Guinea is a guinea pig that I take care of occasionally.
I also watch the family’s two cats and whatever other critters the kids have acquired since my last visit. I don’t actually know Guinea’s real name, so I’ve always called him Guinea. He doesn’t seem to mind.
Our relationship has always been pretty simple. I feed him, give him fresh hay, fresh water, and a treat. I usually say hi to him. That’s about it. I’ve tried a few times to pet him, but Guinea has a very strict no-touching policy. He’ll happily smell my fingers, but the moment I make any attempt to pet him, away he runs, disappearing into his little house.
The last time I watched Guinea, the cats, and the newly arrived tarantula, something very cool happened.
Guinea and I played. 
I’d noticed that he often made little noises, almost like someone sucking air through their teeth. So I made the same sound back to him.
Instantly he got the zoomies, racing around his cage. Then he stopped on the far side and gave me a look I’ve seen hundreds of times from dogs.
Game on. Let’s play!
I hurried over to his side and… zoom… he ran to the other end. I followed him again and… zoom… around the cage he went. He raced through his house, into his tunnels, through his cave, and back to the opposite side, waiting for me to catch up before taking off again.
This went on nonstop for about five minutes. Then Guinea suddenly stopped and wouldn’t budge.
He’d decided the game was over.
I’m laughing now just thinking about it, and hoping they didn’t have security cameras downstairs. If they did, they got quite a show. A 57-year-old pet sitter chasing a guinea pig around his cage, making sucking noises through his teeth while calling, “Guinea… Guinea… Guinea…” over and over again. 
The next day I went downstairs wondering if he’d want to play again. I made the sound, called his name, and sure enough, we were off and running. The next four visits were exactly the same.
One of the things I love most about my job is the chance to bond with the animals I care for. It happens with my dogs all the time, and every now and then with a cat.
But to bond with a guinea pig?
That’s something completely different… and pretty cool.
Then again, maybe it isn’t different at all.
