Make a Dangling Guinea Pig Toy

Whether you have a new guinea pig, or you want to give your current pet a new, fun toy, dangling toys are a great option for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs tend to want to burrow into their surroundings and nap, but it is also important to make sure that your guinea pig gets enough exercise throughout the day. In addition to playing with your guinea pig, a great way to stimulate your guinea pig into activity is with a dangling toy. Dangling toys will make your guinea pig curious, and they will investigate this new addition to their enclosure with glee.

Steps

Making a Dangling Toy out of Yarn

  1. Purchase thick wool in a bright color. In order to stimulate you guinea pig into action, be sure to choose a playful, bright color of yarn. This will look more interesting to your guinea pig and will brighten up their enclosure. You also want to make sure to choose a yarn with wool that is not too thin, since guinea pigs tend to want to chew on things and thin wool won’t stand up to their teeth.[1]
  2. Start making the body of the toy. To do this you are going to want to find an object to wrap the wool around that is small and fairly rigid, like a small cardboard box. Keep in mind you don’t want to choose an object that is too big, since this size of the box determines the amount of yarn wrapped around it, and you don’t want this part of the toy to be too big. Wrap the wool around the object once and tie tightly. Don't worry if it's not an extremely tight knot, it will still work. Continue to wrap the wool around the object, with each loop approximately on top of the last.[1]
  3. Stop wrapping when the body of the toy is thick enough. You want the toy to be thick and plush, but if you use too much wool, the toy will be too bulky or heavy for your guinea pig to play with easily. As you determine how many loops are necessary, keep in mind that the thickness of the wool loops at this stage is about half the fatness of the finished toy. Depending on the size of your object and the thickness of your wool, this should be about 15 - 25 loops. When it is thick enough, cut the end of the wool from the ball of yarn, and don’t worry about tying that end off.[1]
  4. Tie a piece of wool around the middle of the loops. Use a double knot, and tie it as tightly as you can. It may loosen a bit if you are doing this unassisted, but that’s okay. This is where using a box or other rigid item comes in handy, as it's easy to slide the wool under. If you wrapped the wool around a rounder object, use your fingers to push the tie under the loops.[1]
  5. Finish the body of toy. Now that the body is tied in the middle, turn over the object you wrapped the wool around and cut the loops. Try to cut exactly opposite from where your tie was in order to keep the dangling wool pieces even. If your scissors don’t cut through all of the wool at once, do it in sections, making sure the cuts are as straight as possible. When you are finished cutting, remove the loops from the box. You should now have a thick chunk of straight, even wool strands that are tied in the middle.[1]
  6. Cinch the strands in for safety. Even though it will be dangling and the wool strands are tied, it is still possible for a clever guinea pig to pull loose strands out and eat them, which could be dangerous. In order to avoid this and make the toy safe, flip the body of the toy over so the middle tie is at the top. Take another strand of wool and tie this together around the bottom of the strands. You want to make sure this second tie is close to the bottom.[1]
  7. Hang the toy up and let your guinea pig enjoy! Measure a piece of string that is long enough for the toy to dangle where your guinea pig can reach it, without being so easy to get to that it’s not exercising your pet. It is recommended that you cut a piece that is too long and trim it down later as you string it up. Take this long piece of wool and tie it through the middle of the toy body. Tie the other end to the roof of your guinea pig cage, and watch your guinea pigs enjoy their new toy![1]

Making a Dangling Food Toy

  1. Assemble the materials. Food is a great motivator for guinea pigs, and dangling food from the middle of their cage is sure to wake them up and get them in a playful mood. If you don’t already have these materials at your house, purchase them from a local craft store. You will need:[2]
    • A piece of thin nylon string
    • A few clothespins that have a loose grip (old or worn clothespins work great for this)
    • Thinly cut vegetable slices
  2. Measure and cut your nylon string. You want to make sure that you cut a length of string that will have the clothespin dangle at about 4 - 6 inches (10 - 15 cm) above the floor of your guinea pig cage. You it to be low enough so that your guinea pig is able to reach the treats, but high enough that they have to work for it a little bit so it is fun for them. Keep in mind that the length of string will also need to accommodate for the knots being tied at the top of the cage and around the clothespin, as well as the length of the clothespin itself. It is recommended that you cut a piece of string that is too long and then trim it down later after you string it up.[2]
  3. Attach the clothespin. Take your clothespin and tie it to the nylon string. Make sure to double-knot this, as you don’t want this string to detach, causing the whole thing to fall into the cage. Tie the clothespin so that it dangles relatively evenly when you hold the sting up. If it is too off balance to one side or the other, retie the string.[2]
  4. Hang the clothespin up. Now that the clothespin is attached to the string, it will be easier to tell what the appropriate length for the rest of the string should be. Dangle the toy to the appropriate height for your guinea pig, and tie the top portion of the string to the roof of your guinea pig cage. Trim off any excess string.[2]
  5. Finely chop your food treats. Guinea pigs are omnivores, and they love fresh fruit and herbs. Take vegetables like cucumber and carrots and thinly slice them lengthwise into long, super thin slices. Feel free to also add some small sprigs of parsley or cilantro as well. You just want to make sure the strips are thin enough that the guinea pig teeth can easily chomp through them so that there is no choking hazard.[2]
  6. Clip the treats in the clothespin. Now that your veggies are prepared, clip them into the already dangling clothespin (this is easier than trying to keep the veggies in while tying up the toy). Don’t overload the toy, since loose veggies will just fall out, and that’s not very fun for your guinea pig. Once the treats are clipped in, introduce your guinea pig to the dangling treats, and watch them enjoy playing and eating their new toy! Refill with veggies whenever you want your guinea pig to have some activity.[2]

Tips

  • If your guinea pig(s) seem frightened of their new toy, scatter some of their favorite vegetables or other toys underneath it. Guinea pigs are naturally nervous about new things, but after a nice meal near it, most will stop being scared and enjoy the extra stimulation in their environment.[1]
  • Other ideas for hanging toys include ping pong balls, baby toys with rattles, and small mirrors (just not small enough for them to bite off and eat!).[1]
  • Toys cannot compensate for companionship. If possible, get your guinea pig a cage mate of the same gender, or play for at least an hour every day with him/her.[1]

Warnings

  • If you have very nervous or shy guinea pigs, make sure they aren't frightened by the toy. If they seem excessively frightened and don't get used to it, remove the toy.
  • Make sure the string you use is strong enough to stay up. You don’t want the string to break because your pet could get tangled in long, fallen pieces of wool, which could be very dangerous.
  • Watch for signs that the guinea pigs are eating the toy. A little nibbling is normal and not dangerous, but if they're biting off chunks, the toy should be removed to prevent ingesting wool, string, or the clothespin.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 http://www.happycavy.com/cheap-free-guinea-pigs-toys-cavy-will-love/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 http://www.happycavy.com/guinea-pig-hanging-treat-exerciser-diy-cavy-boredom-blaster/

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