When getting your adorable fur baby, it is all fine and dandy during the daytime, but come evening, you may not entirely know if they can see in the dark or not. I wondered this myself over the guinea pig I recently received. Then I researched to find out all there is to know and share my discoverings with you. Can guinea pigs see in the dark? Cavies are more than likely to see in the dark, but it is undetermined as to how well they see at nighttime. However, since their vision ranges into 340-degrees, it is more than likely guinea pigs are fine in the dark. Regardless if they can see clearly or not, they still have many senses to help them out.Considering that, we will be learning how well guinea pigs see, if they need a nightlight, and what other senses they have available to them. If you want to learn more on this subject to better understand your fur animal, keep reading on. The facts that you will know might surprise you!

How Well Do Guinea Pigs See?

Asking how well they see is a tough question to answer from the get-go because many people debate whether they see well, while others mention cavies do not see as good as they should. However, if you have ever owned a guinea pig and seen how they run extremely fast to their burrows, one would assume their eyesight is spectacular. Matter of factly, guinea pigs see 33 images per section, which means if they move their heads, it will not be in blurry vision, whereas humans see 22 images per second. Another perk about their eyesight is that they can see in color and usually keep their eyes open, even in a sleepy state. On the other hand, while guinea pigs have a wide-ranged vision, they still lack depth perception. If you are going to place them anywhere out of the cage, make sure to be holding them properly or allow your pig to graze around without being in high places. If you were to put them on your bed or a countertop without supervision, they may fall off and hurt themselves, or even worse, death.So as you can see, this is why it is a hard question to answer. However, since guinea pigs move extremely fast, it is safer than anything to say that yes, they do have reasonably good vision. If they did not, you would think that they would bump into everything, especially at night, but they do not.

How Do Guinea Pigs Get Around?

Seeing is not the only way guinea pigs get around. Domestic cavy’s use their ears, whiskers, and noses to sense what else is going on around them. Since they are prey animals, all of these features better help them with survival from predators, such as hawks, cats, and, in some cases, humans. We are huge to them, which will lead them to believe we are a threat. Check out our article on how to tame a guinea pig if this may be an issue for you.That being said, here are some quick facts about their other senses available:

• Hearing: Guinea pig’s hearing is fine-tuned and can listen to high frequencies, which is why you will discover pet owners suggest keeping them in a quiet place. Using their ears allows them to get around everywhere and be aware of threats nearby.
• Sense of smell: When choosing items to eat, their sense of smell comes in handy because they do not see what they consume, so making sure they are not going to taste something poisonous. Their sense of smell is 25 times higher than a human, as a matter of fact.
• Whiskers: Not only that, but their whiskers around the nose helps them with the sense of touch. They also help them figure out what food they are eating or if the area is big enough for them to go into as they are walking around.

Do Guinea Pigs Need a Light On At Night?

Since domestic cavies are crepuscular animals, or when they are active during the day and night, one might think that they should have a nightlight to continue moving during the times we are asleep. It is unnecessary that guinea pigs need a night light, although it will not harm giving them one. However, all animals need to have a bit of darkness for a few hours. On the other hand, if you decide to do this, it may confuse their bodies, thinking that day is night, and night is the day.

Do Guinea Pigs Prefer Day Or Night?

Overall, they are more active during dawn or dusk than daytime, but it does not necessarily mean they prefer night over day. Because they sleep approximately four to six hours every day, they do not sleep all night long, as many animals do. If you notice that your pig is sleeping more, you might check to see if they have enough stimulation to keep them occupied during the day or some health issue involved.In some cases, guinea pigs will wake you up and cause you to not sleep during the night. They are not particularly loud animals, but they will still make small noises that may irritate you while attempting to sleep. If this is the case for you, here are some ways to keep your pig quiet during nighttime:

1. Always provide fresh vegetables to eat. Providing a nighttime routine of giving them food will help them keep quiet because they are content with eating and may sleep more at night.
2. Provide enough water in their cages.
3. Ensure their cage is enough space for them to roam around because they may feel claustrophobic if this is the case. A 30″ x 50″ is the right size to have.
4. Bath your domestic cavy. They only need to bathe once a month in the summer and every two months in the winter, but they will get irritated with dirt being on their coats. Too many baths risk chills and skin infections. However, if they need an anti-parasite bath, they might need to be bathed more per your veterinarian’s instructions.
5. Keep them active. Play with your guinea pig throughout the day and allow them to roam around your room for better exercise. Cavies may become grumpy if they do not get the proper attention.
6. Buy them in pairs. Guinea pigs tend to do better living with a friend than alone, so providing a friend will help them along. If you are only researching before getting a fur baby, then make sure they are together since birth for a better experience.
7. Train them. Most of the time, guinea pigs make a lot of noise because they are undoubtedly hungry. Although this may annoy some, here is a great way to tell them to calm down before eating.

• Have a bowl of food ready by their cage, kneel, and as they squeak, you will want to pet them until they calm down gently. Once calmed, place the bowl of food in their bins.
• The next time this happens, repeat the same process. Since guinea pigs are extremely smart, they will quickly learn that when they calm down, the faster it is, they will receive their food.

Should I Cover My Guinea Pig Cage At Night?

Asking this question is important because your goal is to make sure your cavy is in the healthiest form possible. Think about it this way. When you cover yourself up with the heaviest in your home, how do you feel? More than likely, you want to get out for a quick breath of air because of how it gets. The same goes for covering your pig’s entire cage. It will affect the way they breathe, which in return, causes their health to dwindle.Nevertheless, it is perfectly okay to partially cover their cage to keep them feeling both snug and allowing plenty of breathing air.

Last Thought

Finally, although we are not 100% certain if guinea pigs have an excellent vision or not, it is best to assume they do to the extent that they know where things are and how quickly your domestic cavy can go into their caves. Still, it is not safe to leave your pig on a high surface, as they may fall down and severely hurt themselves. We need to remember that guinea pigs are very fragile and must treat them like so. Make sure they have plenty of food and water during the night to ensure a better night’s sleep as well. You can guarantee they will live their best lives being in your home!