Why Do Guinea Pigs Jump? 5 & More Best Things To Know!
Why do guinea pigs jump, you ask? Wondering why are your lovely cavies twisting and kicking their butts up to the air?
Nope, it is not a seizure that your cavy is experiencing. It is popcorning!
Popcorning is just an expression of pure delight that they can do quick little jumps.
This entertaining movement is more often done by little guinea pigs. Adults can do it too but not that often.
This article will explain all your worries about your cute little cavies, so keep reading.
Guinea Pig Popcorning Explained
Have you ever felt relieved and started jumping out of excitement? Why do guinea pigs jump?
Guinea pigs are getting so happy, too. That’s why they jump; it’s because of happiness.
‘Popcorning’ is the name of the abnormal activity that several guinea pigs display, which includes going backward and forward quickly, jumping back and forth in the air.
These may happen while they are running or even when they are just standing! Crazy but true.
There is no reason to worry; popcorning is a prevalent behavior. Just enjoy that entertaining moment.
This kind of behavior is particularly typical in young babies and is something that both boars and sows do.
Adult guinea pigs popcorn, but not quite as much and jolly as the youngsters.
It is a motion that your pigs are very happy and excited. You will quite see them hurdle around when you give them hay or a tasty treat or even see or glimpse of they’re the content owner.
Popcorning can be a sign of tension, anxiety, or overstimulation in rare cases. Some guinea pigs, for example, popcorn whenever the vacuum cleaner is detected. Does this suggest that he hates or loves the vacuum?
This depends on your guinea pig’s body language. This specific instance of popcorning is not attributable to a positive occurrence if he is trying to cover his face, shocked, or making terrifying shrieks.
Although joy is the habitual reason for popcorning, fear is sometimes the cause.
Be mindful of what’s circumstances may cavy react to that reaction. Sometimes happiness may not be the reason for jumping, but fear and that is not fun.
Guinea Pigs Leap!
Mostly, guinea pigs are known as very great jumpers and climbers but one may think how high can they jump?
That’s still surprisingly undetermined, but it depends on the lovely cavy. Age is one factor. If you are curious how to tell the age of Guinea pig this article is worth reading.
Most younger guinea pigs are much more susceptible to jumping and appear to leap higher than matured guinea pigs. Larger guinea pigs may have decreased their ability to jump.
In the Guinness World Records, Scottish guinea pigs were considered ones having the longest leap for a guinea pig.
That guinea pig is Truffles, jumping over a gap of about 10 inches. But in 2012, a teenage child made an informal argument via YouTube that his cavity called Patch surpassed this same Truffles jump.
How To Make Cavies Happy?
Guinea pigs make us happy; they do some trick and make us feel things as light as it can be, but how to take that gratitude back to our pets? Feed them?
Of course, but not only that, love them and make them feel that they are unique.
Don’t worry if you don’t see and witnessed your little cavy to popcorn. I’m sure cavies are still happy and overwhelmed.
There are plenty of things that you can do to improve the life of your pets. To bring more entertaining moments to your guinea pig, you can read these articles how to entertain Guinea pigs or How to make Guinea pig Happy
#1. A warm and clean home environment
Like us humans, guinea pigs would be happy to have a clean, well made, secure, and enriched environment to live on. So, one way to make your guinea pig happy is by providing a clean and enriched environment.
#2. A balanced and healthy diet
Plenty of food and fresh water, they need that. Also, give them vitamins and minerals to maintain fitness.
Vitamin C can improve the vitality of your cavy.
#3. A hideaway they need to run around
Guinea pigs love to get out of the hutch and have an excellent time with their mates.
Build them a traditional wooden hutch. It is good that also your cavy would enjoy it.
Also, make sure to give the hideaway so that they have some shelter.
#4. Good health
When they are unwell and in pain, guinea pigs get sad.
It is a smart idea to take your cavy for annual health checks and monthly anti-parasite shampoos for this cause.
Take action if you see anything out of the ordinary.
Guinea pigs are wild prey species and are often very good at avoiding their health issues, but it is only severe when a problem becomes apparent.
#5. It is good to have a companion
Guinea pigs are herd animals, so they love to have a companion. You may be extremely affectionate as an owner and have a very close relationship with your animals, but they’ll always looking for a friend of the same kind.
Unfortunately, rabbits are not suitable since they will potentially kill the cavy unintentionally, as both animals do not have the same communication mechanisms.
#6. Attention
Giving your lovely cavy daily playtime and interaction is also one of the best things you can do to make him happy. It is more delightful if you have more than one guinea pig.
Watching them play and interact together would also entertain you.
You might think that guinea pigs are an indoor animal only, but no, guinea pigs love to get outdoor games and get sunbathe under the sun.
Give him approximately three or four hours of play per day; being outside adds more happiness and makes him easy to jump, climb, explore, and get more outside activities.
Conclusion
There are countless factors that can be a cause of your guinea pig jumping around. This can be sometimes due to excitement and happiness while sometimes it may be due to fear and pain. Interpretation of the actual cause depends on the history and condition of the guinea pig.
Surely now you know why do guinea pigs jump. We hope this article will help you understand why your guinea pig is jumping and help you develop a stronger bond with him.
