Bucking

[Dobby]

Hi there!
Being new to this site, and a fairly new guinea pig owner (since the week before Christmas),
I have only one real question yet: is it normal for a guinea pig to buck like a bronco when he´s out running free in my bedroom? I take him out of his cage, and I scratch behind his ears and down the length of his back, then he stretches out his front leg and both his back legs and yawns like you wouldn´t believe...but when I stop, he starts running around really fast and bucking like there´s someone riding him like a horse and he wanst to buck him off! It´s the most hilarious thing I have ever witnessed, but is it normal?? Is he happy? Is he a freak?
I´d like a little input. Has anyone else´s piggy done this? ?(
Thanks!

Jennifer.

[lisam]

Hi Jennifer. It sounds like he´s being exhuberant. Some pigs, when excited, do a little kind of jump straight up in the air and sometimes add a little twist--this is called popcorning. I have a pig that liked to jump over objects when she is having floor time. Younger pigs are usually more active and play more than the older ones, but it all depends on the pig.

[Dobby]

Thanks, Lisam. Popcorning it is, then. He´s been popcorning all over the place. I almost wished I had a camera handy to show all you guys just what it is he´s doing.
I´m just pleased to know that he is happy.
I can gladly deal with exhuberance.

[Evangeline]

So you´re a Newfie? We´re neighbors, then. I´m a New-B.

Emjoy popcorning, it doesn´t last long. Next thing you know, your pig will turn into a fat, lazy, couch potato.

[Dobby]

Yep, I´m a Newfie. Although wish I could just move away from here as soon as January comes. We´ve had so many snowstorms and windstorms here lately it´s turning my house into nothing but a huge snowdrift!
And I´ll be sure to enjoy my pig´s little hops and flips for as long as possible. It´s the funniest thing I´ve ever seen him do, although yawning and stretching is a close second.
So, Evangeline, where in NB do you live? I know a few people in Fredricton.

[Evangeline]

I´m in Shippagan, in the North-east. I know what you mean about winter, though. You guys got hit even harder than us, though. We had another storm today and schools are closed. That´s the one good thing about winter. I am SO ready for spring.

[Dobby]

Well, the weather here has been so unpredictable that I don´t even know what the hell to wear out anymore. It´s nuts. Today, for instance, when I left, i was sunny and windy. When I got off work, it was pouring rain and blowing REALLY hard. Tomorow it´s calling for snow and wind, and I don´t know whato believe. *LOL*
I live in St. John´s, and I love it, but a little summer wouldn´t hurt.

[Karen]

Hello fellow Canadians! I live in BC and no it´s not raining today.....yet

[Dobby]

Karen- Here in NF today it is POURING, but it is 8 degrees so I´m alright with that.
And we have no snow left (except for scraps on the sidewalks and stuff).
It´s going to be a nice, early Spring, I expect.

[HM Cavy Rescue]

Mine love to popcorn in the a.m. when I feed. It´s the cutest thing to see 23 cavies leaping around!

[Sunny]

I´ve got a great mental image of that HMCR - lol.