Toys for guinea pigs: ready-made and do-it-yourself (photo)

Guinea pig toys are not required accessories, but they can be quite useful. Firstly, an interesting item will help an inquisitive pet quickly get used to an unfamiliar environment if you have just brought a rodent home and he has not yet got used to a new place of residence. And secondly, the small things offered as toys to the animal will not let it get bored when the owner is busy and cannot devote time to the pet.

What should be toys for guinea pigs

Most factory-made rodent toys are not suitable for guinea pigs, and some accessories are even contraindicated for these animals.

For example, running wheels and walking balls, in which hamsters, rats and chinchillas frolic with pleasure, are not suitable for furry pets. The fact is that because of the weak muscles of the spine, guinea pigs cannot move quickly, and the curvature of the back in the running wheel is fraught with injuries and fractures for them.

For the same reason, treats suspended from the ceiling on strings, rings and bells are not suitable for animals. It is difficult for guinea pigs to stand on their hind legs to reach for a toy, so such things in their cage will be useless.

Then what toys do furry animals need? The best option for rodents would be gaming accessories with which you can play on the floor of the cage or a playpen specially equipped for them. It can be balls, cubes, tunnels, ladders and various shelters.

Basic requirements for toys for guinea pigs:

• items must not pose a danger to animals. Do not give pigs toys with sharp corners that they can cut themselves on. Also, the gizmos should not have small holes in which the pet’s paw can get stuck;
• the presence of small parts and decorations on toys that the animal can swallow, risking choking or getting food poisoning, is unacceptable;
• it is also impossible to offer rodents accessories coated with varnish or paint, as these substances are toxic to pets;
• if we talk about tunnels and shelters, then they should be selected, taking into account the size of the animal, so that the animal can easily climb back and forth, and not get stuck in a narrow passage or too small a space.

Important: play accessories for a guinea pig should not have a strong unpleasant odor, otherwise the rodent may refuse to even approach its new toy.

caged toys

When choosing entertainment accessories for the cage, you should remember that they should not be large and clutter up the space of the cage.

Pet can be offered:

• tennis or ping pong balls. Guinea pigs love toys that can be rolled on the floor by pushing them with their paw or head, so pets will definitely like these balls;
• also suitable for this purpose children’s play cubesmade from wood. The animals will not only play with them, but also use them as an additional sharpener for their teeth;
• interested in rodents and used toilet paper roll or paper towels
• you can make your pet happy small soft toy. He will sniff her with interest and drag her into his house. It is only necessary to ensure that the animal does not make large holes in the toy. If stuffing sticks out of the thing, it should be replaced with a new one;
• guinea pigs will not remain indifferent to such a thing as a rope with a treat or a grindstone strung on it. The object is placed on the floor of the cage and after the animal has played enough with it, it will eat a treat, or gnaw on a mineral stone.

Video: DIY entertainment for a guinea pig – a rope with a treat

pet mirror

Having received such a gift as a mirror, the guinea pig will definitely not be bored. A fluffy rodent will sit for hours near his mirror toy, watching his own reflection with delight and interest. This item is especially relevant for pets kept alone. Looking at its silhouette in the mirror, the pig will think that it is playing with a fellow tribesman. This exciting process will help her have fun while the owner is busy with his own business.

For a rodent, any old small mirror will do. Or you can offer your pet an already unnecessary cosmetic bag with a small mirror. The main thing is that this accessory does not have sharp edges and chips, so it is better to choose a mirror framed by a wooden or plastic frame as a toy.

Amusement park for guinea pig

If the size of the cage does not allow you to put a lot of useful items in it, the owner should equip the pet with a playground with entertainment attractions.

1. A bedding from an old blanket (towels, sofa capes) is laid on the floor.
2. The perimeter of the site is fenced with a net of such a height that the rodent could not climb over it.
3. Various accessories are laid out inside: huts made of branches and tree bark, plastic or wooden containers with hay and shelter tunnels. Several items can be connected with horizontal ladders.
4. The guinea pigs are released into their own amusement park, which they will enjoy exploring.

Important: to make it even more interesting for the animals, you can scatter balls, cubes or paper tubes on the floor of the playground.

DIY toys for a guinea pig

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on play accessories for guinea pigs. After all, there are many life hacks with which you can make pet toys at home.

Sock stuffed with hay

An old sock that has no pair can be found in any home. And instead of throwing it away, you can build an excellent sennitsa toy for a guinea pig out of it. Straw is stuffed into the sock and placed in the animal’s cage. The animal will get a lot of pleasure, gnawing holes in the sock to get to the favorite hay.

Sennitsa from a tube

Alternatively, you can make a playhouse out of a tube from a toilet paper roll. Hay is stuffed into a straw and placed in the pet’s dwelling. A guinea pig will delight in rolling such a toy on the floor, from time to time feasting on straw. Such a sennitsa is unlikely to last longer than one day, so you should stock up on tubes from toilet rolls in advance in order to please the rodent with an interesting toy more often.

paper ball

If there is no tennis ball, it is easy to make it yourself from plain paper. The paper sheet is crumpled, making a ball, and given to the rodent. Paper is used from a children’s notebook or take parchment for baking. It is not recommended to make a ball from newspapers and magazines, as lead is added to printing ink for printed publications. If a guinea pig chews on such a ball, it can get poisoned.

pipe tunnel

In such a makeshift tunnel, the pig will be able to play and relax. All that is required of the owner is to find a piece of plastic sewer pipe (preferably a tee or elbow) and place the animal in the cage.

An impromptu tunnel can be made softer and cozier by sheathing it with fabric from an old unnecessary piece of clothing.

Paper bag

Do not rush to throw away the paper shopping bag you brought from the supermarket. It is wonderfully suited as a hiding place for a guinea pig. A hole is cut out in the bag and offered to your beloved pet. The animal will gladly climb into it, listening to the rustling of paper.

You can put a piece of treat or hay inside the bag so that the rodent examines it more actively.

It is quite easy to create an entertaining accessory for a guinea pig with your own hands. Having shown a little imagination and creativity, you can make an original and unique toy for your beloved pet, which, of course, will appeal to a small rodent.

Video: do-it-yourself toys for guinea pigs