‘It’s always worth talking to guineas’

Wheeking, purring, chutting, chirping and chattering. For small animals, guinea pigs can make big noises and, according to experts, they’re communicating with each other – and with us.

Sue Tate has run Cavy Corner guinea pig sanctuary in Doncaster for 17 years.

In the building at the bottom of her garden are more than 30 guinea pigs.

When she opens the fridge and removes a bag of kale, the sound of chirps is overwhelming.

“They make a whole range of whistles and squeaks and squeals and they can do a noise which we call teeth chattering,” she says.

“People assume that’s purely aggression but we’ve had guinea pigs who would do that at veg time just because they wanted to be first to have the veg so they’re really impatient.”

In one hutch is a mother and two daughters. They are skinny pigs, an almost hairless strain of guinea pig.

“Just a couple of days ago they were having a real squabble and chattering away at each other for nothing, no reason that we could see, but she was clearly telling them off about something,” says Ms Tate.

Ms Tate says each guinea pig has its own temperament, and she is especially drawn to those with big personalities.

“They definitely have a wide range of noises and sounds. The more time you spend around guinea pigs, the more you get to recognise them,” she says.

“They are very intelligent and they have huge personalities.”

Their noises can mean anything from “give me kale” to “I’m in pain” and people should always communicate with their guinea pigs, she says.

“To pick a guinea pig up, you need to talk to them first because being prey animals, if the first thing they experience is two hands just reaching in to grab them, that can be quite traumatic. So it’s always worth talking to them.”

Bunny Burrows Rescue has been operating for 29 years.

It is run by Gwen Burton, 79. She has 22 guinea pigs at her site in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

“There’s no two alike, they’re all different,” she says.

“Some have short furs, some have long furs, some have coronets, in every different colour.

“When I start chopping food and they can smell it and then they all start squawking. It’s quite vocal then.

“They make 11 different sounds actually, so it’s quite amazing. Sometimes the girls sing like a bird. That’s because they’re hormonal, come and get me sort of thing.

“They’ve all got different personalities and some are a bit naughty, but they are lovely creatures. They really are very misunderstood.”

She also cares for rabbits and tortoises.

“What’s so different about guinea pigs is they communicate better than rabbits because they’re not mute, they have voices,” she says.

“All of them have a story to tell because they’re all here for a reason and they’ve all been unwanted, unloved, dumped, all sorts of weird stories.”

Since Covid there has been an increase in guinea pigs being surrendered to rescue centres, say Ms Tate and Ms Burton.

“I’ve just taken a guinea pig in this week. A farmer locally found up the track to his farm a load of guinea pigs dumped, just dumped,” says Ms Burton.

“After six days there was one survivor and I’ve got that one here, which is quite petrified at the moment but he’s eating and he’s fine.”

She says children get bored, leave home, or families decide the animal is taking up too much space and they get abandoned.

“A lot of parents don’t want them as a family pet, they just want the kids to look after them, which is ridiculous because they have health issues and they need to be fed regularly and cleaned out,” she says.

“I wish they would think before they buy. I wish they’d look into their needs, their food, because people just think, ‘Oh you give a carrot’, you don’t.”

Ms Tate says: “We’ve had people surrender guineas because they wanted space for a Christmas tree, because they’ve got new babies. It’s about prioritising.”

There is also a misunderstanding, she says, that guineas cannot live alone. It means when one dies, people rush to take the surviving animal to a rescue centre.

“If there’s a sudden death that guinea needs to quarantine before they meet a new companion and while it would never be right to go and obtain one guinea pig to live a solitary life on its own, a guinea can survive while you take the time to grieve and find a new companion,” she says.

Sometimes Ms Tate and her team of 40 volunteers are required to rescue guineas from homes where they have been abused or neglected.

“The rescues are every bit as serious and disturbing as what the RSPCA might do,” she says.

“If they’re really traumatised, we might give them a little time to settle first and then they get a thorough health check, we lock them in, we identify them and we work out what they need next.”

Most of the animals will find new homes, but occasionally they stay at Cavy Corner for life.

Things have got so bad recently that Ms Tate has had to shut the doors to new admissions.

“It’s very hard. On Monday I took 10 phone calls from people wanting to surrender guinea pigs and I had to say I’m sorry we can’t,” she says.

“You might think you could just squeeze them in, but you have a responsibility to the animals in your care, they need enough space.”

According to research commissioned for Guinea Pig Awareness Week by Goole firm Burgess Pet Care, 96% of owners say their pet talks back to them and 99% talk to their pets regularly.

Nutritional adviser Ellie Parkes says her favourite thing about the animals is their squeak.

“They’re so vocal. I’ve got rabbits myself, but guinea pigs are so much more vocal than rabbits.

“They squeak and they popcorn. When they’re happy, they jump up and down, which is just adorable to see.”

Each guinea pig is different, she says, making unique noises, showing individual behaviours and preferring a variety of foods.

“Some guinea pigs might love lots of high-sugar fruits. Some guinea pigs might prefer mint, but hopefully their favourite food should be hay,” she says.

“Some owners might tell you that their guinea pigs have a sense of taste for sweetness. They love a treat, but don’t we all?”