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Guinea pigs are curious and inquisitive pets that love to play. Unfortunately, guinea pigs are susceptible to depression-like symptoms in an environment where they feel bored and lonely. It's important to provide your guinea pig with fulfilling enrichment and mental stimulation to promote a happy lifestyle. Therefore, you should always find ways to entertain your guinea pig by providing them with toys, floor time, or updating their cage. Continue reading this wikiHow to find out how.
Steps
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Crumple up a piece of paper. Use plain paper and crumple it into a ball. Put it into your guinea pig's cage, or let them play with it when they're out. It sounds too easy, but guinea pigs like the crumpling noise and will likely gnaw on it. [1] X Research source
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Create cheap cardboard tunnels. Cut up a wrapping paper tube into short lengths. Your guinea pig will toss it around and play with it. Just be sure to cut down the side so that your guinea pig doesn't get stuck inside.Advertisement
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Make a stuffed sock. Find an old sock, and stuff some of the guinea pig's hay inside. Tie off the sock on one end. Cut off the end of the sock. Your guinea pig will pull the pillow around their cage and chew on it. [2] X Research source
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Use a ping-pong ball or a tennis ball. While you're technically not making these toys, you likely have a few laying around the house. Just toss them in the cage, and let your guinea pig have fun. [3] X Research source
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Add tunnels and hiding spaces. Guinea pigs enjoy burrowing into their own personal cave or running through tunnels. You can use simple items such as cardboard tubes and small paper bags to keep your guinea pig happy. You can also use rodent igloos, which are made of plastic. [4] X Research source
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Keep your guinea pig in an active area. When you bring your cage home, consider placing it in the most active room in your house, such as the living room. Your guinea pig is a social animal, and they'll want to be near people. By placing their cage in an active area, you'll keep them from getting bored. [5] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
- However, make sure not to stick your guinea pig near a noise source, such as a stereo or television. The noise can hurt their sensitive ears. [6] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
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Provide chew toys. Your guinea pig needs to chew on things to keep their teeth short. You can use cardboard boxes or untreated wood, or you can simply buy chew toys specifically designed for guinea pigs or other rodents. [7] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
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Make the room safe. Before you let your guinea pig out of their cage, you need to make the room safe. Make sure you have nothing around the room that your guinea pig can get into, such as chemicals or cleaning supplies.
- Remove or pick up cords out of your guinea pig's reach. They may chew on them if they find them on the floor.
- If you're worried about your guinea pig going to the bathroom on your carpet or flooring, lay down a layer of plastic or newspaper to catch any accidents.
- Put house plants out of reach. Many of them are toxic to guinea pigs. [8] X Research source
- Remove plastic bags, as guinea pigs may like them, but they are not safe to play with. [9] X Research source
- Don't forget to provide food and water for the time your guinea is out of their cage. [10] X Research source
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Shut off the room. Close any doors so your guinea pig can't escape. Also, keep any other pets, such as dogs or cats, out of the room while you have your guinea pig out of their cage. [11] X Research source
- Let your family members know that you are letting your guinea pig out, as they may open the door while your guinea pig is roaming about. [12] X Research source
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Create an obstacle course. Guinea pigs like a challenge, so try making an obstacle course or maze out of cardboard. You can use a large piece of cardboard for the base or simply tape walls to the floor. Put in twists and turns, and have a treat ready at the end.
- Add interesting obstacles, such as cardboard tubes or bridges. Tunnels are also a fun addition. [13] X Research source
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Give your guinea pig time to roam. Guinea pigs need exercise every day to keep from getting bored in their cages. Pull them out of their cage with two hands, and set them in the room you've made guinea pig-proof. Throw out a few toys to play with. If you want to socialize at the same time, get down on the floor with your guinea pig so that they can interact with you.
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Avoid exercise balls. Even if they say they are for guinea pigs, these balls are not really designed for guinea pig use, and they can be dangerous for your pet's back. [14] X Research source
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Catch your guinea pig. If your guinea pig does escape into the rest of your house, keep a cool head. Put your other pets away. Close any other escape routes, especially ones leading outdoors. Try to herd your guinea pig into a corner to catch her. If she holes up somewhere, know she will eventually come out to find food. Just be ready to catch her.
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Give your guinea pig fresh fruits. Providing your guinea pig with fresh fruits once in a while will help spice up her diet. However, just like humans, guinea pigs shouldn't have too much sugar, so only feed her fruit two or three times a week.
- You can provide your guinea pig fresh fruit such as oranges, pears, strawberries, seedless grapes, and blueberries.
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Offer vegetables. You can be a bit more liberal with vegetables, since most of them have less sugar than fruits. You can offer one cup of vegetables to your guinea pig once a day. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
- Some vegetables you can feed to your guinea pig include bell peppers, cucumbers, peas, carrots, and corn. [16] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
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Give your guinea pig your food trash. That is, parts of vegetables you might normally throw away are fine to feed to your pet, such as strawberry tops and celery leaves. Always make sure that the fruit or vegetable is on the safe list before feeding it to your guinea pig. [17] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
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Know what snacks are off limits. Your guinea pig can have some human foods, but many foods are off-limits, such as salty snacks, chewy snacks, sugar-filled snacks (including chocolate), and other processed foods. You also want to avoid rhubarb, garlic and onions, raw or dried beans, and seeds.
- Chips or pretzels are too salty for your pet. Additionally, chips can be sharp and cut your guinea pig's mouth.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat should you not feed your Guinea pig?Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.The list of what not to feed is so long that it's best to check out each new food before feeding it. For example, avocados and coconut are too high in fat for Guinea pigs, while any form of bean is liable to ferment inside the gut and cause bloat. Absolute no-nos are processed human foods such as cookies, chocolate or candies, which guinea pigs are not designed to eat. Pigs are strictly vegetarian, so never give a Guinea pig meat in any form. Be wary of the onion family and garlic since these can be toxic, and surprising things such as daffodil or tulip bulbs are toxic, so always err on the side of caution and check first before letting your pet chew to its heart's content.
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QuestionIs lettuce toxic to guinea pigs?Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.Lettuce has a bad reputation because it is nutritionally neutral. It's a bit like eating water, which means it fills your guinea pig's stomach but without giving beneficial vitamins, minerals, and energy. This could potentially mean the guinea pig eats less of things that are good for her ... and so it is best avoided.
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Tips
- Always give your guinea pig lots of different foods, treats, and toys so she doesn't get bored.Thanks
- Lettuce is also a good treat to give to your guinea pig.Thanks
- Avoid giving your guinea pig iceberg lettuce because of its high water content, which could cause diarrhea.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Guinea pigs need at least 3-4 hours a day of playtime. Some cat toys such as ones with a bell inside a ball often amuse them too. Guinea pigs are social animals and should be in groups of 2 or more so they don't get lonely.
- If your guinea pig is fine with being held, then holding your guinea pig is a great option. You can also let them out of their cage to run around as long as they're not able to get out of the room.
- Get a small fleece teddy bear, take out the stuffing, and replace it with hay or guinea nugget. Leave a hole in the teddy bear as it will encourage your guinea pig's foraging instincts.
- Some guinea pigs that you might get when they are older, are antisocial. It's best for new guinea pigs to meet each other in a new environment so they can properly be introduced.
- Never put a running wheel in your guinea pig's cage and never let your guinea pigs run in an exercise ball because these can damage your guinea pig's backs.
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References
- ↑ http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
- ↑ http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
- ↑ http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/toysandhomecomforts.html
- ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/guinea-pig-housing
- ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/guinea-pig-housing
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/exercise.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/exercise.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/exercise.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/exercise.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/exercise.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/toysandhomecomforts.html
- ↑ http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/toysandhomecomforts.html
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care
- ↑ https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/small-pet-care/guinea-pig-care
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to entertain your guinea pig, try making a chew toy by stuffing an old sock with some of the guinea pig’s clean bedding material and tying off the end. For a simpler solution, you can crumple up a piece of paper and throw it in the cage for it to chew on. You should also let it out of its cage at least once a day to let it get some exercise and break the monotony. Just make sure there are no cords on the ground where it can chew on them. For more toy ideas and play tips from our Veterinary reviewer, read more!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I just recently got my guinea pig Charlie, and he seemed to spend all his time in his hidey house. This helped me realize that I could make toys and help him be less depressed. He seems a lot happier now." ..." more
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"I just recently got my guinea pig Charlie, and he seemed to spend all his time in his hidey house. This helped me realize that I could make toys and help him be less depressed. He seems a lot happier now."
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"This article was really helpful to me, as my guinea pig Hettie was showing signs of boredom since her companion had passed away. I took some tips from your article to give her some homemade toys, and the run around of my front room, and she's having a great time running around and eating some of her favorite snacks, including a few new ones that were suggested in your article. Thank you great help."
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"My guinea pig loves eating paper and plastic, so I can't even think on making paper toys for him. Last time he got pretty sick by eating the half of a small plastic bag, and sometimes he bites the newspaper as well. Be careful on paper toys! :)"
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"My guinea pig doesn't play a lot, and even if he did, I did not know how to play with him. I also wanted it to be more comfortable playing with him and needed more ways to keep him entertained. You gave me very useful tips. "
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"I'm adopting guinea pigs for the first time. This article is very good, it will help me learn how to take care of them. I need to share this with all my friends and on my blog. Thank you so much, wikiHow."
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