How to Entertain Your Guinea Pig

Four Parts:Making ToysMaking Your Guinea Pig's Cage More EnjoyableProviding Fun Exercise TimeProviding Food Treats

Guinea pigs get bored just like any other animal. Therefore, you should find ways to entertain them, such as providing toys and creating a more interesting cage. Also, providing time outside of the cage every day will give your guinea pig some exercise as well as entertain her. Finally, providing food treats will help keep her diet interesting.

Part 1
Making Toys

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    Crumple up a piece of paper. Use plain paper, and crumple it into a ball. Put in your guinea pig's cage, or let her play with it when she's out. It sounds too easy, but guinea pigs like the crumpling noise and will likely gnaw on it.[1]
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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.[2]
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    Make a stuffed sock. Find an old sock, and stuff some of the guinea pig's clean bedding material inside. Tie off the sock on one end. Cut off the end of the sock. Your guinea pig will pull the pillow around her cage and chew on it.[3]
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    Use ping-pong balls or 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.[4]

Part 2
Making Your Guinea Pig's Cage More Enjoyable

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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.[5]
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    Keep it in an active area. When you bring your cage home, consider placing it the most active room in your house, such as the living room. Your guinea pig is a social animal, and she'll want to be near people. By placing her cage in an active area, you'll keep her from getting bored.[6]
    • 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.[7]
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    Provide chew toys. Your guinea pig needs to chew on things to keep her 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.[8]

Part 3
Providing Fun Exercise Time

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    Make the room safe. Before you let a guinea pig out of her cage, you need to make the room safe. Make sure you have nothing around the room that she can get into, such as chemicals or cleaning supplies.[9]
    • Remove or pick up cords out of your guinea pig's reach. She may chew on them if she finds them on the floor.
    • If you're worried about the guinea pig going to the bathroom on your carpet or flooring, lay down a layer of plastic to catch any accidents.[10]
    • Put house plants out of reach. Many of them are toxic to guinea pigs.[11]
    • Remove plastic bags, as guineas like them, but they are not safe to play with.[12]
    • Don't forget to provide food and water for the time your guinea is out of her cage.[13]
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    Shut off the room. Close any doors so the 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 her cage.[14]
    • Also, warn family members you are letting the guinea pigs out, as they may open the door while they are on the floor.[15]
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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.[16]
    • Add interesting obstacles such as cardboard tubes or bridges.[17] Tunnels are also a fun addition.[18]
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    Give her 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 come investigate you.[19]
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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.[20]
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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.[21]

Part 4
Providing Food Treats

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    Give your guinea pig fresh fruits. Providing your guinea pig with fresh fruits once and 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.[22]
    • You can provide your guinea pig fresh fruit such as oranges, pears, strawberries, seedless grapes, and blueberries.[23]
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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 a small handful to your guinea pig once a day.[24]
    • Some vegetables to try include cucumbers, peas, carrots, and corn.[25]
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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 her, though.[26]
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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 lettuce, rhubarb, garlic and onions, raw or dried beans, and seeds.[27]
    • Chips or pretzels are too salty for your pet. Additionally, chips can be sharp and cut your guinea pig's mouth.[28]

Tips

  • Always give your guinea pig lots of different foods, treats, and toys so she doesn't get bored.
  • Lettuce was recommended by my local vet, and I was advised to avoid citrus rich fruit's such as oranges. Find more information before you follow one bit of advice.
  • Treat her to lettuce! However, avoid iceberg lettuce because of its high water content, ending up in diarrhea.
  • For hot days,cucumber is an excellent veggie to give your Guinea pig. It's high water content helps them cool off.
  • Guinea pigs can be fed grapefruit and bananas, although they are high in sugar so feeding them these fruits often.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.guineapigtoday.com/2011/09/18/toys-treats-and-other-fun-things/
  3. ↑ http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm

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Categories: Guinea Pigs