If you are getting accessories for your pet and you are wondering, do guinea pigs like mirrors? Well, the answer to that question totally depends on your pig’s state of mind. If you have a single guinea pig, placing a mirror in its enclosure will help to prevent loneliness that can result from boredom.
However, guinea pigs are not able to recognize themselves in mirrors, and they believe that there is another guinea pig in their enclosure, so you need to watch out for its reaction to see if it likes the mirror.
Do Guinea Pigs Like Mirrors?
As stated before, guinea pigs do not recognize themselves in a mirror, so their reaction depends on their state of mind. But placing a mirror in your guinea pig’s enclosure will help to elevate the burden of loneliness.
Before putting a mirror inside the cage, start by allowing your guinea pig to see its reflection in a mirror in your house, and if they seem happy with the reflection, you can go ahead and place a mirror in the cage.
However, after a while, your guinea pigs will soon realize the reality of the mirror and treat it just like other toys.
Before placing a mirror inside the guinea pig’s cage, you have to make sure;
- It is not cracked or broken
- Try to clean the mirror regularly
- If your guinea pig reacts negatively to the mirror, remove it
- Try removing and replacing the mirror to keep your guinea pig interested in it
Read Also: How Long Do Guinea Pigs Live
Watch this video:
Guinea Pig Negative Reactions To Mirrors
If your guinea pig reacts aggressively or shows some sign of dominance like:
- Teeth chattering and rumbling
- Stressed squeaking, snorting, and loud teeth chattering
- Lifting its chin high
- Wiggling their bottom
- Chasing and mounting behavior
- Nipping and biting
Immediately remove the mirror from its enclosure. Single guinea pigs can be startled by the presence of other guinea pigs, and this can result in a fight-or-flight response.
Apart from aggression, your guinea pig can also show signs of fear toward a mirror. The mirror can make the guinea pig think that there’s a new guinea pig in their territory, and if the guinea pig is nervous, it will run away from the mirror.
If your guinea pig steps in front of the mirror and bows to it, that’s a way of the guinea pig informing the other guinea pig that they are not a threat.
If your guinea pig shows any signs of fear, you should immediately remove the mirror because if a guinea pig feels unsafe, it becomes stressed, and you don’t want that.
What if my guinea pig ignores your mirror?
If your guinea pig ignores your mirror, it either means the guinea pig doesn’t want to interact, especially common in older guinea pigs, or that the guinea pig is bored of the mirror, especially if it has been in its cage for some time.
Although a guinea pig has no sense of perception and thinks its reflection is another guinea pig, the reflection doesn’t produce any smell, which causes a lack of sensory impact; hence it ignores it.
You can combat this by using mirrors of different shapes, removing and replacing them constantly to keep your guinea pig interested in it.
Read Also: How Do I Know If My Guinea Pig Like Me?
Conclusion: Do Guinea Pigs Like Mirrors?
The question, do guinea pigs like mirrors? It can only be answered by your guinea pig itself, and you always need to keep an eye on the mirror while it’s in the guinea pig’s cage.
Although placing a mirror in your guinea pig’s cage might help with the loneliness, you want to make sure it is okay with your pet.
