chatter

Question
hello again, jenny!

i came back because i found your previous answer very helpful:)

i have another question for you. my male pig, andre 3000, is about four months old and seems very happy and healthy. he runs around his cage like a maniac popcorning and chattering quite a bit every evening around the same time. my only concern is, i don't hear him squeak very often. he squeaks very softly(almost as if he is talking to himself), and will chatter his teeth sometimes (i read that this means back off in guinea speak, but he never bites us or objects to us handling him when he is chattering) but i rarely hear him squeak loudly, with a wheeeek wheeeeeeeeek. i feed him his pellets and hay around the same time everyday, to get him excited when he hears the food closet door open. and when i open the door and get the bag out, he peeks his head up as if he knows whats going on, but no excited big squeaks. i know some people would consider this a blessing because of how loud the pigs can be, but i just find it a little out of the ordinary!

as i said in my previous question, i've had guinea pigs before, and they were very vocal. are some pigs quieter AND happy?

i was just wondering if this is normal. he seems very happy and is very spoiled! but if there's ever anything i can do to make him any happier, i would do it. he's my baby.


thank you again, jenny!

Answer
Hi Dana,

I did once have a guinea pig who lost his squeak! He was quite old though and it was very cute; you could see his mouth whistling and his ears moving just like normal, but only a very faint sound came out.

Do you feed Andre fresh vegetables? It is important that guinea pigs have high levels of vitamin c in their diets, so two portions of fresh veg a day are essential, and may be just what he needs to start squeaking! Brocolli and carrots are very high in vitamin c, as is fresh parsley, and he will probably also enjoy cucumber, dark green cabbage, peppers and celery (cut up small so he doesn't choke on the threads).

Some guinea pigs are just quiet - but a piggy who doesn't squeak for food is almost unheard of!

Jenny.