Whether you make or buy them, your pets are going to love their guinea pig toys!
Why do guinea pigs love their toys? They are a great way to keep them active and give them something to do when they are bored. The activity as very important as it really is a way for your cavy to exercise. And like humans, they can get bored with the daily routine. Give them some variety and they will love you for it.
Selecting the Best Guinea Pig Toys
While you may be tempted to go out and buy lots of toys for your pet, you can actually find suitable items in your own home.
There are two types of toys that work best:
1. Something to explore
2. Something to chew
Just take a few minutes and observe after giving him the toy. Does it look like he is having fun? If yes, then you did your job correctly!
Guineas need to chew, not only is it healthy but they love chewing. The biggest impact chewing has on your pet is that it keeps their teeth growth under control. Their teeth never stop growing. Without chewing it would lead to a very uncomfortable situation for them.
You don’t have to buy an expensive chew toy. Common household items like cardboard or even tubing would work very well. In a pinch you could even use a discarded paper towel cardboard roll. When you look at cardboard items, think, can my guinea pig chew and climb into this and play?
Look at small cardboard boxes and let your imagination go wild. Cut holes in for doors. Make windows. Your guinea pig loves to hide and this box will provide him with a great hiding place and a chew toy.
Guinea pigs also go crazy over tunnels. You can make your own tunnels by getting creative with PVC pipe. By using PVC pipe and fittings you can create many different designs giving your guinea pigs a fun place to explore. Then every few days you can redesign their pipe maze.
If you have the time and creative ability you could even create a mini guinea pig jungle gym for them to play in by setting up ramps leading to different levels of PVC pipe mazes. Hide toys in various sections of the pipe and that will give them another fun activity to do searching for them.
Another benefit to many toys is that it helps to keep their nails in check meaning less trimming for you. A common item you can use for this is a small brick. They will enjoy climbing on it and in the process it will file their nails.
A guinea pigs life should not be confined to a cage. Getting out of the cage is a great opportunity for more fun and exercise in their routine. But don’t just let them run free! Make sure the area is confined and place plenty of toys for them to play with while enjoying their outside time. Ideally you want to have “outside time” daily if your schedule allows for it. Pick a time of day that works for you and try to stick to that time daily to give them a routine.
All of these ideas will help your guinea pig to be healthy and happy, making them a more loveable pet. Now do your part and get to work on finding them toys to keep them (and you) entertained for hours!
Guinea pigs are a wonderfully low-maintenance pet and are extremely easy to care for, regardless of what some people might say. There are however, some day-to-day tips on how to care for them.
The Nails
Believe it or not, guinea pig’s nails can grow long which can be painful for them, so they need to be trimmed.
Placing rocks, stones, bricks or other similarly rough-surfaced items in their cages can help wear their nails down, thus preventing you from having to clip them regularly. The best and the least expensive solution are bricks – make sure they are the type that do not have holes.
Guinea pigs nails have blood vessels in them just like other animals. The blood vessels are called the “quick”. When the guinea pig’s nails are clear, it is easy to see the “quick” as it is the pink area you that runs the length from the toe to the bone. The “quick” is nearly impossible to spot in guinea pigs with black nails.
Cut above the pinkish area with clear nails.
To be on the safe side, cut very little of the nail when your guinea pig has black nails. With time and practice, one can have much success cutting longer black nails without hurting your pet.
If you do accidentally cut the quick and it bleeds, find a way to stop it. A product that can stop the bleeding is called “Quick Stop”; it is sold in most pet stores. Use iodine instead if you don’t have “Quick Stop”.
EDIT — Thanks to reader Julia for the following tip:
It is very important you don’t cut into he pinkish area of the nail. Or stay as far away as possible from the pinkish area…or you will injure them , they will bleed and be in pain.
Guinea pigs do not like this process so they will most likely squirm. Having someone help you will make the task much easier. To prevent some of the squirming, wrap your pet in a towel, keeping his feet out. While you hold your guinea pig, have your helper cut his nails.
Helpful tip if you’re doing this alone: have your guinea pig stand on a tennis racket. This will allow for his nails to poke out below (for easier clipping) while your pet feels more secure.
The Teeth
Guinea pigs have two very long teeth called incisors. These teeth are constantly growing and are common in most rodents. Do not allow these teeth to get too long otherwise your guinea pig will not be able to eat. If this happens, you will have to take him to the vet to have them cut.
You can prevent this by giving him hard food eat. Also, keeping things like toilet or towel paper rolls in his cage for him to chew on will help.
Other ideas to help keep your pet’s teeth in check are hay cubes or old stale bread. However, these items need to be inspected on a regular basis.
Check for chipped or broken teeth on your guinea pig as this is not good for him. Contact your local vet if you suspect any teeth are broken or have fallen out.
Brushing
Brush your guinea pig regularly to keep his coat shiny, healthy and clean. Short haired guinea pigs only require brushing a few times per week – long haired guinea pigs require daily brushing.
Using a nice soft baby brush will ensure your guinea pig enjoys the brushing experience. Use a metal-toothed comb for longer haired pets as this will help loosen tangles and lessen shedding.
Bathing
Do not bathe your guinea pig – they hate water. Putting them in water makes them very upset and can quite possibly lower their immune system.
Guinea pigs can go the whole life without ever taking a bath, that suits them just fine. ONLY bathe them if your pet has gotten into something really smelly or dirty or unless your vet has instructed you to do so.
If this is the case, make sure to use a very mild shampoo like baby shampoo or a shampoo made for kittens. Do not use a medicated shampoo unless your vet recommends it.
