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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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"
Ha! It was funny. Keep up the laughs.
I wrappped hay with a paper bag and then in a sock and sewed it shut. My piggie loved it, it smelled like hay, crinkled, and she could chew on it as much as she wanted to.
i just got a piggie yesterday and knew nothing about them this info really helped THANKS!!!! :)
i just got a piggie yesterday and knew nothing about them this info really helped THANKS!!!! :)
I just got a piggie for Christmas, she is soo cute!Her name is Miss Piggy and she just sits in her igloo all day but I don't know how old she is.:( She absolutely LOVES to nibble on clothes in fact she is doing it right NOW!:)
Thanks I got one for christmas i named her Roxy I got a sock without a mate, stuffed timothhy hay in it, then knotted it up once and she LOVES it!THANKS!:-)
i have a guinea pig it was born o halloween and i will never give it a weel i already know it is going to hurt the guinea pigs so i woudnt try it and if you have something to say about this info. thats bad to say save it :D ........no really save it
Thanks for the info Penelope (my piggie) has been needing some new toys.Now i know what NOT to get her and what TO get her.
Thanx!
I was gonna get my piggie a bunch of store bought toys, but thanks to this site I now know that some of those toys can b harmful and that some other toys can be substituted for simple things such as a sock.
Thanks soooo much this site was soooo helpful!!!!!!
well i guess its good enough...but
1. what happens of yur guinea pig is large and when it crawls through it gets stuck....thats what happened to me first guinea pig..
2.when u said paper bags...i thought what will happen if the paper bag is poisonous?
3. whats the point of buying it while u can make it??
i mean i know that u said paper bags and stuff..but is there a different way....like put something special in it...like putting everything in a large box???
no offense
hi you shouldt of deleted the video diana because other people want to watch it too. this site is still going out you know!
Popcorn is such a darling. I want to know about the cage. Are cages safe...? I see that Poppy chews on the cage. They seem to be painted...so this worries me. Can some one answer my question. I do not think the cages should be painted from the pet shops ?
Sorry i can't answer your question:( my guinea pigs are 3 months old and they don't hve anything t play with so this really helps me a lot!!!
check it out! great toys!
love to see it but you removed it. why?
hey that gay man take it aff
Hey thanx 4 the info my piggy:Porky is so happy with his new shoebox toy thingo thanx!!
NO WHEEL! the piggys will break their backs
all yall ppl who made diana delete the video r fags get a life and stop bein mean if u dnt like the video dontmake mean coments ur so mean diana i wish i could have saw the video because i think itll b good nd i needed help but thanks anyway
well i think that the video isn't all that cool. stop making fun of people to!!!!!!!!!!
thanks i will be making alot of homemade toys for my piggies(: i really want to make a little cozy (like a mini dog bed) luvd tha info!
thanx for such great info it has helped mee soo much i cant watch the video its said user removed it sooo that stinks thanx hanna
thanx for such great info it has helped mee soo much i cant watch the video its said user removed it sooo that stinks thanx hanna
I enjoyed reading this, though I don't have a Guinea Pig. I am a Cat lover myself. The video is gone (and I gave up watching the hot soccer chick cos it took ages to go anywhere.) You obviously love Your Pet Guinea Pig. A friend of mine told me her Guinea Pig cries when it listens to some kinds of classical music, but she may have been pulling my leg...!
Love da info. Used it on da pets
Awesome info thanks. We get our guinea pigs tomorrow and I am SO excited! Two girls. I will definitely be using some of your ideas to entertain them.
Neary everyone who posted has incredibly bad grammer!
I agree with Kpr7.
ahhh coool
Could you just remind me about the wheel. They CAN use it can't they? I wish I had seen the video. Owning guinea pigs is really confusing isn't it?
I have a guinea piggie and love her,but she does seem very lonley,if I were to get her a friend,would she like another girl,or a neutered boy?
Dear Sammy,
Dear Sammy,
You should get a female guinea pig instead of a male because female guinea pigs really love having other female compainions
The piggy in the bag is ssssssooooo cute. Great hub, lots of useful info.
I love giving them different toys, we use the pvc pipes too, and then cardboard. Sometimes we put boxes we have turned into huts in their cages or give them toilet paper and paper towel rolls. They love it. I'm glad I found your list. I'm gonna have to try the hay in the sock and see what they think. I just started my own hub at http://hubpages.com/hub/Guinea-Pig-Bedding if you want to see it, it's about Guinea pig bedding.
they play with a little house i gave them...Its SO cute!!! they love to poke there heads out of the Window I made them.They also Love Fighting over the soch with hay inside.I have to make them a new one every day!Somtimes I hide Dandilion leaves in there...They will rip it apart untill they find it!!!!
Love the info, definitely a future resource!!
My gunniepig is soooo cute his name is snickersmand i dont know what kind of home maid toys should i build?
sssssssssooooooooooooooooooo cccccuteeeeeeeeeee
sssssssssooooooooooooooooooo cccccuteeeeeeeeeee
Ah awesome information on toys. In fact toys are the robust mean to sooth and entertain the kids, whether these are electronics, animal stuffed toys. Is it Easy to choose and buy the toys online http://instantoys.com
I just got my guinney pig Mou last night, so this was extremely helpful!
FART
Never ever use a wheel or ball with a guinea pig! It will eventually cause serious back problems and/or injury!
my guinea pig has the same b-day as Jesus Christ!
this is good information for me and it helped a lot
i am probably going to get a guinea pig, but i hae to convince my dad first. . . . . thanks for all the awesome information!!!!
GUINEA PIG WHEELS R BAD DONT BUY THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you I was curious about stuff for my piggy I understand now thank you
wow BOB, real mature
also (i'm not sure if any one commented this yet or not)
you shouldn't give your piggy a running ball or wheel because they are too big for them and they are not made to bend that way so it will end up breaking their spine. i really like this info! i hyave 2 piggies myself, Kiwi and Mango!
rubish
I love guinea pigs!!!
thank you for the info my guinea pigs are so happy
my guinea pigs always looked bored and this helped me a lot and there not bored any more
pigloos r really good toys, my piggy luvs it.
Entertaining hub! Some great ideas here.
i would just like to say that you shudnt go around sayin how horrible the video is and that it was rubbish. its not nice plus if its so rubbish then y wud u watch it. ther rely isnt any point in just commenting just to say the video was rubbish, you must have needed this info if you read this so at least they are trying to help, so instead of saying they shud get a life, you shud.plus i luv this website and the video is sooo adorable.
Thanks for the info the video would not load though
Awesome info! I got a piggy he just eats I wanted to give him a toy now I have a bunch of ideas
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This is some good information. I just want to caution those using any wheels or balls....I talked to vet prior to purchasing and he said it will break their spines and cause horrible injuries with mucho pain. I had to nix the idea based on that. The sock and hay is a great idea. I do not think allowing them to play inside the paper towels rolls etc will harm them but I do not leave them so they can start eating on them as there was a valid point made about the carbons they contain making them slightly poisonous. Guinea pigs have to be watched when giving anything fresh, especially greens. The build up of gas will kill them. Sadly I lost one after reading information on a site that said it was safe to give. I gave a bowl of fresh greens and it died within hours of eating it. They will gnaw on their cages so the paint is not something recommended but pet stores everywhere have what appears to be painted blocks. They actually are natural dyes that will not harm them but gives them stimulation with the colors (much like classical music). So, I hope this helps. The good and the bad. Not sure what ya'll are going on about on the video. I believe these folks love their guinea pigs and play with them a lot rather than just caging them up and doing nothing. Kudos to you owners who love and play with your pets. They love to be cuddled and the Russian Guineas are the sweetest of the lot! (IMO). Merry Christmas, everyone! Remember that being an owner of an animal is a responsibility, so please, take care. It hurts to lose one you love so much!
hi what r some good plaCES To buy guniea pigs
I have a guinea pig and I got her yesterday at PetSmart. We named her Peanut!
my guinea pig loves a bit of apple wrapped up in a sheet of computer paper
My Guinea Pig Likes To Hide & Do All Those things You Listed Up thier thanks For the Info
Helped ALOT !
(:
do you like them
hey the above info is very helpful!!Thank you so much I'd got a cavy two days ago and its a male...then everyone at our home was freaking out because its alone...they thought it might get lonely...so I wonder if it's alright to give him a partner which is a male too or should I buy a female one?! hmmmmm :/
I think that a majority of the facts are great, there was really only one thing that anoyed me and that is that i saw alot of comments discussing why you shouldnt get a wheel for you guinea pig(s), but never once did i see the real/best/most important reason why you shouldnt, and that is because guinea pig's back's are hunched (rounded upward) and it will hurt their backs if they run in a wheel(which causes their back to be rounded inwards)!
No offense, but it annoys the crap out of me when people go and buy a pet that they know nothing about because they never bothered to even do any research or anything on the animal. And by the time they get it home, they dont have a clue what to do with it ;/
**THE LAST PART DOES NOT APPLY TO THE PERSON WHO POSTED THIS PAGE**
That is really gross using a wheels as a scratching devise
That is a nice pic of a Guinea Pig I love them
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no name 4 years ago
this info is very useful I like it