Where Do Guinea Pigs Like to Be Tickled?

Bonding with our guinea pigs is one of the best parts of being a guinea pig parent. 

Knowing the best body parts to pet helps us make our guinea pigs feel safe and happy. 

If you just brought home your first guinea pig, it’s a good idea to take the time to become familiar with what they like and don’t like. 

Certain guinea pig body spots are more sensitive than others. 

While each guinea pig is unique, there are some general tips on where guinea pigs like to be tickled. 

Guinea pigs like to be tickled on the heads and sides of their necks. Some like being stroked between their eyes and down their nose or from head to tail. They are prey animals and tend to be skittish, but you’ll be able to read their guinea pig body language to determine the best spots. 

Knowing what they like is very important if you want to make your guinea pig happy. 

We’ll let you know all about tickling your pet and all the best guinea pig petting locations. 

Where Should I Pet My Guinea Pig?

It is essential to know all the safe spots for petting our guinea pigs as pet parents. 

Finding their favorite tickle spots takes some time. 

It also means spending time with your beloved guinea pig and bonding with them. 

This helps them trust you and makes them feel safe when you go to pet them. 

Guinea pigs are prey animals. 

This makes them very skittish and prone to running and hiding at the first sign of danger. 

It often takes some time before pet parents form a strong bond with their guinea pigs. 

Before you start your tickle session with your pet, take some time to make sure it is quiet, and they feel safe. 

Once they seem calm, start petting some common tickle spots. 

These are usually between the eyes, nose, and body between the head and neck. 

Make sure to keep an eye on their tickle response to make sure they are happy. 

Another popular spot is to stroke from head to tail. 

Some guinea pigs also like to be petted from their head to hips. 

Guinea pigs are gentle animals, and each one has its unique personality, likes, and dislikes. 

For this reason, you’ll need to take the time to find their real tickle spot. 

It’s also important to note how many guinea pigs may not ever want to be tickled. 

As responsible guinea pig owners, it is important to respect their boundaries and not make them feel threatened or in danger. 

Best Guinea Pig Petting Locations

When you start to spend more time and build a bond with your guinea pig, you want to make them as happy as possible. 

When you pet your guinea and hit a good spot, some let out happy and cooing sounds to express how content they are. 

This is music to a guinea pig’s parent’s ears. 

If you want to make them as happy as possible, consider petting your guinea pig in these popular locations. 

Many guinea pigs enjoy these locations, so they are worth giving a shot. 

Nose

Many guinea pigs love when you pet their nose. 

Gently stroking their nose often leads them to become very relaxed. 

One sign of this is your pet slowly closing its eyes. 

Some more vocal ones will start to make happy sounds or coo while you pet them. 

This is a great first spot to pet your guinea pig.  

Between The Eyes

Stroking your guinea pig between their eyes makes them so happy. 

They will start to close their eyes and become very calm. 

It feels so great when our sometimes skittish friends relax and trust you. 

The softness of the fur between their eyes is also so silky-soft and is nice to pet. 

Some guinea pigs are apprehensive about their humans petting their bellies or lower bodies, but most will be okay with you petting their heads. 

Once they seem comfortable with this, you may be able to check out more sensitive spots as you gain their trust. 

The Base Of Their Neck

If you have ever pet a dog, you know how much they love to be scratched behind their ears. 

It turns out many guinea pigs love a similar spot. 

There is an indentation of sorts when their heads meet their necks, and many cavies love to be pet, scratched, and tickled in this spot. 

Work on this spot, and we’re sure your cute and cuddly friend will enjoy it immensely. 

The Underbelly

The underbelly is a very sensitive spot for guinea pigs. 

Many will not be very happy about you touching their underbelly, but some will love it. 

Make sure to read their body language and make sure they feel okay with you touching their bellies. 

As prey animals, they aren’t exactly eager to be vulnerable. 

Getting Your Guinea Pig To Trust You

To pet and tickle your pet, you’ll need to gain their trust. 

Gaining your cavies’ trust sometimes takes a long time. 

Throughout evolution, guinea pigs have been prey animals. 

This means their primary role in the wild was to be hunted by predators. 

This is still very much ingrained in their behavior and instincts. 

Your beloved pet is likely to run and hide at the first sign of danger. 

When you first bring them home, they will likely be very skeptical and take some time to get used to their new surroundings. 

Once they get accustomed to the daily routine and normal noises and occurrences, they’ll relax. 

Once this happens, it’s a perfect time to start bonding with your guinea pigs and gaining their trust. 

This is the best way to ensure they will entrust you enough to feel safe when you pick them up, pet them, or tickle them. 

Therefore, knowing how soon you can hold your guinea pigs to familiarize them with your touch is essential.

Spend Time With Them

One of the best ways to get your guinea pig to trust you is to make sure you spend time with them. 

This seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes our days get away from us, and pretty soon, it has been over a week since we spent some quality time with our cavies. 

Carve out some time in your day to take your pet out of the cage and spend time with them. 

Making a routine out of this special time will help build a strong and trusting bond. 

Spending floor time is an important part of cavy care. It provides mental stimulation and exercise and a fantastic opportunity for you and your pet to bond. 

There are a few important things to keep in mind when you have floor time with your pet. 

Here are some precautions to take to make sure your guinea pig stays safe:

• Close all doors and block off all exits. This assures your guinea pig won’t escape or get lost in the house. 
• Hide all wires and potential choking hazards. Cavies love to chew, so make sure they don’t have access to anything dangerous on the floor. 
• Keep your guinea pigs off beds, desks, tables, and chairs*. Cavies have very fragile spines and suffer serious injuries falling from short heights. Prevent this by keeping them on the floor or in your lap rather than carrying them around. 
• Provide a box or paper bag as a hiding spot if they get scared. It calms them to know they have a place to hide if they get startled. 

Guinea pigs will get hurt from a fall; learn about how little it takes for them to get hurt from a fall in our linked post.

Give Them Special Treats

Special treats are a great way to get into your guinea pig’s heart. 

They love to munch and eat healthy treats like vegetables and fruit. 

Be mindful not to give them too many snacks as guinea pig obesity leads to serious health problems. 

Some great options for special treats include:

• Lettuce
• Alfalfa
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes (not leaves or stems)

Guinea pigs may even start to purr or vibrate if they like you enough.

Move Slowly 

If you are a seasoned guinea pig owner, you’ve noticed how easily startled your furry friends are. 

When you are first starting to build a bond with your pet, it is important to move slowly and help them feel safe.

The biggest part of bonding with cavies is letting them know you are a safe space for them. 

This means acting calmly to ensure they don’t associate you with fear. 

If you move too quickly, you’ll startle them, trigger their flight response, and make them want to run and hide. 

This is no way to get them to trust you enough to have cuddle sessions. 

Related: Do guinea pigs stare out of fear?

Be Quiet And Peaceful

Similarly, it is very important to be quiet around your guinea pigs. 

If you enter a room making a lot of noise or have the TV or radio blasting music, your cavies will run and hide. 

They may even associate you with scary sounds and not want to come out and spend time with you. 

Make sure you make the space quiet and peaceful to allow them to relax. 

This is crucial for establishing a trusting and loving bond, so your adorable guinea pig allows you to pet and tickle them.