How to play with guinea pigs: DIY play accessories. Toys for guinea pigs: tips for choosing Do-it-yourself interesting things for guinea pigs

In this article you will learn which toys and devices are suitable for guinea pigs, and which ones will not interest them or may even cause harm.

STORE PRODUCTS THAT ARE USELESS

• Products that create stress on the spine.

  Walking balls and wheels are dangerous for guinea pigs. Their bodies are not as flexible and they are not designed to run in a wheel (ball).

• In a ball, the pig will sit stupidly looking at the wall of the ball (pigs are nearsighted, so they will not look through the wall)
• And they won’t even get into the wheel. They are not interested in it. They don't know how to grip with their paws like hamsters.
• If you have such products, you have thrown money down the drain.

• Wheels or balls are not suitable for guinea pigs, regardless of size, as they involve bending the back of the body, and this is dangerous.
  
  Guinea pigs are not animals like hamsters, mice, and rats. Don't compare them, they are completely different.
• Leashes, harnesses for walking.

  There are a lot of different types of walking harnesses for guinea pigs sold. You can find such a product in almost every pet store. Unfortunately they are just as dangerous as balls and wheels. Even a small tug can break your piggy's ribs. If your piggy gets scared, then while in the harness, it will begin to squirm, try to escape, and may injure itself. From broken ribs to a broken spine. Such damage is painful and will not be immediately visible.
  Pigs do not show that they are in pain. And when you do notice something, there may be no way to fix it.
  Pigs are not like dogs, which need control while on a leash. The pig needs time and enough space to run and jump. On their territory, as they want and do not like restrictions in this way. Therefore, the pigs are taken out for walks and placed in special pens.
  
  

Why are such products (toys) sold if they are dangerous? Because sellers do not have guinea pigs, they must sell what they bring, and because they are bought.

If you know someone who also has a guinea pig, warn them about these products.

Products produced supposedly for grinding teeth.

Such products are also a waste of money. The pigs will ignore the chalk stone, it is entertainment for mice, and the branches will not be interested either. For pigs, branches are not food, but a toy, sometimes not very interesting. If you want to see your pig’s reaction, bring a free twig from your summer cottage or park for testing. And look at your pig's behavior. Everything will become clear immediately. The pig's teeth don't wear down on anything. There's no need to invent anything. Nature invented everything without us long ago. The front teeth of pigs wear down when biting, so hard fruits and vegetables are needed. Exception: grass. Common meadow grass. And the back teeth are ground down when chewing what has been bitten off.



USEFUL ITEMS (TOYS)

The listed items are useful and interesting for guinea pigs. They are used by pig breeders all over the world. Pigs love shelters (this feature remains from their ancestors, when pigs occupied other people’s abandoned holes and when pigs could still climb trees in search of hollows)

Shelters

Carton boxes

inverted buckets

plastic stools

igloo



walking houses



pipes



inclined tunnels


arches made from small logs and made from a trunk


Lying down toys (pigs love them)

Teddy bears

soft toys-keychains (pigs kick them, drag them, etc.)

fluffy toys (the size of a pig - like a friend, lie on top, “talk”)

winter hats (almost warm mink in winter)

beds



sleeping bags

Other toys for fun

cardboard toilet paper tube (you can put a bunch of hay inside)

tennis balls

balls with jingling balls inside (not everyone likes them and many are scared)

crumpled white printer paper (chew, kick)

branches with leaves (shelter in leaves, chew leaves)

pine-spruce-fir branches (hide, chew tasty needles)

A guinea pig is a pet that requires a lot of attention. But whether you are a schoolchild, a student, or just a busy person, it is very difficult to constantly find free time to play with your pet. Without your attention, your pig may become bored and sick. Of course, you can buy a second pig, but this option is not always suitable. It is much easier to buy several primitive and inexpensive toys for your pet’s cage.

The Internet is teeming with sites where you can buy toys for your guinea pig. The range of models is huge, prices are affordable. But before you start choosing a toy, you should remember two important rules:

1. Safety first.
2. The simpler the better.

As for the first rule. Many purchased toys are not certified and contain harmful substances. The quality and durability of such products is also questionable. Particularly dangerous are toys that have small parts that the pig can eat and thereby harm its health. Also, the following items cannot be used as toys:

• harnesses;
• leashes;
• walking balls;
• running wheels.

All of these items can cause injury and injury to your guinea pig.

As for the second rule. You shouldn’t expect that your pet will like the expensive toy you bought just because there’s a pig on the box. Guinea pigs don't need expensive gifts. The simplest items that you have in your home or can be purchased at your nearest store are suitable for them. Here is a small list of the simplest toys for your pig:

1. Ping pong balls.
2. Mirror from a cosmetic bag.
3. Children's wooden blocks.
4. Small soft toy.
5. Large diameter plastic sewer pipe fittings.

Each pig is individual and you will have to use the selection method to find a suitable toy. A successful purchase will make your pig happy and in moments of loneliness he will be able to entertain himself while you are busy. But that’s not all. Perhaps in a few days you will need to start a new search, because you are already tired of the old toy.

DIY toys

Those owners who do not have the opportunity to buy a toy for their pet can make it themselves. To do this you will need available items and a little time.

Option 1. Take a medium-sized cardboard box. Using scissors we make holes: entrance, exit, windows. That's all, the pig's house is ready.

Option 2. We take pruning shears and go into the garden to look for fruit trees. We cut twigs of small diameter up to 1 cm. This is a toy and good for teeth.

Option 3. Take a tube of toilet paper or paper towel and throw it into the pig's cage. The toy is ready.

Option 4. We look for an old woolen scarf or an old hat and just throw them into the cage.

Option 5. We take a brick with holes. We insert branches from fruit trees 10-15 cm long into the holes and stuff a bunch of fresh hay between them.

Option 6. If you want to seriously pamper your pet, you can sew him a hammock or make a tunnel from a soft cuff.

There are many options for quick homemade toys, the main thing is to pay attention to the habits of your pig and ideas will pop up in your head.

The guinea pig is a cute and unpretentious pet. It is very interesting to watch her and play with her. An important difference between a pig and all other rodents is that it is faithful to its owner, like a dog, and recognizes his voice and smell. This animal is very shy and defenseless, so you should not add a hamster to it as a friend; it can offend the pig, although it is much smaller in size. Do not forget that toys for guinea pigs are an important attribute of the cage; without them, the animal will get bored. But not everything can suit him for fun.

Dangerous things

If you decide to have such a pet, it is worth knowing what toys are available for your guinea pig and which are strictly contraindicated for it. When setting up a cage, do not install a wheel in it under any circumstances. A pig is not a hamster, it is much heavier, its spine is not so flexible, and therefore the wheel can cause injury to the animal, the same can be said about walking balls that people like so much. Besides, the ball will simply be useless. The pig will not be able to see through its walls, as it is nearsighted. She will just sit in a cramped space, staring at the walls.

A leash for walking should be ignored, as it is as dangerous for the animal as a wheel. If the pig gets scared, it will begin to break free from its leash and squirm, which can lead to broken ribs or spine. This defenseless creature will never show that something hurts, even if it hurts very badly, so the owner may find out about the fracture too late, when it will no longer be possible to help.

Don't waste your money and don't buy chalk sticks to grind down your teeth. To do this, bring a soft twig from the street, or even better, give the animal more hard vegetables and fruits. Pig teeth are worn down without the help of pet store products, by biting and chewing hard food.

How to walk a rodent?

A guinea pig is not a dog, so it does not need long walks. To have a good time outdoors, she needs a small space and soft grass. Take an ordinary cardboard box without a bottom, place it in a clearing, and place an animal behind its walls. Here she will “graze” perfectly and have plenty of fun. In addition, creating such a pen does not require any expense; boxes of any size can be purchased absolutely free at the grocery store.

Friend for the "piggy"

As you know, pigs are very curious, friendly animals that need communication. If you do not want to have two or more pigs, then make sure that your pet has someone to cuddle with and play with. The pig's favorite pastime is dragging stuffed toys around the cage. The animal will happily gnaw on it and jump over it. But there is also a downside to such entertainment - you must constantly monitor the integrity of your plush friend, and if the stuffing begins to show through, it must be immediately removed from the cage.

You can make toys for guinea pigs yourself from scrap materials, and they will be much safer than store-bought ones. A soft friend made from an unnecessary sock and hay will cause a lot of emotions in your pet. To make it, you need to stuff an unpaired sock with hay or fresh grass. As the material is chewed, instead of dangerous cotton or plush stuffing, useful grass will come out, which the animal will feast on with great pleasure.

It’s a pleasure to make toys for guinea pigs with your own hands, and this activity will not take much time. The simpler the material, the better for the animal. And it doesn’t matter to him how much money was spent on entertainment, the main thing is safe fun.

Cozy hideaway

As you know, guinea pigs simply love to hide. This is due not only to their timidity, the animal can just have fun. To create a truly popular shelter in which your pet will not only sleep, but also play, you should again take a simple cardboard box, put it upside down and make several moves in it. To make it more comfortable for the pig there, put more hay in the house, in which the “piggy” can burrow.

An old woolen hat stuffed with hay will work very well as a shelter. The pig will hide in it with great pleasure and will be able to chew to its heart's content in such a nest of fragrant hay.

Hammock

Toys for guinea pigs in specialized stores are provided in a huge variety, including swings. But why spend money if you can build a hammock yourself, in which your pet will swing, climb on it, and even take a nap?

To sew a simple hammock, you will need two pieces of thick, triangular-shaped fabric; jeans or fleece will do. The two edges are sewn together to create the wrong side. It is necessary to turn the resulting triangle inside out and sew an edging tape to each edge so that fairly long ends remain, with which you can attach the hammock to the slats of the cage and adjust the height.

Pay special attention to the landing height; the pig should easily climb onto such a homemade swing. When sewing, take into account the size of the pet; it must fit completely into the hammock.

Tunnels

Toys for guinea pigs should be such that the animal can move more and develop muscles. A do-it-yourself tunnel is perfect for this purpose, since a store-bought one can be quite expensive. You will need to take a metal wire, make several rings of such a diameter that the pet can easily pass through it, and cover each one with thick fabric. Then the rings are sewn together with thick fabric at a distance of at least ten centimeters from each other. The tunnel can be attached with the outer rings to the slats so that there is a good exit, or it can be suspended from the top of the cage at a height accessible to the pig.

How to make ride-on toys for guinea pigs?

Such pets love to roll various objects around the cage, but we have already written that not all toys are suitable for a guinea pig. To create safe entertainment that fully meets the needs of the animal, you will need a toilet paper roll. You need to stuff it with hay and put it in a cage; the pig will roll it and chew it with great pleasure.

You can also create toys for guinea pigs from Kinder Surprise eggs. You need to put several small beads in it, which will make a quiet noise when rolled.

Interactive toy "Guinea pig"

The animals described above need constant care and attention; they need constant cleanliness in the cage. Such hassle may not appeal to many people, but what to do if a child asks for a furry pet? You can buy your baby an interactive animal; it looks little different from its living prototype, but does not require care, and it does not need toys for guinea pigs, photos of which are in this article.

Kids will love playing around with their interactive friend. You also need to feed him, give him some water, play with him, but there will be no unpleasant smell from the toy, you can simply turn it off at any time and do it again whenever you want. In this case, the child will be happy and the parents will be calm!

Guinea pig toys are not, but they can be quite useful. Firstly, an interesting object will help an inquisitive pet quickly get used to an unfamiliar environment if he is not yet accustomed to his new place of residence. And secondly, small things offered to the animal as toys will not allow it to get bored when the owner is busy and cannot devote time to the pet.

Most factory-made toys for rodents 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 due to weak spinal muscles, guinea pigs cannot move quickly, and curvature of the back in the running wheel is fraught with injuries and fractures.

For the same reason, treats on strings, rings and bells suspended from the ceiling of a cage 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 play accessories that you can play with on the floor of a cage or a playpen specially equipped for them. These can be balls, cubes, tunnels, ladders and various shelters.

In the store you can find these types of ready-made toys:

Basic requirements for toys for guinea pigs:

• items should not pose a danger to animals. Do not give pigs toys with sharp corners that could cause them to cut themselves. Also, the items should not have small holes in which the pet’s paw could get stuck;
• It is unacceptable to have small parts and decorations on toys that the animal can swallow, risking choking or getting food poisoning;
• You should also not 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 freely 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 his new toy.

Plaid toys

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

Guinea pig toys are easy to make

You can offer your pet:

• tennis balls or ping pong balls. Guinea pigs love toys that can be rolled on the floor by pushing them with their paw or head, so your pets will definitely like these balls;
• also suitable for this purpose children's game cubes, made of wood. Animals will not only play with them, but also use them as an additional teeth sharpener;
• will interest rodents and a tube from a used toilet paper roll or paper towels;
• you can please your pet small soft toy. He will sniff her with interest and drag her into his house. You just need to make sure that the animal does not make large holes in the toy. If the stuffing sticks out of the item, it should be replaced with a new one;
• Guinea pigs will not remain indifferent to such a thing as a string with a treat or whetstone 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 fun for a guinea pig - rope with treats

Pet mirror

Having received such a gift as a mirror, the guinea pig will definitely not be bored. The fluffy rodent will sit for hours next to 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 pig. This exciting process will help her have fun while the owner is busy with his own business.

The mirror is suitable as a toy for pigs who live alone

Any old small mirror will do for a rodent. 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 or chips, so it is better to choose a mirror framed by a wooden or plastic frame as a toy.

If the size of the cage does not allow many useful items to be placed in it, the owner should equip the pet with a playground with entertaining attractions.

1. A bedding made from an old blanket (towel, sofa cover) is laid on the floor.
2. The perimeter of the site is fenced with a mesh of such a height that the rodent cannot 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 objects can be connected by horizontal ladders.
4. Let the guinea pigs into their own amusement park that they will love to explore.

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

You can come up with any amusement park that your imagination allows

DIY guinea pig toys

You don't have to spend a lot of money on play accessories for your guinea pigs. After all, there are many life hacks with which you can make toys for your pet at home.

A sock stuffed with hay

An old sock that doesn't have a pair can be found in any home. And instead of throwing it away, you can use it to make an excellent toy for your guinea pig. The sock is filled with straw and placed in the animal's cage. The animal will have a lot of fun gnawing holes in the sock to get to its favorite hay.

A sock bag will interest pigs

Tube hay

Alternatively, you can make a play rack from a toilet paper roll tube. They fill a tube with hay and place it in the pet’s home. The guinea pig will delightfully roll such a toy along the floor, from time to time feasting on the straw. Such a haybox is unlikely to last longer than one day, so you should stock up on toilet roll tubes in advance in order to please your rodent with an interesting toy more often.

If you use the roll as a toy, make sure your pig doesn't get stuck in it.

paper ball

If you don’t have a tennis ball, you can easily make one yourself from plain paper. The paper sheet is crumpled into a ball and given to the rodent. Use paper from a children's notebook or take parchment for baking. It is not recommended to make a ball from newspapers and magazines, since lead is added to printing ink for printed publications. If a guinea pig chews on such a ball, it may become poisoned.

What could be simpler than a paper ball?

Pipe tunnel

In such a homemade 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 put the animal in the cage.

An improvised tunnel can be made softer and more comfortable by covering it with material from an old unnecessary piece of clothing.

Guinea pigs really like pipe tunnels because they can be used as shelter or as a place to sleep.

Paper bag

Don’t rush to throw away the paper shopping bag you brought from the supermarket. It will work wonderfully as a shelter for a guinea pig. A hole is cut out in the bag and offered to your beloved pet. The animal will be happy to climb into it, listening to the rustling of the paper.

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

Making your own entertainment accessory for your guinea pig is quite simple. With a little imagination and creativity, you can make an original and unique toy for your beloved pet, which the little rodent will undoubtedly enjoy.

The rustling of the bag will attract your pet's attention.

Video: DIY toys for guinea pigs

Entertainment and toys for your guinea pig

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READ ALSO:

Accessories for guinea pigs
Homemade houses for guinea pigs
Step-by-step instructions for creating a do-it-yourself guinea pig cage Step-by-step instructions for creating a hammock for a guinea pig with your own hands

Guinea pigs are slow, nearsighted and shy. Sometimes it seems to us that these rodents are not interested in anything at all except food and sleep. However, oddly enough, these cute animals are very playful, although choosing toys for guinea pigs is not an easy task!

The best toy for a guinea pig is another guinea pig! But if you don’t plan to put a second “specimen” in a cage, you will have to understand the tastes and preferences of your animal and create boring living conditions for it.

Guinea pig toys

Immediately exclude from possible purchases props for sharpening teeth- pigs simply do not react to most of them, since they do not consider them food. Also give up walking balls and wheels, in which there is nothing for the pig to do. She cannot run and suffers from myopia. Toys with small structural elements or paint coatings are dangerous: the former injure the rodent’s gums, and the latter can poison it. So this is all a waste of money!

Guinea pigs are intelligent, have individuality and a logical character. They perceive even traditional toys differently: they ignore some, and they quickly get bored with others. Therefore, from the proposed range of toys for guinea pigs, you will have to choose suitable options by experiment.

All toys for guinea pigs can be divided into free ones and those that are better to buy from professional accessory manufacturers. To free toys These include simple paper bags (especially if filled with hay), crumpled pieces of paper, cardboard toilet paper reels, cardboard food packaging, rags and socks (filled with saw blades), shoe boxes, old towels, tennis or ping-pong balls, pine cones and branches of fruit trees, wooden blocks and small soft toys (especially if they are the size of the pig itself), winter fur hats and pillows for lying on.

Buy really a number of adaptations make sense that will entertain your rodent. Among these toys for guinea pigs are holes in which you can hide and lie, plastic walking houses, labyrinth pipes and inclined tunnels, arches and bridges. You can also look for small balls with bells inside for your pet.

It is also important to ensure that the pig has objects that on which he can sharpen his teeth, which she grows throughout her life. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for this - just wooden blocks and rough stones are enough.

As you can see, guinea pigs are very unpretentious and do not require too much expense for your content. In order to create comfortable living conditions for a rodent and an entertaining “training ground”, you practically do not need to spend money. You can easily find everything that will bring pleasure to your pet in your closet, on the table or just on the floor!

However, do not forget that any new toy for a wet pig must first be tested. If the animal shows interest in her, it means you have chosen what she needs. There is no point in keeping everything unnecessary in a cage - useless things will simply take up space and hamper the movement of the rodent.