Guinea pigs are very interesting, they have soft fur that looks very nice on their body. Sometimes guinea pigs will fluff up their fur and we wonder why they do it.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Fluff Up Their Fur?
Guinea pigs fluff up their fur when they are sick when they are eating, but also when it is too cold. They may also fluff up their fur when they are lonely or want to be dominant in their environment.
In today’s article you will learn why guinea pigs fluff up their fur and similar questions related to the topic.
Why Do Guinea Pigs Fluff Up Their Fur?
When guinea pigs fluff up their fur it can be for a number of reasons, such as:
- disease
- if they are cold
- territoriality
- from eating
- when they are lonely
Since there are obviously several reasons, let’s look at all these possible reasons in more detail each of them.
Illness
Guinea pigs fluff up their fur when they are sick. When they are sick then their fur is constantly fluffed up and the guinea pig can try and isolate themselves.
Guinea pigs when they fluff up want to warn their other friends that they are sick and to stay away so they don’t get sick too.
It can also be noticed that in such situations guinea pigs hide more often in shelters to be away from other guinea pigs.
When guinea pigs are sick, in addition to fluffing up their fur, they will also have the following symptoms:
- they will be lethargic
- they will reduce their weight
- the fur will be stained
- thinning of the fur will occur
- they will run and hide
These and other symptoms mean that something is wrong with your pet and you should take him to the vet.
Territoriality
When guinea pigs want to show territoriality they may fluff up their fur. This happens when several guinea pigs live in one cage.
Guinea pigs generally like to live in groups and socialize with each other, and help each other, but still, in each group, there is a leader.
Always the leader of the group is at the same time in very frequent fights with the other guinea pigs who do not want to follow and listen to him.
Then the leader of the group can fluff up his fur to make himself look bigger and scare the other guinea pigs, to let them know that they should not oppose him.
If such situations often occur, you need to separate the guinea pigs so that there are no bigger problems and fights.
But you should be careful not to leave the guinea pigs completely alone because they may start to feel lonely, which is not good for their mental and physical health.
It’s best to find out which guinea pigs get along with each other and fit them into shared cages.
Because of the food
When guinea pigs do not want to share their food with other guinea pigs or to prevent others from stealing it.
This is a guinea pig’s way of showing dominance, and it is mostly done by male guinea pigs, although sometimes females do the same.
Whereas if the guinea pig is only in the cage then it fluffs up the fur as a natural instinct preserved from their ancestors.
They fluff up the fur to protect themselves from running out of food, although realistically speaking in the cage when they are alone there is no need for such a reaction.
In order not to do this, the guinea pigs should always have enough food in the cage to wean them from fluffing up the fur.
My guinea pig fluffs up his fur when I give him food, probably to protect himself and scare me so I don’t take his food.
When they are freezing
When guinea pigs are very cold, they fluff up their fur. This is completely normal behavior of guinea pigs when they are cold, just like other animals.
Guinea pigs do not like cold temperatures, they are used to living in hot and humid conditions, while colder conditions do not suit them at all.
The best temperature for guinea pigs is between 65-75 F, anything lower or higher is not suitable for them. You need to regularly check the temperature in the room and pay attention to it.
If you don’t notice that the temperature in the room of the guinea pig is cold, then you can notice it by their behavior.
In addition to fluffing up its fur, the guinea pig will look for a place to hide to stay warm, or cuddle with other guinea pigs to keep warm.
Loneliness causes fur to fluff up
Guinea pigs are social pets that love the company of either other guinea pigs or their owners.
When a guinea pig is lonely it does not feel satisfied and as an expression of displeasure, it will fluff up its fur.
When they are lonely, they may isolate themselves and fluff up their fur as a defensive strategy to protect themselves from the environment.
If you notice that your guinea pig is frequently fluffing up its fur, it is best to find another guinea pig as soon as possible.
If you are not able to buy another guinea pig or you do not have enough space in the cage, then you will have to personally help him overcome his loneliness.
For this purpose, play with him more often, hold him in your lap, and talk to your pet so that he feels that someone loves him and does not feel lonely.
What does it mean when my guinea pig fluffs up?
When guinea pigs fluff up it means they want to show aggression or anxiety.
Sometimes when a guinea pig fluffs up it can be a sign that it is scared or unhappy with its owner or the environment around it.
When guinea pigs throw their head in the air it means that they are uncomfortable, while when they show their teeth they stay away from them because they can show aggression.
Why do guinea pigs puff their cheeks?
When guinea pigs puff their chicks it means that it is displeased with something that is bothering it.
But we should mention that not all guinea pigs do this.
In such situations, you should let the guinea pig calm down, or give it some hay so that it is not dissatisfied and it is faster to be happy and cheerful again.
Read more: Are Guinea Pigs Prone To Obesity? Let’s Discover
Do guinea pigs shake when happy?
When the guinea pig shakes especially when you pet it, it is a sign that it is starting to vibrate.
Vibrating at these times should not worry you because it means your pet is happy.
It shakes because it feels good in your presence, and feels completely calm, comfortable, and with complete confidence while you caress it.
Read more: How To Trim A Guinea Pig’s Nails Without Hurting Them?
Conclusion
Guinea pigs often fluff up their fur for a variety of reasons, they do this as a sign of dominance or when they want to protect their food from other guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs know how to fluff up their fur when they are cold or when they want to appear stronger and bigger in front of other guinea pigs and show dominance.
When guinea pigs are sick they fluff up their fur to tell other guinea pigs to stay away from them so they don’t get sick.
Finally, when guinea pigs fluff up their fur, the most important thing is to know what the real reason is so that we know what to do about this behavior.
