Glossary · 🤔 Behaviour
Wheeking
Wheeking is the high-pitched whistle guinea pigs make when they’re enjoying something; many owners hear it when they rustle the food bag.
The RSPCA Solent Branch calls it a common sound guinea pigs make when they are enjoying something, and the Merck Veterinary Manual lists it among the sounds guinea pigs make.
Is wheeking normal?
Yes: the Merck Veterinary Manual lists wheeking among the sounds guinea pigs make. The sounds to take seriously are different ones: squeals, squeaks and tweets, which guinea pigs use to signal injury or danger. If one comes with a hunched posture, not eating, or small or no droppings, see a vet: those are on the “See a vet if…” list in the guinea pig care guide below.
What other sounds do guinea pigs make?
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists wheeking, chutting, bubbling, rumbling, chattering, whining, chirping and shrieking. Animal Diversity Web adds what several of them mean: chutts during chases, whines just after a chase ends, whistles and chirps to call over a distance and around food, squeals, squeaks and tweets for injury or danger, and purrs, which are thought to show contentment.