Do guinea pigs purr?

[987flowers]

We've just spent a bit of time cuddling the pigs as they've not had much handling recently and I want them to be used to us especially over the winter. The piggy I cuddled seemed calm but every now and again seemed to purr, was she just petrified? She had her head up and was sniffing around so seemed ok but it's hard to tell.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Yes - purring means different things according to their mood.

A brisk Brrr in response to a noise.
A long, drawn out Rumbling purr (usually accompanied by the straight bodied panther like walk of a boar, but our sow GP4 does it too)

The dive like purr when they're chattering or you cuddle them.

A scared pig is more likely to scarper or bury her head under your arm. Sounds like piggie was interested, but wary but happy

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

dove like not dive

[ArmchairTraveller]

Mine didn't make a sound when purring, they'd just vibrate gently!

[987flowers]

I think we'll try to do a bit more of this as it was lovely, especially as you think they were happy too! Hopefully they'll get less wary and start to enjoy the cuddles more. Thank you for putting my mind at rest as I didn't want to freak them out! (Husband who was here too before starting his shift at work was not quite so pleased at being ordered to cuddle the pig but I think he secretly enjoyed it!!)

[FernieB]

My old Smoothpig was a purring pig. He would curl up like a croissant on my knee and purr when I stroked him.

Neither of my current boys purrs. Scruffy wriggles when cuddled but wheeks in annoyance if I stop. Ginger curls up and does quiet whispering wheeks.

[ToadsJustFellFromTheSky]

I think it depends on what kind of purring it is tbh. means they are annoyed but I would say that's more rumbling than purring.