When it comes to guinea pigs, they can make a lot of sounds and display many different behaviors to show what they’re feeling.
Because of that, telling when they’re actually mad can sometimes be a little confusing.
So I did some research into what guinea pigs do when they are mad to help out fellow guinea pig owners identify this type of behavior.
That way it can be a lot easier to tell if your guinea pigs are actually mad or not.
Table of Contents
When A Guinea Pig Is Mad They Will Purr
When a guinea pig is mad one of the things that you will likely hear from them is a purring sound.
Like most of the behaviors that guinea pigs will show throughout their lives this one can have multiple meanings though.
So if your guinea pig is purring and the purring seems to be more high-pitched than it usually does, then this can mean that they’re annoyed over something.
If they stay annoyed for too long then that can lead to them becoming mad. Most of the time you can tell this is happening because they will also show different signs of being stressed out as they start to purr.
However, because this behavior can mean different things it can also mean that they may just be interested in something.
So if they don’t seem to be stressed out and they’re purring sounds deep and it’s not high pitched, then most likely they’re not mad and it’s nothing to worry about.
Guinea Pigs Will Fluff Their Hair When They’re Mad
If your guinea pig is starting to become upset then another thing that you may notice is that they will start to fluff up the hair that’s on their body.
The reason why they do this when they’re mad is that it’s a way for them to look stronger and bigger than what is causing them to become this way.
To us owners, when they start to fluff up their hair it can seem like it’s something cute that they do.
However, for them, it’s an action that is supposed to look threatening to the other guinea pigs that are around them and starting to make them angry.
So what this is, is a warning sign that they are mad that you can most likely see while they’re eating together. This can usually happen when one guinea pig is trying to take a piece of food from another one.
It can really make them mad when one tries to eat what another guinea pig is already eating at the time and that’s when you’ll start to see the hair fluffing.
A Mad Guinea Pig Will Hiss
One of the sounds that you’re most likely to hear when your guinea pig is mad is something that sounds like them hissing.
While they’re annoyed or starting to become mad they will hiss at their cage mates and even their owners too if they get too close to them.
For example, they can start hissing at other guinea pigs if they feel like they are trying to take something that they think belongs to them.
This can start over one of their toys, their food, or other items in general that are in their cage that they typically share with each other.
They will also do it if their owner is doing something that is really upsetting them too.
An example of this is if an owner is physically interacting with them and they don’t want to be touched or held.
So they will start to make a hissing sound to let their owner know that they don’t like it and they’re starting to get angry.
Throwing Their Head Up In The Air Is A Sign That A Guinea Pig Is Mad
Another way to tell that your guinea pig is mad is if they start to toss or throw their head up in the air.
If they are displaying this type of behavior then that can mean that they want whatever is happening to them to stop immediately.
When they start throwing their head up you may also notice that they’ll also be hissing and showing their teeth as well when they’re really mad at something.
The main reason why they will do this is so that they can seem larger than other guinea pigs or whatever is making them upset.
So if they feel like another guinea pig is harassing them or they don’t like that you are touching them in any way, then they will start showing this behavior.
For example, a guinea pig might start to toss their head up in the air while you’re petting them.
This is their way of trying to push your hand away and telling you to stop before they start to get really angry.
Mad Guinea Pigs Will Chatter Their Teeth
One of the more easy ways to tell that your guinea pig is mad is if you notice that they’re starting to chatter their teeth. This is especially the case if you can actually see their teeth while they are chattering them.
Because if you can see their teeth while they’re doing this then that can mean that they are extremely angry.
This is basically a big warning sign that they’re trying to show, and what they’re trying to do is tell everyone that they need to quickly get away from them.
Like most of the other behaviors that guinea pigs will show when they’re mad, they will chatter their teeth at other guinea pigs in their enclosure and they can also do it to their owners as well.
So if something like your hand is really close to them and they start to do this, then it’s best that you back away from them.
Because if you’re still close to them when they start chattering their teeth out of anger, then they might lash out and try to bite you.
This can happen even if they’re really familiar with you, so it’s always best to take it as the warning sign that it is and leave them alone for a while until they’re able to calm down.
There are even some simple things that you can try that may help your guinea pig calm down a little if they’re constantly like this.
Guinea Pigs Will Start Baring Their Teeth When Mad
Just like with the teeth chattering behavior, baring or showing their teeth is another easy way to know if your guinea pig is starting to get upset.
It’s common to see them showing their teeth while also hissing at the same time when they’re mad, but it’s usually only at other guinea pigs.
This type of behavior is mainly shown to the other guinea pigs that are in their cage as the last warning before they start to bite.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your guinea pigs are playing or fighting, but if they start doing this then it usually means that they may get into an actual fight with each other.
They can also start baring their teeth at their human owners as well, but this is usually not that common to see.
So if you notice that they’re showing their teeth to you or their little friends then this is a good indicator that they are mad.
If you’re close to them while they’re baring their teeth, then it might be time to back away from them before anything starts to escalate even further.
If A Guinea Pig Is Mad They May Start Rumblestrutting
This is another one of those behaviors that can have multiple meanings when a guinea pig starts to do it.
In most cases, rumblestrutting is just a mating dance or something that they do when they’re trying to show dominance.
But sometimes they can start doing this when they are trying to act aggressively towards other guinea pigs that are around them.
This aggressive rumblestrutting usually happens when they get mad that another guinea pig is trying to take something away from them.
So for example, this can happen when one guinea pig is trying to eat some food that another guinea pig is already eating that they both like.
However, if they are rumblestrutting when they are annoyed or mad, then it usually doesn’t last for too long.
Conclusion
So these are some of the best ways to tell when your guinea pig is mad for one reason or another.
If they are mad and you notice that they show these behaviors it’s usually nothing to worry about though.
Most of the time their anger doesn’t last for long periods of time and they’ll usually go back to being themselves after a while.
So if your guinea pig is actually mad then the best thing that you can do for them is to back up and give them some space so that they can calm down.
If one of your guinea pigs is mad at another guinea pig they will usually work it out among themselves without you needing to intervene as well.
But if they get too aggressive with each other then you may need to separate your guinea pigs for a while.