prrring noise

Question
My little girl prrs when I pet her.  I'm not sure if this is a happy thing or a turn on thing.  lol I just was wondering why she does that. One other thing,im sure i know the answer, but can gerbils and guinea pigs get along? just wondering. thanks

Answer
Hello Amber,

There are actually a few different purring noises they make that mean different things. Some mean they don't like what you are doing and others mean they do. I'll send you a link to a page that very well explains all the different ways piggies communicate. It is excellent and may help you understand all the different things your piggy is saying to you.

http://www.diddly-di.fsnet.co.uk/Communication.htm

As far as gerbil and Guinea Pig relationships, that depends on them. They should NOT share the same cage. Guinea Pigs should ONLY be housed with other Guinea Pigs for a number of reasons and the same is true of gerbils. However, playtime relationships depend entirely on each individual animal. The two most likely possible results are aggression (most likely on the part of the gerbil) or complete indifference. It's unlikely they will be best buddies (unlikely, but anything is possible). Do not close them up in a small area or the gerbil is more likely to be afraid and do some serious damage to your piggy. Make sure it's a large area where the gerbil can get far away from the piggy if he wants so he won't feel threatened. Have a thick towel ready to throw on them and scoop them up quickly if something goes wrong. I've never kept gerbils before but I have a friend who used to raise them. She never had a problem, then one night she had a disaster when a piggy got into a mommy gerbil cage. Mommy gerbil went kinda crazy and tore the piggy up pretty badly. And in the commotion the water bottle fell and crushed a newborn pup. Piggies as a general rule are not aggressive so it will be the gerbil that will most likely be the aggressor if there's trouble, so watch him/her VERY closely for any signs of fear or aggression and seperate them. I do, however, have hamsters. The result would be the same if a piggy were in their cages but out of the cage they couldn't care less about the piggies. I have a couple piggies who are scared of the hamsters and take off if the hammy gets near them. With gerbils and piggies in an outside of the cage encounter would likely have the same results, just indifference and maybe a nervous piggy. As long as the area is big enough the gerbil doesn't feel at all threatened. Oh, and if you are at all uneasy about it, don't try it. Your pets will sense your unease and it will make them uneasy and could end up in an attack. Wait until you are comfortable and things will probably go smoothly, just be ready if they don't. Good luck!

-kkat
www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs