Prey species
One exotics vet observed that cavies are “stressy little things” - and for good reason. In their native environment of Peru they are among the species composing the base of the food chain; pretty much everything hunts them. The Incas domestically ‘farmed’ them to eat and also ritually killed them as sacrifices to their gods. They still form part of Andean dwellers’ diets, with an estimated 60 million Guinea Pigs eaten annually in South America.
Reducing stress and anxiety levels as much as practicable should be uppermost in carers’ and medical practitioners’ minds. This is because frequent or high levels of negative stress not only make the animal unhappy, but also reduce the protection and effectiveness afforded by the innate immune system, predisposing the animal to disease and illness and even directly triggering problems. Cavies are hunted by a wide variety of predators , and as they are herbivores, they therefore need to travel around their habitat for many hours per day searching for and eating edible vegetation.
They have very limited defence mechanisms, in the wild they rely mainly on three escape mechanisms: 1) agouti ticking of the grey-brown coat, helping them blend in with their physical environment to reduce detection; 2) on the approach of a predator the group instantly scatters at speed in a starburst pattern, thus reducing the number likely to be predated; and 3) the proximity of hiding places such as rocky crevices, small caves or abandoned, unoccupied burrows of other animals. In a domestic setting, most of these defences are unavailable to the majority of pet guinea pigs, therefore it is up to the carer and/or medical professional to afford them artificial alternatives.
Providing pet guinea pigs with a range of huts, pods, tunnels, tent-like structures, and covered areas with more than one entrance and exit helps them feel confident and safe. They like to have different options from which to choose for night-time sleeping, daytime naps, and solo relaxation periods away from companions or other members of their group. Some of those structures should ideally be solid with roofs and just one point of entry that can be ‘defended’ (even if passively), and of a decent size, thus able to accommodate a friend or family member if desired. Others should have the same characteristics but be smaller and only able to shelter one individual. Offering some larger structures with more than one entry or egress point is ideal for group naps or to make nervous or low ranking individuals feel more comfortable (because they can remove themselves easily if the need arises). The same applies to tunnels.
They appreciate one or two that are long and narrow so that an individual can secrete itself in the middle where they are not easily accessible, or alternatively they can use their body to block a fellow cavy that may be pestering or even bullying them. In addition, there should be wider, perhaps shorter (and even soft padded) tunnels that can be used by two close pals to rest together, whilst affording the occupants two escape routes depending upon from which direction a potential threat might be approaching. The larger tunnels are also appreciated for playtimes
when two or more may wish to run in and out simultaneously and be able to pass each other without impact or obstruction. Similarly, if one is housetraining pet guinea pigs, providing suitable evacuation sites in more secure areas will facilitate the process. This includes overhead cover and/or quiet, discreet corners that can be reversed into, because during times of urination in particular, the animal is preoccupied and less environmentally alert, thus less able to respond immediately to a potential threat.
Handling
When approaching, handling and interacting with pet guinea pigs, one should consistently consider how they might interpret and respond to the behaviours of humans and other animals in their environment. It is important, as much as possible, to avoid any sudden, jerky or unexpected movements towards them, because this triggers the alarm and flight response. Similarly, a creeping, stealthy motion will cause anxiety because this is a hunting technique used by felines and snakes. When approaching guinea pigs, employing a non-threatening verbal indication of one’s presence avoids startling and thus frightening them. Then one can physically approach them with steady, non-jerky movements, ideally from the front, and as close to their level as possible, so that they can observe you and try to assess if your intentions toward them are benign. Reassure them with calm, clearly enunciated words and quiet conversation. Try to avoid directly leaning over a cavy and attempting to suddenly touch or pick them up quickly from this position because that is how a predator would try to grab them.
To get hold of an individual without posing a threat and causing a breach of trust, one can calmly but deliberately herd them to a convenient location; perhaps encouraging them to reverse into a corner, or into an open ended tunnel which you can seal with your hands, lift up and place on a safe surface such as your lap, or a secure pod, before encouraging them to exit themselves. To actually pick them up, do so from the front and rear simultaneously, scooping them up with one hand slid under the front paws and the other under their rear end, smoothly bringing them up against your body in a protective ‘cupping’ position whilst making sure their body weight is fully and evenly supported. Do not squeeze them at all, but do prevent them from leaping out of your grasp, and never flip them onto their backs. This can not only cause spinal damage, but also a maximum fear response (because some predators do this in order to rip open the soft underbelly), potentially triggering a heart attack.
If one needs to examine the abdomen or genital area, or clip claws, once the guinea pig has relaxed in your hands, your lap, or other examination surface, gently manoeuvre their rump up against your own body and then, using your other hand under their forefeet, raise them into a vertical position so that the length of their body is supported against yours, with their hind feet and base of the spine resting on your lap or suitable non-slip surface (e.g. an examination table on which is placed a lap pad or towel). Another two handling errors to avoid at all costs are to either pick up or hold a guinea pig by grasping them round the middle, i.e. their abdomen, which is soft, and vulnerable to damage, or by the scruff of the neck which would cause severe pain and possibly damage internal organs. They do not have a natural scruff like a puppy or kitten because physically they are not designed for a parent to move them in this way. Their bodies are also not balanced in that they are rump-heavy; the hindquarters should always be properly supported, with their hind feet on a solid surface.
Sounds and responses
When considering noise, guinea pigs fear loud, sharp, or rapidly repeating sounds, or any that could be interpreted as warning sounds emitted by other cavies or different prey species sharing the same habitat. They have very sensitive hearing, so are consistently listening out for the first hint of danger. They quickly become accustomed to a human voice pitched at normal or low levels and a normal speed of delivery, with gentle inflections and modulations to help them distinguish communications, just as when listening to their own species (cavies have an extensive and rich vocal and vocabulary range). They also soon learn which normal background noises are non-threatening. A common mistake is to make noises AT them, instead of speaking quietly TO them. This includes tongue and teeth clicks (which for example mimic a UK blackbird’s alarm call), pursed lip sucking noises, or artificial squeaking ‘imitations’ which are obviously not genuine cavy communications thus come across as strange, confusing and consequently suspicious.
Social Considerations
The other key factor to accommodate for health and welfare reasons is that cavies are colony (social) animals, so unless there is a diagnosed medical reason for keeping one on its own, it is essential for them to be housed with one or more guinea pigs in compatible pairs or groups. To prevent undesirable, unhealthy over-breeding, neutering can be carried out to enable boars to live with a sow or run with groups of sows. An ideal ratio is often quoted as one boar per five sows, but a larger colony of sows can co-exist perfectly well with a boar they judge to be of suitable temperament and leadership skills. Two, and occasionally more boars can live together IF they are compatible and mutually accept their respective ranking positions, particularly if there are no breeding sows around and they have sufficient accommodation to avoid territorial disputes. This arrangement is known as ‘bonded boars’.
As a previous article explained, guinea pigs should NOT be housed with rabbits and obviously not with any predator species, even if two pets of different species appear to accept each other’s company on supervised occasions. It is worth being aware that guinea pigs are susceptible to several illnesses caused by pathogens carried by other host animals that may not adversely affect those hosts.
Just as humans differ widely from each other guinea pigs may all share some common species characteristics and traits, but their personalities are completely unique and individual. There are strong, confident high-ranking animals, shy, nervous, low-ranking ones, and a whole host of nuances in between!. Some will have higher IQs than others and are able to learn the meaning of perhaps up to 15 human words or sentences and appropriate responses, whilst others will be less ‘intelligent’ and only manage to comprehend the meaning of half a dozen words. Many will fall into the camp of just being ‘one of the herd’ without any particularly notable distinguishing non-physical characteristics. A few individuals will become special characters in some way, with ‘big’ personalities, possessing some distinct attributes or endearing features that make them stand out, either to their cavy companions or to their human carers. For example, there are those guinea pigs that learn to relax and bond with their human carers to the point of following them about and asking to be picked up and ‘cuddled’.
Others remain wary of us, however long they share our lives and homes or how caring and understanding we are towards them, consistently resisting friendly human approaches and preferring to ‘do their own thing with their own kind’. Some individuals can be taught a range of actions and seem to enjoy learning such challenges, especially when they can link them with personal gain. Others remain unimpressed and uncooperative with such requests from their human carers. Accepting and accommodating these differences is part of understanding and managing their behaviours in the most positive and beneficial ways for animals and humans.
Article written by Yvette Greasley who has kindly donated her fee to TEAS https://teasnorthampton.co.uk/
