Playtime for your guinea pig

When you became a guinea pig caretaker, you automatically took on the job as your pet's entertainment director. That means you'll need to provide safe, appropriate toys and arrange play sessions for your pig in and out of the cage every day. Sound like fun? Well, it should be for the both of you!

Guinea pig toys provide fun and excercise

The toys you select for your pet should encourage him to do the things that come naturally. A guinea pig's body isn't well suited for running on an exercise wheel, for example. These classic toys may be great for other small mammals like hamsters and rats, but not for members of your pet's species. Their use, in fact, has been known to cause spinal and leg injuries. Much more appropriate toys for your pig include PVC pipes for tunneling, and bricks and rocks for climbing. (The latter also will help wear down your pig's nails!) You can even make your own guinea pig maze using tubes and interconnected cardboard boxes, with your pet's favorite nibbles waiting at the end.

A toy needn't be expensive to be effective. Some of the best guinea pig playthings can be found in your own home. Empty oatmeal containers and shoeboxes make great places for your pet to run through and play in. And you'll be surprised to learn how much fun can be had with a simple brown paper bag, open on its side.

Stimulate gnawing with guinea pig play toys

You must make sure there's always something in the cage for your guinea pig to gnaw on. His teeth grow continuously, like that of all rodents, so he'll need to chew--and chew!--to keep his choppers filed down and in tip-top condition. Branches and twigs from untreated trees will do the trick--and will also give him something fun to do! Do not give him wood from cedar, apricot, cherry and peach trees, as they are toxic.

Once you've hand-tamed your guinea pig, you should let him exercise out of his cage every day. An enclosed room like a bathroom or kitchen is good for starters, until your pet gets used to these play sessions. Once he's comfortable, you can gradually expand his territory. But you'll always have to supervise, of course, and take care there's nothing in the area that's potentially dangerous for your pig. That means removing electrical wires, as well as anything that your pet could, but shouldn't, chew. And because guinea pigs always need a place they can go to feel secure and safe, make sure yours has an empty shoebox filled with soft bedding, a paper bag or other secure hidebox for this purpose.