Cavy/Human Communication

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:40 pm


In your own words, how does your cavy communicate to you and how do you feel you communicate to it?

How strongly do you feel you really understand each other?

I'll give my own opinions later.

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:33 pm


Well, my trio communicate mostly through "we're starving in here" wheeks whenever I walk anywhere near the pig room, or they hear my voice. When I approach with food, they jump up on the grids and beg. The minute the food hits, I'm history. When I clean their litter trays, they popcorn, which is very cute; I take that as non-food approval. Only Filbert will let me pet her in the cage, and she purrs/rumbles, but doesn't chatter or run. I think she's tolerating me, but not exactly lovin' it. The other two just take off when "big hand" comes near.

I talk to them and sing to them, but they don't really care about that, except as it signals food arriving soon.

I love those pigs, but they seem to have little interest in communicating to me explicitly except for the above. They do make very engaging little noises to each other, so I prefer to watch them just be pigs in their piggy gang.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:37 pm


I do think food is the way to a cavy's heart. One of the things I find interesting is that the wheeks seem to vary in intensity -- sometimes just gentle reminders, other times outright demands. I forgot about happy pigs in a clean environment. One would hope they are expressing their approval but we may just be anthropomorphising it.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:39 pm


One of the things I find interesting is that the wheeks seem to vary in intensity -- sometimes just gentle reminders,

I call the small consistent ones the "SOS" squeeks. Wooly seems to be the one in charge of those while everyone else intently listens for the floor to creak knowing I'm finally out of bed.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:48 pm


Oh, one thing that impressed me when I had three pigs was the feeling that there was a designated wheeker. It was usually Snowflake (if I remember right). Nina would wheek too but Snowflake was more sensitive to my rustling around and would make a move for food (more wheeks than the other pigs). I don't remember hearing Kitten wheek (this may be poor memory).

I've always felt it was important to respond to Snowflake, especially now that she's an only pig, to give her the feeling she can ask me for something and that I care enough to get it for her. She's a good girl.

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snowflakey
E's Moriarity

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:52 pm


Only one (I think it is Blackberry) will wheek the prolonged, horrible shrill shriek of desperation. The others chime in with more normal, insistent wheeks.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 9:59 pm


Yes, Wooly will do the loud shrill over and over like your Blackberry when I'm finally downstairs. The 'SOS' works everytime.

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Paravati
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:02 pm


My permanent pigs each have their own personalities.

Stitch is approximately 3 years old, the loudest wheeker, and will gaze at you insolently if you even THINK about trying to pet her in the cage. When she's in your lap she's all over the place, nudging you with her head, trying to walk off your lap. She's affectionately known as "Stitch the Bitch". She's fairly quiet unless she's demanding food.

Blaze is approximately 3 years old, and really skittish; she will run from you with her no-pelvis-butt-tucked-under waddle as fast as she can, but one she's in your lap, she purrs if you touch her on that spot right above her butt (the I'm Horny Spot, I call it) and she will lick your fingers occasionally. She's also quiet and content wherever you hold her.

Checkers is just over a year old, and is called Mr. Chin Scratchy -- because he will let you reach in the cage and scratch his chin, no matter where he is or what he's doing. You can even scratch his chin while he's sleeping and he won't wake up. He will throw a leg out and roll over on his side, and vibrate all over. But, if you're foolish enough to attempt touching any other part of him in the cage he's gone like lightning. Once he's in your lap he is still and quiet, and just looks at you. I call him Jello Pig sometimes because he tolerates any amount of face smooshies you want to give him, to make his face look all screwed up. He even lets you open his mouth and poke around inside there without protest. He's quiet, though, except for at Veggie Time. His favorite spot to hang out is tucked into the outer flap of my bathrobe while I sit at the computer, working.

Arthur is Checker's roomie, and he's HUGE. He's my biggest pig by far, and the biggest Love Bug ever. He demands to be petted whenever you walk into the room by running up to the cage walls and climbing all over whatever there is in the way (including Checkers) to get to you for a nose-scratch. He whoops and wheeks if you sing to him or make any reference to "blah blah Arthur blah blah." His name always provokes little happy sounds. When he's in your lap he keeps up a constant stream of chatter from the "oh, that feels so goooood" warble to the "okay, now you're starting to piss me off 'cause you quit petting me" chatter. When you DO forget to pet him, he'll nudge you on the hand or bite you gently with his teeth. Once you resume petting, he throws himself down again on your lap. He also does this really freaky thing if you scratch him in JUST the right spot: He will be obsessively licking your fingers and hands (the "ohhhh, gosh, I really like that" licking) and then if you start scratching him in His Spot, his licking and nibbling starts going rapid-fire. Like a dog biting at a flea, he will nibble and lick you so fast you can't even see his tongue moving. If you're stupid enough to NOT put your hand there when he's in Rapid Fire Kiss Mode, he will wave his head around with a panicky look because there's nothing to nibble on and he'll go for the first available area of skin - A forearm, a leg, or an earlobe. He's a hoot.

Spike is my Underdog, about a year old and impossible to get along with no matter who I've tried. He is the most aggressive pig I've ever seen and consequently lives by himself, in the same cage as Checkers and Arthur but with a divider. He lays next to the divider all the time, up against Checkers, but when out for Porch Time he fights with him. Go figure. My porch constantly smells like Boar Butt thanks to Spike. He doesn't much like being held, but he tolerates it until he gives you one of Pinta's Classic "You're Being a Hemmorhoid" Head Butts" and if you don't put him back right away you get peed on out of spite.

Charybdis

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 10:52 pm


I have pigs who communicate with head-butting, small nips, and tugging on clothes or towels. Some purr or grind their teeth for petting. Some chatter their teeth for food. They each have their own style of communication.

-- When Willis wants more petting, he turns around and around in the cozy and pulls at it with his teeth, more insistently if he is ignored. When he is done eating, he turns his back on the syringe to say that he is done. He tells me that he is happy that I took him out by doing a short "purr" when I put him in the cozy. And he closes his eyes to show that he likes the petting.

--Witherspoon is very communicative. He chews the bars of his cage when he hears veggies being chopped (he cannot see). He purrs when his chin is rubbed or his sides are stroked to say that he likes it. When he wants more food, he climbs my shirt. When he is done eating, like Willis, he turns his back on the syringe. When he wants petting he tosses and turns in the towel and pulls at it with his teeth.

-- Meg doesn't like her sides or her rump touched and will go "brrrr" if I do this. She doesn't care for being handled much and will give very insistent, sharp head butts to show her displeasure. She likes certain kinds of petting and when she is agreeable to this she does this thing with her mouth -- I don't quite know how to describe it but it's a bit like a rabbit's teeth purr.

-- Scratchy loves his chin rubbed and will freeze if I rub his chin and his cheeks. He will also "chew" (work his mouth and flick his tongue in and out) intermittently while he is being petted.

-- Dusty is also a bar-chewer. He begs for food by chasing people with hesitant forward and backward steps, kind of like a cha-cha. He is also a very loud shrieker, as is Meg, when the possibility of veggies is near.

-- Piggy boy has his own style too. He likes head scratches and shoulder rubs but does not like to be taken out of his cage. If this happens he tolerates it for a couple minutes before he begins with very gentle nips on my wrist. If the nips don't work he grabs hold of the skin with his teeth and pulls. He will do this harder and harder until he is put back.

It seems to me that pigs communicate a great deal through body language, especially with their mouth.

I think that I understand those particular signs that I have mentioned. Who knows if I interpret them all correctly.

I don't feel that the guinea pigs understand communications from me or even understand them except for one weird guy and that's Pinky. He's a real sweet adolescent Skinny and he's a very happy guy, always popcorning. He likes to be talked to. I go up to his cage and we have the following conversation:

Me (in high-pitched voice): "Pinky! Where are your clothes? Who stole your clothes? All the other guinea pigs have clothes! Where are YOUR clothes? Did someone steal your clothes? What do you think, I'm made of money? Who stole your clothes, Pinky? Am I going to have to take you to Wal-Mart to get more clothes? Pinky! Where are your clothes?"

And so on, while Pinky first comes up eagerly to see what I am doing. Then he starts pacing the cage and dragging his butt. Then he jumps on top of a house and starts rumblestrutting. Then he starts popcorning all over the cage.

I have NO idea why he does this except that he gets happy when someone shows an interest in him.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:30 pm


You (and that naked man-hussy Pinky) make me laugh. I think we each get different pleasures from our great pigs. I so fondly remember Nina's cool strolling noises. And the occasional ear splitting wheek/shriek.

By the way, I have a theory that guinea pigs kept in cages may be friendlier and more interested in humans -- partly because humans offer a change of scene (something like a "get out of jail free" card). I imagine unless someone tried the same pig in different circumstances, they might not be able to tell a difference. And even then it would be hard.

Charybdis

Post   » Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:59 pm


Dusty used to live in a cage. He was pretty skittish and really dominant towards the other pigs. He was always shrieking and rattling the bars. He was bored and would empty the water bottle for fun.

He lives in a large pen now and has his own second story. Quite a lavish lifestyle. He's very outgoing to people although still not cuddly. He is not as willing to get a head scratch. But I can say that he seems much happier and a lot less frustrated.

HollyT
Get on your bike.

Post   » Sat Nov 06, 2004 12:49 am


What would we do without our pets?

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