

It is a response to happiness and excitement. Guinea pigs bounce and jump because they are happy. Now that we know the answer to “Can guinea pigs jump?” we can answer the question “Why is my guinea pig jumping?” However, a Guinea pig will bounce upwards, which might be considered jumping by some.

This behavior is called popcorning because the guinea pig will often resemble a popping piece of popcorn.Īnd whether this counts as jumping or not depends on who you ask.Ī guinea pig isn’t about to jump over something even moderately high, and most guinea pigs do not have the ability to jump up onto things. Both authors can’t be right… or can they?Ī lot of the confusion lies in the fact that while guinea pigs do jump, it isn’t the sort of jumping we would imagine. This can lead to a lot of confusion among pet owners. One source reports that “ guinea pigs do not jump or climb” while another claims that “ a happy guinea pig will jump straight up in the air.” So, the guinea pig’s behavior has been heavily influenced by their domestication, but what does this have to do with jumping? Can guinea pigs jump? Their behavior has been heavily affected by their time in captivity, and it is possible that many if their behaviors have developed due to their proximity to humans. Queen Elizabeth I is famously reported to have been a fan of guinea pigs.Īs you can see, guinea pigs have been companions to humans for a very long time! The resulting varieties became the ancestors to many of our modern breeds today.Īs guinea pigs were brought to Europe, they quickly became popular exotic pets. Then, after the Spanish conquest in 1532, they were selectively bred by the Spanish people. Guinea pigs were first domesticated for food by the tribes in the Andean region of South America. Some reports even say that they have were domesticated as early as 5000 B.C. Guinea pigs have been domesticated for an extremely long time.
