Before bringing home any fluffy and cute new guinea pig, some key details regarding the species’ typical vocalization styles are pretty useful — and smart. Although guinea pigs are considered relatively quiet creatures, they can be a lot chattier than other animals in the smaller size group.

How Loud Are Guinea Pigs?

In general, guinea pigs aren’t overly noisy pets. One of the reasons why they are such common and beloved household pets is due to guinea pigs being relatively quiet pets. Although guinea pigs usually won’t be creating frustrating ruckuses, they can utilize vocalization for communication purposes — just not often to the point where it becomes bothersome.

Guinea pigs can make a variety of noises, and knowing what noises to expect could help you realise if a guinea pig is right for you. Here’s a quick guide on what to expect from a guinea pig!

Wheeking or squealing: This is probably the loudest noise a guinea pig will make. It sounds like a long, high-pitched whistle, or squeal, and usually comes from excitement. Guinea pigs are likely to make the noise when they see their owner preparing their food, or if it knows it’s playtime.

Chutting: This sounds a bit like a frog’s croak, but softer. It generally means that a guinea Pig is happy going about their daily routine.

Purring: Not a noise that’s loud at all, it means that a guinea pig is happy or angry.

A guinea pig that’s content will make a low purring sound, whereas an annoyed piggy may make a louder higher pitched purr, with it increasing in pitch towards the end.

Teeth chattering: Another quiet noise a guinea pig will make is when they chatter their teeth. They probably won’t do it from being cold, rather it’s in fact a ‘back off’ signal, warning other piggy’s and people to stay away. The chattering noise can also sound like a hissing noise.

Chirping: This is another loud noise that guinea pigs will make and sounds exactly like a bird and could easily be confused with a stray wild bird in your house. However, you should know that this sound is very rare, and thought to indicate fear.

Complaining or moaning: If a guinea pig wants to complain about something they can make a noise when they want some personal space, or to tell other piggy’s or people to back off. It sounds more like low pitched version of a record being scratched.

Shrieking: Probably one of the loudest noises a guinea pig will make is to shriek. They do this when they’re really upset, frightened or scared.

Hissing: A guinea pig uses this sound as a warning sign, to tell other guinea pigs or humans to back off.

Sneezing: Like us guinea pigs sneeze with a high-pitched sound.

Screaming: Although guinea pigs don’t make loud noises like other pets do. However, they can sometimes make a sudden piercing noise which can alarm guinea pig owners.

One of the primary reasons for guinea pig screaming comes from fear. If a guinea pig is in a lot of pain or scared, then they may scream just like any other living being does.

guinea pigs use the scream as they don’t have any defence or any help to protect them.

Other reasons why a guinea pig may scream includes to them being angry or hungry.

Conclusion

The loudness of a guinea pig depends on the individual guinea pig and why they are making the noise for. Many pigs are talkers and will make “talking” noises at their owner which generally doesn’t get much louder than the tv.

However, if a guinea pig really gets going, for example, they want more veggies, then it can get extremely loud. The noise can be higher pitched so it could become alarming for a new guinea pig owner. Guinea pig owners have reported to hear them outside their house with the doors and windows closed although it’s pretty infrequent.

The reason why a guinea pig might make such a noise is that, guinea pigs don’t wear watches so they could make noises at any time of the day or night. They also don’t generally sleep for long periods of time (8+ hours for a bedtime for example) but rather take short to longer length naps so they can be up at times throughout the night.

For a general idea, guinea pigs are loud enough that if you were in an apartment and they were wheeking at their loudest for say veggies, you could probably be able to hear them in the neighboring apartment through a shared wall. You could also probably hear them upstairs in a two-story house. Although the noise shouldn’t be for long and generally made for around a minute at max until they get their veggies and not often unless they are being really demanding, so maybe 3 or 4 times a day.

Guinea pigs are generally quiet for rest of the time and during the night unless their owner has gotten up, will you hear them make any kind of noise.