When, how much and how do guinea pigs sleep

Having acquired an “overseas” miracle for the first time, the novice owner is faced with many unusual habits and features associated with care. One of the most frequently asked questions is how do guinea pigs sleep, how much time do they need to sleep, and what situations require especially close attention.

How does a guinea pig sleep

A pet, accustomed to the house and the owners, rests just like other pets. The process of falling asleep is built as follows:

1.  The animal stands on its legs, but the muscles gradually relax.
2.  Next, it is laid on a litter.
3. The ears of the rodent tremble – at any moment he is ready to run and hide from danger.

Full immersion in sleep occurs only after the final formation of trust in the owner. And in this case, the pig can take the following poses:

• sitting and with open eyes – such a dream is like a sensitive nap, something is disturbing the pet;
• lying on your back;
• on the stomach, stretching out the paws;
• on the side, pulling the limbs to the body or stretching them along the body.

An important feature of guinea pigs is sleeping with their eyes open. Sometimes this frightens novice owners, although this factor is a protective mechanism that has been genetically preserved from the moment it was inhabited in nature. Sleeping guinea pigs with closed eyelids are quite rare. Rest with closed eyes testifies to the highest degree of trust and love for the owner, as well as complete confidence in one’s own safety.

In the case when the posture of the animal causes concern to the owner, it is important to carefully observe it – the unnatural position of the pet often indicates injuries or ailments.

Video: guinea pig sleeps

What time do rodents go to bed

“Overseas” rodents are considered active animals, and the peak of distress comes on the day. The pet’s daily routine corresponds to the owner’s regimen. The day is a time for business, games and entertainment, the night is a period of rest.

However, the specificity of the animal’s sleep is such that at night it can arrange a feast for itself or drink water noisily. Therefore, it is recommended to install the cage in such a way that the pet in it does not wake up the owner at night.

The owner should also be sensitive to the rest of the pet. If the guinea pig is sleeping, but the person is not, then you should move as carefully as possible and make noise – the guinea pig wakes up at the slightest rustle.

These rodents are very pedantic, they are comfortable living on a schedule. It happens that it shifts, and the pig does not sleep at night. This state of affairs is easily corrected by changing the feeding time, but changes should be made slowly and gradually – the animals are difficult to tolerate changes.

Sleep duration

Under natural conditions, the guinea pig has many enemies, therefore, even having protection in the form of large males and hiding in burrows. They are constantly ready to repel an attack. This behavioral trait was also preserved in the domesticated animal. Therefore, their sleep pattern is very specific and can be bewildering to novice owners.

IMPORTANT! Once in a new home, the rodent may refuse to sleep for several days until the adaptation period has passed. Being cowardly by nature, the animals hide in the far corner of the cage or in a pre-prepared house, but they do not allow themselves to sleep.

Guinea pigs begin to rest only after gaining confidence in their own safety. The total duration of sleep in the animal is only 4-6 hours a day. Moreover, they are divided into several visits. During the night, the animal falls asleep several times, the maximum period of one-time rest is 15 minutes.

After waking up, the pigs do not immediately fall asleep again. For some time they go about their business: they consume food, drink water, and the most active ones can start playing.

Conditions for a comfortable stay

Given the ragged and sensitive sleep, for a good rest, the pig needs to provide the most comfortable home conditions. Animals sleep on bedding in a cage, and sometimes hide in game tunnels or special houses. Such cage equipment provides an additional sense of security.

It is also important that the host:

• picked up a place for housing away from noisy appliances, drafts and direct sunlight;
• maintained the temperature in the room in the range of 18-23 degrees;
• purchased a spacious apartment for a pet: the minimum parameters are 30×40 with a height of 50 cm and above;
• cleaned the cage several times a week;
• Give your pet as much free time as possible.

In such conditions, the animal will feel really at home and will be able to fully relax, not trying to hide from danger every second.

Why don’t guinea pigs blink

The conventional wisdom that rodents do not blink is wrong. Like all mammals, guinea pigs need to keep their eyes moist or they are at increased risk of blindness. However, the animals do it so quickly and rarely that the human eye does not have time to catch the moment.

If you watch the pet for a long time and intently, you can still notice a barely noticeable movement for centuries, when the animals quickly open and close them. But more often it is almost impossible to catch a fraction of a second falling on a blink.

Do guinea pigs hibernate

Unlike other rodents, guinea pigs do not hibernate during the winter. The natural habitat of animals is warm countries, so nature does not need to hide from the cold for a long time.

The only thing that the owner can note in winter is less mobility and the desire to warm up, given the low temperature in the room.

Uncharacteristically prolonged sleep of a pet may indicate the development of the disease. This behavior is a reason to visit the veterinarian.