What Toys Can I Give My Guinea Pig?
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A guinea pig's idea of fun differs a lot from other pet's ideas of fun. Although you may come across balls and wheels in pet shops or online stores that say they are toys for guinea pigs, they are not. Guinea pigs think nibbling, burrowing and sometimes tossing things about is fun. But running around or climbing anything is not.
Do NOT Get
If you can't remember what TO get, at least remember what NOT to get. Do not get hamster or ferret balls. The guinea pig will not know what to do and may easily suffocate. Also, do NOT get them any kind of wheel. They don't hate wheels, but they will never use them. However, they will stare at them and, very occasionally, use it as a butt-scratching device.
Think "baby" when selecting a toy for a guinea pig - anything you give the piggy will eventually go in his or her mouth. This means no toys that are made of harmful metals, questionable paint (especially lead paint) and put together with any kind of staple or toxic glue. Also, don't give them anything that you don't want them to chew.
Do Get
You don't have to spend a lot of money to amuse a guinea pig. This is one of the joys of keeping guinea pigs (or being kept by them - whatever the case may be!) Great toys for guinea pigs will mimic things they love to do - nibble and burrow. These things include:
- paper bags
- their water bottles (they will play with the ball inside the spout, sometimes just to hear the noise)
- big, overturned flower pots (NOT plastic!)
- scrunched up balls of blank computer paper (nothing with dyes on it) with a tidbit inside
- PVC pipes to hide in
- big paper towel rolls or toilet paper cardboard rolls
- old clothes or towels you don't want anymore
- old socks filled with hay
- small, empty cardboard boxes, with perhaps a side taken out, or sturdy enough for Piggy to perch on
- treat sticks or chew sticks made for guinea pigs
- shoeboxes with part cut out so piggy can poke his or her head out
- "hideaways" or "igloos" made of non-toxic or edible materials
Toys That Need Supervision
In the last few years, small bird and cat toys have been given to guinea pigs so they can but them around or toss them around. The hanging bird toys with bells and wooden chew sticks are reported to be safe enough to leave with a piggy, but I would remove the bell (unless it is too large to fit inside a guinea pig's mouth).
Some recent publications like Bowtie Press' Guinea Pigs, (2005) lists plastic spoons as good guinea pig toys. Like small cat toys and some bird toys, they are also of plastic. Although plastic will usually pass through a guinea pig's digestive system, it is not the best thing for the guinea pig to eat, especially if there are sharp edges or if the plastic causes an intestinal blockage.
This writer recommends reserving toys like this for floor time, when you are around to observe the guinea pigs. This only needs to be an hour or so a day, just to be sure they aren't eating their plastic toys. Guinea pigs don't need a lot of exercise, but after running about their play area for a little, they do like to sniff around and go exploring and find new things to nibble.
Cleo likes to toss a cat toy. Film by DianaSalazar91
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Comments
HORRIBLE VIDEOW
cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
Ok well NEVER buy a wheel for a guinea pig not because they will never use it because they mite but still heres a list of reasons why u shudnt
no.1 They are too large for a wheel and quite likey they will fall off and hurt them selfs.Result:Causing pain to guinea pig and money for a vet.
no.2 The more they use the wheel the more their back will huntch over.Result: A huntch in his/her back (maybe be painful I'm not sure.)
Hope a helped
Kelz
xoxox
thanks for the ideas i've got 3 boys at home who would love something new the play with
my piggys love using wheels but if they will hurt thems selfs i will take it away
I just got a guinea pig and i didn't know much about them
this info helped me a lot !!!!!!!!
hi uhh imma print this and read it later!
thanks!
I thought this was a horrible video. It was badly made, therefore, I didn't understand it. The information above it was very helpful, though. I personally think videos don't help and they're a waste of time. The picture was also terrifying. Get a life.
I made this video,
haha
me and my sisters make weird noises when we think animals do something cute.
To the person above me:
YOU get a life. Don't watch videos that you hate.
thanks a lot this info i realy needed and it saved my guinea pigs life thanks alot from loren
Weird video! So like odd! But, very good info. If you want more good info on piggies, go to: Guineapigcages.com It has sooooo man other things about guinea pigs than just cages. In fact, there is only like one page about cages and all the rest are all about other things about piggies. Oh yeah,
To the person above me, how did it save your piggie's life?
Bad video.
thanks for the information. i am getting a new guinea pig and she is 1 month old so thanks.
but very bad and weird video
hhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
guineapigs=goobers, he had a wheel or something and gave it to it but when he saw this he took it out.
mine is only 5 months old and i have no clue wat to give him maybe the paper bag will work he lovs 2 ttnnel
I GAVE MY MINE EVERY TOY KNOWN AND HE DOSNENT WANT TO PLAY HE JUST SITS THERE OR HE RUNS +HE ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD
never get a C&C cage for a baby guinea pig about 7-8 weeks old because thye may look fat but they can easily slip out of one of the little grids no matter how tight you put them, and can get them selves into a lot of trouble!!!!!
-own experience!!!!!!
he he weird video lol
i hate this watching it was a nightmare
You say about plastic passing through the digestive system. Last night, I accidentally left a soft plastic watch (a lump of rubbish given free in the guinea pig food) in their cage and today half of the strap had been eaten. Should I be worried?
The video was kind of hard to understand, but seeing the piggie play with the toy was cute.
Thanks SO muchfor the information, now I know what aand what not to give my piggie to play with :3
Thanks for the tips.We were unsure what toys were safe.
after my brthday i will get a guinea pig for my room and it is going to be near my bed and im going to be 15 in june
Cute video:) and the info really helped me too, Twix is getting bored of just running around:)
bahahah did you really just get in a fight over a video... the point of this page is to help you take care of your piggie. You probably follow these rules about toys despite the fact that you tried to decimate this person's reputation online. You should also invest in a grammar tutor before you go posting things on the internet.
Rena-- Thank you for the information, my piggies are ecstatic with their new array of toys.
that video was cute but in the beggining it was to blury to understand.
The video was weird. But all the info was good to know. Do I need to take my guinea pig to a vet so he can get his teeth filed or no? He keeps grinding his teeth together, even though I give him and his brother 2 chew sticks everytime I clean their cage (twice a week!!).
TERRIBLE VIDEO!!!!!!!! OH YA AND YOU GET A LIFE!!!
AND DONT BE MEAN TO LALALALA!!!!!!!!!
after looking at the site i think i want to have one as a pet. Guinea pig is such a cute thing... and i think the video isnt that bad.. i like what he/she is doing catching the thing in his/her mouth... CUTE!!
This info was really good and it helped because maizey had been looking really bored but I read this and now she's got nice toys to play with. That video was neat but kinda blurry at first.
i cant believe u just had a fight im only 6 and me and my brothers dont even fight that much anyway cool info
i agree with everything that kpr7 says
cho'w
i thought paper or plastic will kill a guinea pig, so how is it that they can play with rolled up paper balls and cardboard ??
ok soo u can give them like maybe a stick or like a med can ( the ones that a prescipshons but wash them good)
this stuff is good to know but my guinea pigs run around in ther cage that fills up half my room.
this stuff is good to know but my guinea pigs run around in their cage that fills up half my room.
My guinea pig likes to play with a ball
and rull it around.
And I can us carbourd box to make
it a house.
hahha my guinea pig will toss my necklace(peace sign ) wen im wearing it and im holding him,ming LOVES to cuddel with me,i named him Bruno to :),after the movie ahaha
Thanks this helped me and my pigs a lot, thanks from my pigies and I.
Very useful information.
However if guinea pigs aren't allowed things to throw in the air why put a video of it?
Yeah that video was horrible
lets make a bunch of noise when out piggy yanks around this cat toy -.-
hated the video was horrble
this info is awesome! my piggies are so happy now.
love shouldnt say that cause the video had alot of info i didnt know and anyways i loved the video now i know what to get my guinea pig when i get it in a few days
love shouldnt say that cause the video had alot of info i didnt know and anyways i loved the video now i know what to get my guinea pig when i get it in a few days
love shouldnt say that cause the video had alot of info i didnt know and anyways i loved the video now i know what to get my guinea pig when i get it in a few days and "love get a life"
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no name says:
2 years ago
this info is very useful I like it