Entertainment & training
Toys
Guinea pigs like to play with toys. They like toilet paper rolls, small cardboard boxes (without ink or tape on them), and paper bags with holes cut in them, but make sure they are made from safe materials. They might not appear to have ink, but if they are recycled, they might have toxic inks or glues that are not visible but harmful. Wooden chew toys made of safe wood are good, too. Toys that dangle from the top of the cage are fun, and so are ramps.
Don’t bother with an exercise wheel or exercise ball. The anatomy of a guinea pig makes them unsafe for cavies.
Bob likes paper tubes and bags, but she also likes to play with her ball.
Play Area
You can make a natural-feeling play area for your guinea pig out of rocks, apple tree logs or earthenware pipes, like tile. Be sure that the items are cleaned first, so that you do not expose your guinea pig to parasites, mold, or other items that may be dangerous to your pet.
I use large rocks, bricks and apple branches to make play areas for my piggy. The rocks and bricks help her file her nails, and the apple tree sticks are great for chewing and keeping her teeth filed down.
Training Your Piggy
There are a lot of tricks you can use to train your piggy. They can come when they are called, sit up and beg, hop through a hoop, and climb up on command. Training takes a lot of time and patience. Some pigs take longer to train than others, and some people are better trainers than others. NEVER, under any circumstances, scold your guinea pig!
I taught my piggy some tricks. I taught her by using treats and by being really, really patient! She can come when she is called, and she jumps up on command. She can also run a mini-obstacle course. She did her tricks during the Guinea Pig Olympics and earned a lot of money!
You should also train your piggy to travel in a carrier. That way, when you go to the vet, she won’t be so stressed out. The traveling is bad enough, but if she’s afraid of the carrier, that makes things much worse.
Potty Training
It is possible to potty train your guinea pig, but they are usually not as easy to potty train as other animals such as cats or rabbits. They will poop anywhere, but they can be trained to pee only in certain places. Also, many guinea pigs have to urinate every 15 minutes, so the owner has to know the signs and be ready when the guinea pig has to go potty. Training will take time and patience, and the owner has to be very familiar with their guinea pig.
There are two types of potty training. The first type is to train the guinea pig to urinate in a certain spot in the cage. When your guinea pig goes potty in another area of the cage, move the soiled litter to the corner where you would prefer that your guinea pig go potty. Praise your guinea pig when she goes in the right spot. You can even use a different type of litter in the spot that you decide is the toilet.
I have taught my guinea pig to do this. She uses only one corner of her cage, and that makes things easier for her (she can avoid the mess) and easier for me (I can clean the cage easier).
You can also train the guinea pig to only go potty inside the cage, and not on your carpet. Training a guinea pig is much easier if you can tell when your guinea pig has to go potty. Some of the usual signs are fidgeting, backing up or gentle nips.
I have trained my cavy to only pee in her cage. If she is outside her cage and she has to pee, she squeaks to let me know she has to “go”. If I don’t listen, she’ll give me a little nip. I’ll put her back in her cage so she can pee, then I’ll take her out so we can continue playing.
When you litter box train a guinea pig, never punish the guinea pig. Just be patient and consistent, and the guinea pig will get it. Also, never use cat litter made from clay or wood because they have dust that can hurt the guinea pig’s respiratory system.
Toys
Guinea pigs like to play with toys. They like toilet paper rolls, small cardboard boxes (without ink or tape on them), and paper bags with holes cut in them, but make sure they are made from safe materials. They might not appear to have ink, but if they are recycled, they might have toxic inks or glues that are not visible but harmful. Wooden chew toys made of safe wood are good, too. Toys that dangle from the top of the cage are fun, and so are ramps.
Don’t bother with an exercise wheel or exercise ball. The anatomy of a guinea pig makes them unsafe for cavies.
Bob likes paper tubes and bags, but she also likes to play with her ball.
Play Area
You can make a natural-feeling play area for your guinea pig out of rocks, apple tree logs or earthenware pipes, like tile. Be sure that the items are cleaned first, so that you do not expose your guinea pig to parasites, mold, or other items that may be dangerous to your pet.
I use large rocks, bricks and apple branches to make play areas for my piggy. The rocks and bricks help her file her nails, and the apple tree sticks are great for chewing and keeping her teeth filed down.
Training Your Piggy
There are a lot of tricks you can use to train your piggy. They can come when they are called, sit up and beg, hop through a hoop, and climb up on command. Training takes a lot of time and patience. Some pigs take longer to train than others, and some people are better trainers than others. NEVER, under any circumstances, scold your guinea pig!
I taught my piggy some tricks. I taught her by using treats and by being really, really patient! She can come when she is called, and she jumps up on command. She can also run a mini-obstacle course. She did her tricks during the Guinea Pig Olympics and earned a lot of money!
You should also train your piggy to travel in a carrier. That way, when you go to the vet, she won’t be so stressed out. The traveling is bad enough, but if she’s afraid of the carrier, that makes things much worse.
Potty Training
It is possible to potty train your guinea pig, but they are usually not as easy to potty train as other animals such as cats or rabbits. They will poop anywhere, but they can be trained to pee only in certain places. Also, many guinea pigs have to urinate every 15 minutes, so the owner has to know the signs and be ready when the guinea pig has to go potty. Training will take time and patience, and the owner has to be very familiar with their guinea pig.
There are two types of potty training. The first type is to train the guinea pig to urinate in a certain spot in the cage. When your guinea pig goes potty in another area of the cage, move the soiled litter to the corner where you would prefer that your guinea pig go potty. Praise your guinea pig when she goes in the right spot. You can even use a different type of litter in the spot that you decide is the toilet.
I have taught my guinea pig to do this. She uses only one corner of her cage, and that makes things easier for her (she can avoid the mess) and easier for me (I can clean the cage easier).
You can also train the guinea pig to only go potty inside the cage, and not on your carpet. Training a guinea pig is much easier if you can tell when your guinea pig has to go potty. Some of the usual signs are fidgeting, backing up or gentle nips.
I have trained my cavy to only pee in her cage. If she is outside her cage and she has to pee, she squeaks to let me know she has to “go”. If I don’t listen, she’ll give me a little nip. I’ll put her back in her cage so she can pee, then I’ll take her out so we can continue playing.
When you litter box train a guinea pig, never punish the guinea pig. Just be patient and consistent, and the guinea pig will get it. Also, never use cat litter made from clay or wood because they have dust that can hurt the guinea pig’s respiratory system.
