Are Guinea Pigs Ticklish? Let's Find Out Now -

Last updated on January 29th, 2023 at 07:55 pm

Guinea pigs love to play with them, and pet them, but are they ticklish?

Guinea pigs are ticklish, especially in the area of their ears, nose, neck, and chin. However, you should be careful when you want to tickle your pet, if it is uncomfortable you should stop immediately.

In today’s article, you will learn about the places where guinea pigs like to be tickled and how to know if your pet does or does not like to be tickled.

Table of Contents show

Do guinea pigs like to be tickled?

Some guinea pigs like to be tickled, while others do not, it is best to try it on your pet and see his reaction.

To be able to recognize if your guinea pig likes to be tickled, you need to know his body language, so you can easily recognize if he likes it or not.

When guinea pigs do not want to be tickled you will be able to recognize it by the following signs:

If your pet pulls your hand away when you try to tickle him, it’s a sign that he doesn’t like it.
If you touch a sensitive place, the guinea pig may bite you as a sign of displeasure, although this happens very rarely, but there is still such a possibility.

When the guinea pig is just standing still, then he also doesn’t like being tickled, because he is obviously afraid. Although when your pet is standing still, it may also mean that he is afraid of you, which does not mean that he does not want to be tickled, so this behavior does not is a precise way to tell if he likes to be tickled.
When a guinea pig runs away when you try to tickle it, that’s another sign that it doesn’t like being tickled and they don’t enjoy it, that’s why they run away from you.
When a guinea pig makes rumbles it means they are either angry or happy when you tickle them, so apart from the rumbles you will need to look at the rest of its body language to know if they don’t want to be tickled.

When guinea pigs want to be tickled they show the following signs:

A squeak is a sound of pleasure that guinea pigs make, and if they make this sound when you tickle them, it’s a sure sign that they like it.
When guinea pigs like being tickled they will lie down like a pancake, which is a sign that they enjoy what you are doing to them and want you to keep tickling them.

When guinea pigs close their eyes it is another sure sign that they like your tickling, because they only close their eyes if they have complete trust in you.

As you can see from the examples we have listed several signs when your little friends like and dislike being tickled.

Every guinea pig is different, but the signs we’ve listed will definitely help you know if your guinea pig likes to be tickled.

What are guinea pigs’ tickle spots?

Guinea pigs are a little different than humans because of their anatomy and therefore have different points where they want you to tickle them.

Guinea pigs like to be tickled on:

Ears – are a great place to tickle your guinea pig, he will enjoy it and it will be very pleasant for him.

The chin – according to many this is the part that guinea pigs like to tickle the most.
The top of the head – or the part between the head and the eyes is a good place to tickle your pet, they may even close their eyes because they will feel nice and cozy.
The neck – is another place that guinea pigs like and they will then, apart from tickling, come to you to pet them.

Nose – is a place that guinea pigs allow you to use for tickling, just be gentle and do it slowly, and if it gets uncomfortable then leave your pet.

These are the five points on their body that guinea pigs love to tickle the most. As we said every guinea pig is different, if you notice that he doesn’t like tickling, then stop immediately.

Since it’s not okay to tickle your pet if he doesn’t like it or gets annoyed, you’ll only lose the trust your pet has in you.

Guinea pigs do not like to be tickled in the following places:

the back of the body
the lower part of the body

These two spots are sensitive in guinea pigs and they won’t want you to touch them because these are the parts most often used by predators when they attack your pet.

They remember these points and cannot forget that those places are most often places of attack and endangering their lives, although in reality in the cage and from you as the owners, they do not need to be afraid of an attack.

Why doesn’t the guinea pig like it when I tickle it?

When guinea pigs don’t want to be tickled, it’s usually for three reasons:

discomfort
they don’t like it
scare

So let’s see every reason why it happens and how to act in such a situation.

Discomfort – when you tickle guinea pigs on their sensitive spots such as the belly, they don’t like it. They then get irritated and annoyed and you should stop tickling them immediately.
They don’t like it – because all guinea pigs are different, some of them don’t want you to tickle them anywhere on their body at all. If your pet falls into this group then leave it and don’t tickle it, maybe it will change further and give you lets tickle it.

Scaredness – guinea pigs when they are scared of you will not let you tickle them and this is completely normal. It will take some time for your pet to gain trust in you to allow you to tickle them, until then try to get closer to your pet so that it starts to trust you.

Read more: Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Kissed?

How long does it take for a guinea pig to let you tickle it?

Allowing the guinea pig to start tickling takes some time to get used to you.

My first guinea pig wouldn’t let me tickle him for a month before he relaxed and let me tickle him.

However, the time required for each guinea pig is different, so in the beginning, when you bring it into your home, give it a certain period to get used to the environment and to you as the owner.

When the guinea pig trusts you enough it will allow you to tickle and pet it, just be patient with your pet.

Can you pet your guinea pig?

Guinea pigs take time to let you touch and pet their body.

Tickling is fine, but guinea pigs like to be petted much more than to be tickled. Once they get to know you enough, they will let you pet them and enjoy the experience.

How to pet your guinea pig:

The most important thing is to be gentle, so as not to frighten your pet. Just as if you are petting other pets, you should treat your pet in the same way, gently and slowly so that he understands that you are not doing him any harm and that you do not want to hurt him.

Proper petting is when you pet them in the direction of their fur growth because petting in the opposite direction will not delight them and can only irritate them.

The best places to pet a guinea pig are:

the top of the head
the beard
their nose

around the eyes
upper back

These places are the best to pet your guinea pig freely, and at the same time enjoy and rejoice.

Some guinea pig owners say that they also like to have their bottoms or bellies stroked, but this is different for each guinea pig.

When petting your pets, always talk to them, because your voice has a positive effect on them and they then feel calmer and more relaxed.

If the guinea pig does not want to be petted anymore, then immediately leave him alone, because if you continue, you will only annoy and anger your little pet.

Sometimes they get tired of petting and want to rest a bit, so they will move away so you can continue petting them, let them rest a bit, then try again in the same way as we described.

Whenever you start petting them, hold them lower to the floor or the bed, so that they don’t get hurt if they want to get away from you.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I hold my guinea pig?

There is no exact time that is enough or too much when you want to hold a guinea pig. They love to be held and petted when they have complete trust in you. Sometimes you will have to wait a month or three before they let you hold it and pet it. Once they gain confidence, you can hold them as much as you want and as much as the guinea pigs want, every day it can be a different time interval.

Should I cuddle my guinea pig?

Yes, of course, you should and can cuddle your pet. You just have to make sure it’s not longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Guinea pigs don’t like it if you cuddle them too much, so take a break between two hugs.

Why does my guinea pig lick me?

When a guinea pig licks you, it means that he likes you and that he trusts you. This behavior of the guinea pig means that you are treating him right and that is why he wants to lick you.

Conclusion

All Guinea pigs are different and some will allow you to tickle them, while others will not. Their body language will tell you if your pet is ticklish.

After a certain time when you start keeping a guinea pig, try to tickle it on the chin, the upper part of the head, the nose, and the upper part of the back.

Never tickle them in places like the back of the body and stomach, those places remind them of predators and they probably won’t let you.

If your guinea pig won’t let you tickle him, it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t love or trust you, it’s just that some guinea pigs don’t like to be tickled.