Guinea pigs are small and cute creatures and it is quite cherishing for the owners to see them moving in their cage. But often their habits intrigue the owners as it becomes sometimes quite unpredictable. The new owners often get anxious when they see some odd behavior in their pet guinea pigs.
Yawning is one such behavior that sometimes makes the owners uneasy. We, humans, do yawn too, but that is often the sign of getting tired or lack of sleep and rest. When the pet guinea pigs yawn too often, the owners may start thinking that it is not getting enough rest or enough nutrition. If you too are tense regarding this matter, then we are here to help you with this guide.
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Why does my guinea pig yawn a lot?
Yawning can be the expression of any emotional or physical disturbance. Not always do they yawn. Sometimes their facial expression makes the owners believe that they are yawning, while in reality, they are just making some odd expression to show their emotion.
Sometimes they even communicate with each other if there is more than one guinea pig in one shelter, by this different facial expression which is mistaken as yawning.
Do guinea pigs yawn when they are stressed?
Guinea pigs, unlike us, yawn for various different reasons. Stress can be one of them. If the guinea pig has been brought to a new place then it will get stifled and it may yawn a lot to show its uneasy condition.
The stress also can be seen in an old guinea pig when another new guinea pig is introduced to it. If it is kept in the same shelter, then the previous one will get territorial and act strangely. Yawning can be a sign of its agitation.
How can you treat the guinea pig when it is yawning?
You have to be very patient and be cautious to not disturb it while yawning. If it is a newly brought one, then you know that it will take time to get adjusted to the new atmosphere and that is why it will be anxious. It is a sign of that anxiety when it yawns at this stage. You can help it ease out by giving it some treat.
Do not put more than one guinea pig at first, as that will make the situation worse. It can cause anxiety in both the guinea pigs and they will yawn. Or else if one is dominant then the other one will be dominated and succumbed to its temper. Then the latter may start yawning to draw attention or seek help.
Can you handle the guinea pig when you see it yawning?
Many owners feel that when the guinea pig is yawning, they may need some assurance in the form of petting or handling. But this is not very realistic in the case of guinea pigs. They do not enjoy the together time of handling from their owners the way dogs or cats do.
The petting and cuddling are actually more beneficial and comforting to the owners. When the owners try to hold them or handle them when they are feeling anxious it does not make them very happy, especially when they are going through an anxious phase. Leaving them alone is the best way to let them cope with the new atmosphere which they will manage soon.
Can the recent change in the atmosphere lead to the guinea pig yawning?
As we have mentioned earlier, the guinea pigs feel stressed when they are brought to the house. As an expression of that anxiety, they can start yawning. But the same thing can happen when you change its much-known area of the shelter. If you add some new piece of accessory or gadget to the cage of the guinea pig, it may stress out. The stressed guinea pig will yawn for sure.
Does the guinea pig yawn when it is aggressive?
Guinea pigs are social creatures but when they are adjusted to their cage or shelter living alone from a young age, it takes them some time and patience to get along with another guinea pig that is newly brought there.
Since they are territorial to some extent they would not love to share their home with this new guest. At that point, you may see the guinea pig yawning which is actually a kind of threatening attitude towards the other guinea pig. This way it expresses its aggression.
Can keep two guinea pigs in the same cage initiate yawning?
If you have kept the two guinea pigs in the same cage and it is been long then they both normally should learn to cohabit with each other. If you still them yawning, and not one but both of them, then the reason can be less space. Guinea pigs love the company of their own kind but if they are not getting enough space to move around then it can let them feel stressed. Any kind of stress can lead to yawning.
If you see them doing such things then you should arrange for a more spacious cage where the two can move and run flexibly.
Can the yawning of the guinea pig lead to attacking each other?
Guinea pigs are docile-natured but some of them can turn up to be rather aggressive. You cannot judge the nature of one guinea pig until it is leaving with the other one.
But when you will find one guinea pig is reacting fiercely by yawning in the presence of the other guinea pig then you should become conscious. If one guinea pig is rather aggressive and dominating then it may try to attack the other one at some point in time. Give these two guinea pigs some time and see if they behave in a better way.
But even after a few days, you see one of them yawning or rather showing aggression to the other then you may need to shift one to another cage and keep them separated.
Can yawning be a sign of injury or sickness?
Now we have come back to the first and foremost prior question for the guinea pig owners, which is if the guinea pig is yawning because it is feeling sick. This can be true in some cases. When the guinea pig is living all alone and there is no change in the atmosphere recently and yet you are seeing it yawning too often, then you may need to look for the diet and its lifestyle.
The lack of nutrients in the diet of the guinea pig may make it weak and as a symptom of this weakness, the guinea pig may start yawning. It can be also the lack of proper rest which can result in lethargy and weakness in the guinea pig.
You also need to check if the guinea pig is having enough water as dehydration can be the cause of the weakness in this small rodent creature. Do not ignore this sign as this can be the result of ill nourishment.
Check if the guinea pig is also becoming lethargic and showing an inability to move along with yawning in a random way. If you are unable to find the way to stop it yawning and along with that seeing such weakness in regular routine, then getting the pet checked by a vet is necessary.
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