What do the sounds mean?
Repeated wheeking is a demand for food or attention. Quiet, even purring means contentment; a sharp, broken purr means the opposite. Teeth chattering is a warning or pain. A high shriek means strong excitement or distress.
Section
Behaviour and communication
Guinea pigs talk all the time — just not in words. It is worth learning a dozen sounds and postures in the first week: it settles most of a new owner's worries and helps you notice when something is wrong.
The short answers
Can I keep just one guinea pig?
Better not. They are herd animals, and alone they live under constant strain even if a person is around all day. A pair or a trio is normal; human company does not replace another guinea pig.
My guinea pig hides and will not be held — is that normal?
Yes, in the first days in a new place hiding is exactly what it should do. Give it shelter, do not pull it out of its house, feed at the same times. Trust is built over weeks and through food, not through hands.
Topics
Sounds and what they mean
Wheeking, purring, teeth chattering, shrieking.
Body language
in progressThe first days at home
Why a guinea pig hides for the first week — and why that is normal.
A guinea pig should not live alone
in progressHow to introduce two guinea pigs
in progressGuinea pigs and children
in progressGetting used to being handled
in progress
Topics marked «in progress» are still being written — we do not publish half-empty articles for the sake of volume.