Is it normal for a guinea pig to jump and fly through the air for someone?

My daughter is 11 and about 3 months ago got her first guinea pig. She is thrilled with him. Henry is a match made in heaven for her. He is outgoing and just loves to be with her.


Now, there are 4 others of us in the house who hold him, feed him and just love the little guy. But this is the part I have a question about.

When she walks not the room, he perks up and starts looking for her. If she leaves the room he will watch her leave the room and just sit there after she leaves.

When she goes to pick him up he will actually leap into her arms! I mean really jump!
He has shocked us at times because she will say "Henry, come on " and no kidding he will run and fly into her arms, he jumps towards her body and she catches him.


Is this normal for a guinea pig to jump and fly through the air for someone? He adores her, and she spends a lot of time with him. In fact he has his own picture set up on my Facebook page of him being dressed in some little hats and scarves.

I have never heard of this before, just wondering if anyone has ever seen this?

I've not seen a guinea pig jump like that towards someone but I have noticed that they will respond to someone they have bonded with, getting excited in their presence and squealing out for attention. i think guniea pigs make great companions and I can just picture the bond shared between Henry and your daughter. I would love to see him dressed in his little outfits

I love this story of the flying guinea pig. I have kept them in the past and I noticed that they do jump into the air sometimes. Clearly this jumping guinea pig loves its young owner.

I think jumping might be natural for a guinea pig because in the wild they live out on the pampas grasslands. Jumping might be a defence mechanism when a preditor is about to pounce. I know that is very different from running and jumping up to an adored owner, but running is also something guinea pigs must have developed from their natural habitat.

I have heard of guinea pigs "popcorning", but I have never heard of this before, how adorable! It sounds like their personalities are a good match for each other.