BuGuinea pigs are fun, affectionate, and curious animals. But did you know that guinea pigs are also clever and fast learners? Chances are, they are smarter than you think!
As a guinea pig parent, you may have noticed certain traits and behaviours that indicate your guinea pig is smart. According to studies, guinea pigs have a sharp memory that allows them to remember their paths in the wild. As prey animals, having a sharp mind allows them to remember food sources and outsmart predators.
As guinea pigs' intelligence is difficult to measure, we look for characteristics and behaviours that reflect the intelligence of these animals. From learning tricks to recognising their parents, we reveal how clever these cute animals are!
Are guinea pigs really that smart?
Yes! Guinea Pigs are highly sensitive and perceptive animals. Guinea pigs can learn their own name, learn tricks and display high emotional intelligence and empathy.
With guinea pigs having higher intelligence, it is important to encourage variety in their everyday lives and to prevent boredom. Creating DIY toys, filling their cage with accessories, and giving your guinea pig lots of floor time are vital for their general health and well-being.
Signs your guinea pigs are intelligent
With intelligence being difficult to measure, characteristics and behaviours give the biggest insight into a guinea pig's IQ. Research experiments prove that guinea pigs remember pathways and can memorise their way back home. It was originally thought that guinea pigs used their strong sense of smell to return home, however it was proven that it is due to their kinaesthetic memory.
A great example of intelligence in guinea pigs is their ability to confuse predators in herds. If a predator is nearby, guinea pigs would scatter in different directions instead of running away in one direction to confuse and disorientate them. Very smart!
Intelligence is also determined by emotions. As piggie owners, we know too well the cute popcorning spells they make when they're happy! It's known that guinea pigs can sense emotional shifts within a herd and also with hoomans, responding accordingly.
Guinea pigs are also quick learners and have the ability to learn tricks and respond to commands. One such example is guinea pigs recognising the rattle of a bag or the sound of the refrigerator door opening, immediately wheeking to recognise this as food!
Do guinea pigs know their own name?
If guinea pigs are so intelligent you may be wondering, do guinea pigs recognise their name? Yes! If you are new to piggy parenthood, the response will not be immediate. As time passes and you bond closer with your piggies, guinea pigs will eventually learn their own name.
If you repeatedly call your piggy's name it will eventually associate your tone of voice and sound with themselves. Guinea pigs have incredible hearing and can recognise the tone and pitch of your voice.
As well as names, guinea pigs can also recognise certain words and commands, like ones that can be associated with food. Declaring lunchtime or the name of the food before feeding your piggy will allow them to connect the two together. Try it and see how your guinea pig responds, chances are that you'll hear the wheeking for food immediately!
Do guinea pigs have emotions?
Yes! Guinea pigs are very sensitive creatures and respond to both their parent's and herds' emotions. In the wild, guinea pigs can sense emotions and will stay in tune with the rest of the herd. They have the ability to sense feelings and emotional changes and constantly stay alert. Since guinea pigs are social animals, they are extremely devoted to supporting and protecting each other and their leaders.
If you are well bonded with your guinea pig, they'll sense a shift in energy and a change in your emotions. Typically, piggies will look to their parents as the pack leaders in a household. This gives them a natural inclination to check on your emotional state, picking up on your tone of voice and body language.
Due to the combination of their attentiveness and loving nature, guinea pigs make great emotional support animals, helping with depression and anxiety. So much so that some institutions have conducted further research into practical applications of their natural traits!
Can you teach guinea pig tricks?
Yes! As guinea pigs are intelligent animals, they have the ability to be trained. To train your piggies, all you need is a bit of patience and plenty of (healthy) treats! You want to choose treats they enjoy, like bell peppers, kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, and spinach.
You can also teach your guinea pigs to differentiate between the primary colours. To test this, you'll need four colour-marked bowls. Initially, leave the bowl empty, and fill it with food as soon as they go to the right bowl. Keep the food in the same bowl and change the arrangement of the bowls constantly!
Do guinea pigs recognise their parents?
Yes! Guinea pigs will recognise their parent as the caregiver who gives them food and love. Here are 3 ways we know guinea pigs recognise us:
- Your guinea pig will run towards you - This is a clear indication your guinea pig recognises and has bonded with you. You may find your guinea pig will follow you around or run towards you when you return from work.
- Your guinea pig will recognise your voice - When you talk to your guinea pig, you may find it squeaks back! Your piggy will also happily let you know when they're hungry. An indication that your guinea pig recognises you is by getting another person to shout the same word. You will soon realise your furry friend will only respond to you!
- Your guinea pig will recognise your footsteps - Guinea pigs have incredible hearing so it's no surprise that they're able to pick up on sounds that humans would not pay attention to. After years of bonding, you may find your piggy knows your footsteps and starts wheeking as soon they hear you approach!
Guinea pigs also know you by your smell and will happily eat from your hand and play with you.
How smart are guinea pigs compared to other animals?
Guinea pigs are smart creatures no doubt! A guinea pig's brain weighs 5.5 grams and has 240,000,000 neurons in its entire nervous system. So how does this compare to other animals?
Guinea pigs and rabbits are on a similar level, as bunnies have more neurons in their brain but a shorter memory. Hamsters have smaller grey matter in their brain than other rodents, and are harder to train compared to guinea pigs due to their short attention span. Both rats and mice have similar memory spans but have less grey matter, meaning that guinea pigs are indeed smarter!
Are guinea pigs smarter than cats or dogs? The answer is unfortunately no. Cats and dogs both have more grey matter in their brains, meaning they are smarter than guinea pigs. Dogs can also be trained in many areas where guinea pigs fall short.
Conclusion
If you've ever had the suspicion that your piggy might understand more than you give them credit for, you're probably right as guinea pigs are quite smart! They can learn to recognise their name, their favourite hooman, and even learn a few tricks here and there. But most impawtantly, they can show you how much they love you and help us hoomans live a happier life (I mean, how can you not when you can see such a sweet furry face every day?!).
