Why Guinea Pigs Shake When You Pet Them

Wanting to pet a Guinea Pig is naturally something nearly all pet owners love doing. However, sometimes when owners pet their Guinea Pigs, they will notice that the Guinea Pig will begin shaking rapidly.

While a Guinea Pig shaking may appear to be odd or alarming, the shaking can be a completely normal reaction from a Guinea Pig. However, if a Guinea Pig begins shaking when you start to pet them, there are several important factors to consider to ensure your Guinea Pig is happy and healthy.

What Causes Guinea Pigs To Shake?

There are numerous different factors that will cause a Guinea Pigs to shake. The most common reason a Guinea Pig will shake is due to its emotional reactions to its environment, which can be caused by a Guinea Pig feeling fear, anxiety, happiness, or just being overwhelmed by too much stimulation in its surrounding environment.

When a Guinea Pig is pet, there is typically an emotional reaction that could lead to shaking due to a number of feelings the Guinea Pig may have.

The Guinea Pig could be very happy that it is being pet and having physical contact from its owner, which could cause it to shake out of joy. On the flip side, the Guinea Pig could also begin shaking while being pet due to anxiety or fear, meaning that it is uncomfortable by the petting.

The two polar opposite reactions can be understandably difficult to tell apart, since shaking can be just as likely to occur in either of these situations. The best indicator to tell if the Guinea Pig is shaking out of joy or fear is based on the other movements of the Guinea Pig during the petting besides the shaking.

If the Guinea Pig is still consistently moving or even occasionally jumping while shaking and being pet, it is more than likely that the Guinea Pig is shaking out of affection and enjoys the petting.

However, if the Guinea Pig remains tense while shaking, the petting is likely causing anxiety as the Guinea Pig will remain frozen in fear when it is overwhelmed in a negative setting.

While telling apart these two different causes for shaking may be challenging at first, it will likely become easier to understand the Guinea Pig’s reaction to the petting with the more time you spend with it.

Will Guinea Pigs Always Shake When You Pet It?

While it’s likely that a Guinea Pig will shake when you pet it, the shaking is not always guaranteed to happen. As a Guinea Pig becomes more comfortable with its owner, it will become less likely to shake out of anxiety or fear as it would be used to the sensation of petting and know that it is not in danger.

This pattern is often seen when an owner newly gets a Guinea Pig. Typically, the Guinea Pig will be overwhelmed by the new environment after being brought home by its owner and will likely shake while being pet as it is still adjusting to a new life and isn’t entirely confident in trusting the owner. However, as the Guinea Pig becomes more comfortable over time, the chances of shaking during petting begins to decrease.

The same will be the case if a Guinea Pig’s shaking while petting is caused by excitement. Even though the Guinea Pig may still like the feeling of you petting it, the petting sensation will also become increasingly normal to the Guinea Pig and will probably be less likely to show off its appreciation for the petting.

However, petting isn’t the only time when a Guinea may shake. Guinea Pigs also shake when they are cold or sick, so if your Guinea Pig is shaking for a long time before or after being pet, it is recommended that the Guinea Pig is evaluated by a veterinarian to make sure the shaking isn’t caused by an illness rather than from the emotional reaction of being pet.

Is It Bad That The Guinea Pig Shakes When You Pet It?

If the Guinea Pig’s shaking from being pet is stemming from a positive emotional reaction, then the shaking should have no negative effects on the Guinea Pig’s health.

If the Guinea Pig’s shaking while being pet is because it is anxious or afraid, then the Guinea Pig can suffer negative side effects due to too much stress.

These effects won’t happen immediately, as the Guinea Pig can handle some stress without any damage, so don’t worry if your Guinea Pig shakes when it is first getting comfortable in a new situation or just shakes occasionally.

However, if the Guinea Pig is shaking for long durations of time while being pet, the amount of stress can begin to affect the Guinea Pig in an unhealthy way and begin to take a toll on their overall wellbeing.

If this happens, give the Guinea Pig some space and let it calm itself down naturally. If the shaking persists long after the petting stops, the Guinea Pig may need to be evaluated by a veterinarian.

How Can You Stop A Guinea Pig From Shaking When It Is Pet?

The biggest key in preventing your Guinea Pig from shaking is by increasing its comfort level with you. This can be done by simply spending more time with your Guinea Pig so it gets used to your petting and understands that there is no danger.

Of course, not all shaking from petting is bad, so if the Guinea Pig is shaking out of happiness there is no need to stop the shaking.

Recap:

Overall, the wide variety of reasons why a Guinea Pig could be shaking during petting can lead to confusion, but it is almost always due to an emotional reaction from the Guinea Pig’s contact with you. While the shaking isn’t automatically a bad thing, it is important to monitor your Guinea Pig’s behavior during petting to make sure that it is happy and healthy during the process.