Why Is My Chinchilla Squeaking? – Is It Hurt?
Imagine your chinchilla being hurt and making squeaking noises. You wouldn’t want that, right? Mind you; chinchillas do make strange squeaking sounds sometimes. But it’s not always because your pet is hurt.
So, you might have questions like, why is my chinchilla squeaking? Chinchilla is probably squeaking because it’s talking to itself or its mate. However, if your chinchilla is making very sharp, unusual, and long squeaks, it is a sign that it’s hurt. So, you must tend to it immediately.
Now, there are other behaviors as well that chinchillas do when in discomfort. To know about chinchilla squeaking in full detail, you must read the guide till the end.
Why Is My Chinchilla Squeaking?
Remember, just like human beings, chinchillas also talk to themselves sometimes. Or, if you have multiple chinchillas, they can also talk to each other. And one mode of communication of chinchillas is actually the squeaking sound.
So, as long as the squeaking does not seem to be unusually long or frequent, you should not be worried at all. Chances are that your chinchilla is just doing its everyday talk by making this squeaking noise. Or, the squeaking sound might also be an expression of comfort and satisfaction.
However, for more clarification, multiple types of squeaking are listed in the below section. By reading the information below, you will be able to differentiate whether your chinchilla is actually in discomfort when it’s making squeaking sounds.
1. Small Length Squeaks
Chinchillas will usually make small squeaks all day long. This is not something that you should be getting alarmed about. It’s because, as mentioned above, chinchillas talk to themselves or their mates through small squeaks.
Or, small squeaks can just simply be a regular body expression as well. So, don’t get worried if you see your little companion making tiny squeaks throughout its daily routine.
2. Continuous squeaking:
If your chinchilla is making continuous squeaking sounds, it can be because of two reasons; either it’s fighting its mate or feeling some sort of discomfort.
In case your chinchilla lives with a mate, you should check on it when it’s making this type of sound. If you see the chinchillas fighting each other, you should separate them ASAP.
Now, if your chinchilla lives alone, you must pinpoint why it’s in discomfort. In most cases, your chinchilla might make this sound simply because it’s hungry. So, give it food and water in the necessary amounts to calm it down.
3. Frequent alarm-like squeaking
Sometimes you might notice your chinchilla making a particular alarm-like squeaking. If you hear this type of sound, you should understand that your chinchilla might have been surprised or gotten out of sleep all of a sudden.
This is the type of sound a chinchilla makes when it’s woken up by any sudden noise. In the wild, chinchillas use this alarm-like squeaking sound to alert the whole herd of chinchillas of impending danger.
So, if your chinchilla is making a sound similar to an alarm-like squeaking, you should interact with your rodent pet by making hand gestures or just normal talking. Although your chinchilla won’t understand what you say to it, it will feel soothed and relaxed to see its owner. This might calm it down and stop the noise right away.
4. Squeaking and barking
In some rare cases, you might notice that your pet chinchilla is squeaking and barking at frequent intervals. This happens when your rodent friend is mad at something. It can be mad at you or any other thing.
When you approach to touch it, you will see that it’s making a squeaking and barking sound. Plus, it might want to get away from your touch. And this is an indication that your pet friend is angry.
In this situation, you have to try to calm down your pet friend as soon as possible. You can try feeding it its favorite food or giving it some drinking water to soothe itself.
In addition, you should also check whether the temperature or the environment is causing discomfort to your pet.
Do Chinchillas Squeak When They’re Happy?
Technically speaking, chinchillas do squeak when they’re happy and healthy. However, besides squeaking, they also make other types of sounds when they’re extremely joyful.
For example, when your chinchilla is playing with its mate, it might express its happiness by showing some friendly barking and squeaking sounds. Plus, it can sometimes also make a high-pitched squeaking sound when it’s feeling extremely energetic.
But, in general, a happy chinchilla will gently make a low squeaking sound. And, you will probably infrequently hear the sound. Lastly, if your chinchilla is making a squeaking sound for too long and for definite intervals, it might be a sign that it is sick, scared, or unhappy.
Why Do Chinchillas Squeak At Night?
Chinchillas generally make squeaking sounds at night as a general expression. Because it is a nocturnal animal, it stays awake at night and roams around, according to a peer-reviewed 2020 research. In this time frame, it can make general squeaking noises that have no particular meaning.
Apart from that, chinchillas can also squeak at night when it’s mating with its partner. Specifically, when chinchillas mate, the male partner creates a continuous squeaking sound to indicate its mating session. This way, no other males can come near the female at the time of mating.
Furthermore, if a chinchilla is surprised or afraid of something at night, it can make a squeaking sound to express the fear. For instance, if a cat is walking in front of the cage of your rodent friend, it can see the feline as a potential predator. So, it might make a squeaking sound at night.
Therefore, if your pet is making a squeaking sound at night, you shouldn’t take it as a signal for something to be alarmed about. However, pet experts suggest you check on your chinchilla at night from time to time to ensure whether it’s acting normally or not.
Why Does My Chinchilla Squeak When I Pet Him/Her?
A 2012 study suggests that interaction between humans and animals increases the joy in both species. And touching a pet relieves stress and anxiety in both the pet and the owner.
So, when you pet your chinchilla, it certainly experiences some levels of compassion and stress relief. Consequently, it can let out squeaking noises as an expression of happiness and comfort.
On top of that, it’s also possible that your chinchilla gets tickled when you touch it. So this can also be another reason your pet friend squeaks when you pet him/her.
Finally, your rodent friend always hungers for your attention as a house pet. When you touch it, it feels more protected and comforting. So, it can make a squeaking sound to communicate with you.
That means that when you’re petting your chinchilla, it might simply be making a squeaking sound to let you know that it wants to be petted by you even more.
Chinchilla Squeaking In Sleep: Is It Normal?
When your rodent pet is sleeping in its comfortable abode, it can make infrequent squeaking sounds. It’s fully normal for your pet to make this type of sound in its sleep. The reason why your chinchilla might make this type of sound is the fact that it needs to yawn every now and then in the time of sleep.
According to 2010 research on mice and rats, rodents get a dopamine boost by eating their favorite food. Consequently, they like to go to sleep very quickly after eating their meal.
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In situations like this, just like humans, chinchillas usually make yawn (squeaking sounds) and get comfortable in their sleep. Hence, it can make squeaking sounds during its sleep too.
However, if you notice that your chinchilla is making a very frequent and high-pitched squeaking sound while it’s lying down (not sleeping), you should be alarmed. This type of behavior indicates that your pet is sick and going through pain. So, after noticing this type of behavior, take your pet to a veterinary doctor right off the bat.
Related Questions
Here, let’s look at some of the most commonly asked questions on the internet about pet chinchillas squeaking sounds.
Why is my chinchilla making a weird sound?
Pet chinchillas can sometimes make unusual sounds (no squeaking) for different reasons. For example, if your chinchilla has eaten too much food, it can make weird sounds as a means to indicate that it’s tired and needs rest right now.
Or it can also make weird sounds when it has caught any illness or cold. In either case, it’s highly recommended that you properly check on your pet to find out if it is in severe discomfort or not. If you think your chinchilla is making weird noises due to physical pain, pay a visit to a vet ASAP.
Why does my chinchilla make whimpering noises?
Making whimpering noises is usually a normal trade of wild and house-bred chinchillas. It’s a genetic trait that chinchillas use to check their current location with other rodents nearby.
So, if your chinchilla is making a whimpering noise, it’s probably trying to figure out if there is any other member of its species nearby or not.
How do I calm down my chinchilla if it’s endlessly squeaking?
If your chinchilla is in stress or danger, it can make very frequent and never-ending squeaking noises as an expression of fear. To stop this, you need to make sure that your chinchilla is relieved, stress-free, and not afraid anymore.
To do that, you can play some relaxing music or try talking to your pet friend. Or, you can also try giving your chinchilla its favorite food to convince it that it’s not in danger.
Note: Here’s a video that explains which type of squeaking sounds chinchillas usually make and what they mean. Check this out to have a better understanding of your pet’s sounds.
Now That We’re Here
Well, that’s all there’s to it. Now you should’ve clearly understood the squeaking behaviors. So, you shouldn’t be worried about seeing your chinchilla making squeaking noises on and off. But the bottom line is that you should be concerned only when you think the squeaking noises have gone to an extreme level. Specifically, if your rodent friend is making high-pitched noises for an extremely long time, you should take it to an animal care center. Best of luck to you, and peace out!!!
