! Could you guess why Heulwen was making that noise? It is too much of a coincidence for Snooki to have seen a cat for the first time, and less than 10 minutes later she was acting out in such a way. So maybe she was spooked? That's what I am guessing so far. If I see that cat again! It's very ratty looking, presumably a stray, white all over with a black tail but the white is almost yellow because he/she isn't cared for I don't think.
 
Treacy-Bum chirped twice, once when she had been startled but the other time there was no reason for it. Very eerie noise.

Hope she will be back to her old self soon
 
No idea why Heulwen (or any other piggy of mine) was chirping on any any of the occasions I have witnessed it. There was no obvious cause or incident; it happened out of nowhere; she has also done it at different times of the day or night. Some piggies are more prone to chirping than others.
 
I've got a couple of chirpers, Jacques has 'sung' at 3am quite a few times now and Penny has started chirping as well now.
I'm convinced there are two types of chirp, the happy one and an alarm call. A couple of my other pigs have made the alarm call and just after there's been a fight unlike when Jacques sings it's usually just after a mad popcorning session brought on by a new cardboard box or a day out in the garden!
 
Thanks for the comments everyone :) she hasn't chirped again since I put her back in the cage. I think maybe she was startled by the cat, or by me charging up to the cat maybe mallethead
 
I have heard it too. I have had 6 guineas in total (only ever 4 at once though) and only one has ever made that noise and that is my lacey, I never knew why she did it but has done it twice, both instances within a short period from each other and never since it is a very strange noise!
 
Our resident performer is Tom Tom, one of the ASBO Twins. He sings when we have piggy people round and other times for no apparent reason.
Here he is in action.

http://youtu.be/rVzzdfr0QUM
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top