Description

A couple of months ago, I got an American Guinea Pig which I am to look after with my sister. He goes by the name of Chester. His fur is brown and white and he is roughly a year and a half old. I will observe him four times a week for my Nature Project which was given to me by my English teacher. In this blog I will be following and describing his silly adventures and interactions with the people and things he comes across on a day to day basis.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Chester 's Begging

Now that Chester has become more accustomed to being around my family and me, he has gained some confidence when it comes to food.Having constant access to food is vital for the well being of any guinea pig. Just like pigs, they spend a lot of their time eating and sleeping. Chester is no different. For about a month after we got him, he would not complain about having no food and would only make squealing noises when the food was close to being put in his cage. This little quirk has now changed.
Taken by me, 11/16

Now, whenever Chester hears the garage door open or the fridge door open, he will begin to run around his cage and announce his need for food. He squeaks in a high pitch and his running causes a bunch of bedding to get all over the floor. This change in behavior made me wonder if all guinea pigs squeaked and went haywire when the sound or smell of food hit them. After some research, I learned that once guinea pigs find the confidence they need, they become much more vocal ("Guinea Pig Behavior"). Although that seems obvious to me, it was still reassuring to know that it really was normal. Knowing that it took confidence and trust for them to be able to open up like that made me happy. It's good to know that Chester trusts my family and me enough to express his feelings and let us know what he needs.

Even though it's great to know that we have gained Chester's trust, I still wish that he wouldn't look at me with big eyes, begging for food even when his last meal wasn't even ten minutes ago. Obesity is still a problem, even for guinea pigs.
Work Cited
"Guinea Pig Behavior." Guinea Pig Manual: All About Guinea Pig
     Care!. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownNovember 25, 2014 at 6:27 PM

    I did not know that guinea pigs make such a noise when they are confidante. I found it very interesting and I think it is great that you guys want Chester to be a healthy guinea pig!

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