Guinea pig behaviour typically is very responsive to human interaction; they express their emotions freely.

But he needs a little time to get used to you. When you first bring him home, he won’t want to be picked up.  Give him a day or two to adjust to his new surroundings, and then you can tempt him with treats:  fresh veggies.  Before you know it, you’ll be cuddling him regularly.

Guinea pigs thrive when they are kept in groups.  If you’re going to get one, how about opting for two?  If you’re adding a new pet to join one you’ve had a while, watch them for a couple hours to see if they fight.  You can combine adults with adults or babies with adults, or babies with babies, but don’t mix sexes. You’ll love watching them interact.

You can play with your guinea pig and give him exercise at the same time!  Typical guinea pig behaviour will find him cautious but eager to explore any new area-for instance, sit down on the bathroom or office floor and let him roam around.

And hide some treats around the area for him to find.  Place a strawberry inside a piece of PVC tubing, or a thin slice of apple inside a cardboard tube from a roll of toilet tissue.  Take care to slit the cardboard tube open before you let him play with it, for safety’s sake!  They also like to chew on the cardboard.

Practice this comfortable lift-and-hold technique:  After you lift him gently, you can let him rest all four of his feet on your arm with it held close to your chest, or directly on your chest.  Support his rump so that he won’t fall off, because guinea pigs are not good at landings!  He’ll soon learn to feel comfortable and secure.  Eventually, you might be able to teach him simple tricks such as running in a circle or possible to get up on a platform.  And he will learn to respond to his name.

Typical guinea pig behaviour includes his loud “wheeks”-it sounds just like the word-or whistles.  He will purr from deep contentment.  Jumping up and down repeatedly means he’s happy about something; this is called popcorning.  Guinea pigs can jump about six inches high.  If your pet drags his butt around, he’s just marking his space with his scent.

When two guinea pigs are together, watch for friendly signs.  One of them will make a rumbling noise and then strut around the other-this is called rumblestrutting.  They like to sniff and nudge one another’s rears, chase each other, and climb on top of each other in just about any position.  They’ll leverage their noses at one another.  Friendly boasting can even include raised hackles and a small amount of chattering their teeth at one another.

But if the teeth chattering is extended, this is hostile guinea pig behaviour.  Sometimes, too, you’ll see one of them open his mouth as if he were yawning hugely, but he’s really threatening the other one with his teeth.  Light nips signify that hostile behaviour is escalating.  Guinea pigs rarely bite, but if you see them stand up on their haunches facing each other, separate them immediately!

Your guinea pig is going to be interested in the world around him, and he wants to see you, too.  Make certain you set aside some time each day to play with him.

 

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Some of the info is from guineapigcare.com