Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Angry?
Guinea pigs are social and adorable, making them suitable pets for even beginner pet owners.
They are usually calm in most situations and display a wide range of behavioral expressions. As a responsible owner, you need to know how to interpret these behaviors to help understand them better.
One such behavior is when your guinea pig is always angry. Your guinea pig may become angry for several reasons like stress, physical pain, illness, a threat from other guinea pigs in the cage, and so on.
This article will help shed light on” Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Angry?” and how you can calm your guinea pigs. So, dig in!!!!
How Do You Know If Your Guinea Pig Is Unhappy?
Generally, guinea pigs are happy creatures and are very social. However, there are times when your guinea pig may appear unhappy. You can determine that your guinea pig is unhappy in several ways.
Some signs may be temporary, and you don’t have to worry if this is the case. However, you may worry if these signs frequently occur or for a long time.
Some of the signs that indicate your guinea pigs are unhappy or angry are stated below:
- Lack of appetite
- losing weight
- does not respond as usual
- lethargic or inactive
- It stopped being curious
- hiding all the time
- The guinea pig becomes aggressive towards the owners and cage mates
- Your guinea pig overgrooms itself
- Your guinea pig makes sounds like teeth chattering, growling, hissing, and whining.
Why Is My Guinea Pig Always Angry?
Guinea pigs are usually an expressive animal that helps owners to determine when something is wrong with them.
There are several reasons a guinea pig can become angry, and it is best to keep an eye on them to determine why your guinea pig is angry.
Some of the reasons a guinea pig is always angry are stated below:
- Stress
- Annoyed
- Physical pain or illness
- Personality
- Threat from other guinea pigs
They are Annoyed
One of the common reasons for a guinea pig to be always angry is if it is annoyed. Your guinea pig can be annoyed due to several reasons, such as
- Something is upsetting your piggies.
- They don’t want to or are not ready to be handled.
- You are keeping your piggies in a small and cramped cage.
- It is lonely and may need a cage mate
You can determine if your guinea pig is annoyed through the following signs:
- Your guinea pig is hissing and showing their teeth
- Chattering of teeth
- It is throwing its head up in the air.
Stress
It is possible that your guinea pig is always angry due to stress. You can determine if your guinea pig is stressed by looking for the following signs:
- Your guinea pig displays aggressive behaviors
- Your guinea pig is irritated
- Your guinea pig is fidgeting, baring its teeth, or tossing its head.
Your guinea pig can be stressed due to several reasons. Some of the causes of stress in guinea pigs are stated below:
- You house multiple guinea pigs in a small, cramped space
- Your guinea pig is stressed after surgery
- The condition in their cage is not ideal
- Your guinea pig is lonely
- The guinea pig is being bullied by its cage mate.
- Common external factors such as predators nearby, storms, fireworks overhead.
Physical Pain/Illness
It is possible for a guinea pig to become aggressive and cranky when they are in pain or sick. Common causes include overgrown teeth, respiratory infections, bladder stones and cancer.
For instance, it is common for guinea pigs to be less friendly and refuse to interact with their owner when suffering from mites.
You can determine that your guinea pig is suffering from pain or health problems if it scratches its body excessively, experiences hair loss, stops eating, and so on.
The first thing to do once you notice this sign is to take your guinea pig to the vet for diagnosis.
You can also prevent your guinea pig from falling ill by feeding them properly and cleaning their cage.
Threat From Other Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs can also be aggressive if their cage mates threaten them. Their cage mate can threaten a guinea pig if they fight over food, dominance, mating, and cage space.
Some of the signs that can help determine when other guinea pigs threaten your guinea pig are:
- One of the guinea pigs is fluffing its hair to look stronger and bigger.
- The guinea pig is hissing.
- Your guinea pig is doing a little dance known as rumble strutting
- The guinea pig is baring its teeth.
Pigs Have Different Personalities
Like other animals, guinea pigs have different personalities as some like being petted in certain places while others may not even want to be touched. Therefore, the problem may be with the guinea pig if everything else is well.
For instance, if multiple guinea pigs are living together, but it is only a guinea pig that is always angry. Then it may indicate that it is its personality.
How Do You Calm Down an Angry Guinea Pig?
Here are some tips to help calm down an angry guinea pig
- Leave the angry guinea pig alone.
- Guinea pigs are social creatures, and you should avoid keeping a guinea pig on its own.
- Create enough hideouts and shelters for your guinea pig.
- Avoid bothering your guinea pig when it looks anxious.
- Ensure you keep your guinea pig in a right-sized cage.
- Ensure you feed your guinea pig the correct diet.
- Provide enough enriching toys and activities for your piggies.
- Try to spend enough time with your guinea pig to help bond with them.
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FAQs
Why does my guinea pig complain so much?
Guinea pigs are very expressive and usually make sounds whenever they are excited, happy, or sad.
Guinea pigs can make high-pitched moans or whining sounds when disturbed or bothered. The best thing to do is let your guinea pig be once you hear this noise.
Do guinea pigs cry?
No, guinea pigs do not cry like humans do. However, they are known to produce physical tears, which helps to keep their eyes moist and clean.
You can determine that your guinea pig is healthy if it has moist, bright, and clear eyes.
Why is my guinea pig suddenly aggressive with me?
Some of the reasons for a guinea pig to suddenly become aggressive are:
– Mite infestation
– Aggressive cage mate
– Housing your guinea pig in a small cage
– Feels lonely or depressed.
How can I help my stressed guinea pig?
Stress in guinea pigs can lead to a wide range of health problems if not treated. Some ways you can help a stressed guinea pig are stated below.
– Determine the cause of the stress
– Avoid bothering or handling your guinea pig.
– Provides stimulations like toys and hideouts to keep your – guinea pig busy.
– Play calming music
– Get your guinea pig a cage mate.
– Cover the cage.
Conclusion
Although guinea pigs are calm and docile creatures, they can also become aggressive. A guinea pig can become angry for many reasons, from stress to threats from their cage mates.
We hope this article helps provide everything you need to know about the reasons why your guinea pig is angry.
You can message us below if you have experienced situations where your guinea pig is angry due to other reasons not stated in this article.