How to Entertain Your Guinea Pig

Last Updated: September 20, 2022 References Approved

Guinea pigs are curious and inquisitive pets that love to play. Unfortunately, guinea pigs are susceptible to depression-like symptoms in an environment where they feel bored and lonely. It's important to provide your guinea pig with fulfilling enrichment and mental stimulation to promote a happy lifestyle. Therefore, you should always find ways to entertain your guinea pig by providing them with toys, floor time, or updating their cage. Continue reading this wikiHow to find out how.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making Toys for Your Guinea Pig

1
Crumple up a piece of paper. Use plain paper and crumple it into a ball. Put it into your guinea pig's cage, or let them play with it when they're out. It sounds too easy, but guinea pigs like the crumpling noise and will likely gnaw on it.^{[1]
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2
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.

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3
Make a stuffed sock. Find an old sock, and stuff some of the guinea pig's hay inside. Tie off the sock on one end. Cut off the end of the sock. Your guinea pig will pull the pillow around their cage and chew on it.^{[2]
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4
Use a ping-pong ball or a 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.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Making Your Guinea Pig's Cage More Enjoyable

1
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.^{[4]
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2
Keep your guinea pig in an active area. When you bring your cage home, consider placing it in the most active room in your house, such as the living room. Your guinea pig is a social animal, and they'll want to be near people. By placing their cage in an active area, you'll keep them from getting bored.^{[5]
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- 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.^{[6]
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3
Provide chew toys. Your guinea pig needs to chew on things to keep their 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.^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Providing Fun Exercise Time

1
Make the room safe. Before you let your guinea pig out of their cage, you need to make the room safe. Make sure you have nothing around the room that your guinea pig can get into, such as chemicals or cleaning supplies.^{[8]
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- Remove or pick up cords out of your guinea pig's reach. They may chew on them if they find them on the floor.
- If you're worried about your guinea pig going to the bathroom on your carpet or flooring, lay down a layer of plastic or newspaper to catch any accidents.^{[9]
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- Put house plants out of reach. Many of them are toxic to guinea pigs.^{[10]
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- Remove plastic bags, as guinea pigs may like them, but they are not safe to play with.^{[11]
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- Don't forget to provide food and water for the time your guinea is out of their cage.^{[12]
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2
Shut off the room. Close any doors so your 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 their cage.^{[13]
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- Let your family members know that you are letting your guinea pig out, as they may open the door while your guinea pig is roaming about.^{[14]
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3
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.^{[15]
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- Add interesting obstacles, such as cardboard tubes or bridges.^{[16]
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  Research source} Tunnels are also a fun addition.^{[17]
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4
Give your guinea pig 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 interact with you.^{[18]
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5
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.^{[19]
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6
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.^{[20]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Providing Food Treats

1
Give your guinea pig fresh fruits. Providing your guinea pig with fresh fruits once in 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.^{[21]
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- You can provide your guinea pig fresh fruit such as oranges, pears, strawberries, seedless grapes, and blueberries.^{[22]
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2
Offer vegetables. You can be a bit more liberal with vegetables, since most of them have less sugar than fruits. You can offer one cup of vegetables to your guinea pig once a day.^{[23]
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- Some vegetables you can feed to your guinea pig include bell peppers, cucumbers, peas, carrots, and corn.^{[24]
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3
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 your guinea pig.^{[25]
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4
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 rhubarb, garlic and onions, raw or dried beans, and seeds.^{[26]
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- Chips or pretzels are too salty for your pet. Additionally, chips can be sharp and cut your guinea pig's mouth.^{[27]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

What should you not feed your Guinea pig?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

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The list of what not to feed is so long that it's best to check out each new food before feeding it. For example, avocados and coconut are too high in fat for Guinea pigs, while any form of bean is liable to ferment inside the gut and cause bloat. Absolute no-nos are processed human foods such as cookies, chocolate or candies, which guinea pigs are not designed to eat. Pigs are strictly vegetarian, so never give a Guinea pig meat in any form. Be wary of the onion family and garlic since these can be toxic, and surprising things such as daffodil or tulip bulbs are toxic, so always err on the side of caution and check first before letting your pet chew to its heart's content.
Question

Is lettuce toxic to guinea pigs?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Lettuce has a bad reputation because it is nutritionally neutral. It's a bit like eating water, which means it fills your guinea pig's stomach but without giving beneficial vitamins, minerals, and energy. This could potentially mean the guinea pig eats less of things that are good for her ... and so it is best avoided.