Play with a Guinea Pig

Guinea pigs are wonderful little animals to keep as pets. They are also highly social and active animals that require a lot of interaction and environmental stimulation to keep them happy.[1] In fact, they can become withdrawn or depressed, maybe even unfriendly, if left alone for a long time.[1] Keeping your pet guinea pig busy and having plenty of playtime with him will make him very happy.

Steps

Playing With Your Guinea Pig Inside

  1. Schedule regular, inside playtime with your guinea pig. Consistent, daily interaction with your guinea pig is very important for his overall wellbeing. If you forget to play with him or are not able to play with him until much later in the day (maybe you had to work late), he might become depressed or withdrawn because of the change in routine.[1]
  2. Let your guinea pig play outside of his cage. Because guinea pigs are so active, keeping them in cages all the time can leave them feeling frustrated with lots of pent up energy. Letting your guinea pig roam outside of his cage will give him an opportunity to burn off excess energy.[1] Before you let your guinea pig out of his cage, you will need to ‘guinea pig-proof’ the room where you plan to let him out. Guinea pigs like to chew on things, so make sure to put away or hide anything that he could chew on–electrical cords, mats, rugs, trinkets, etc.[2]
    • It would also be helpful to cover any accessible areas of furniture that he could chew on, such as the corners of couches, tables, or chairs.[2]
    • Place different toys and objects (eg, toilet paper rolls) in the room to give your guinea pig things to explore and play with while he is out of his cage.[3] You can even put some treats on the floor for him to munch on while he’s playing.
    • If you have any other pets, put them in another room until after you place your guinea pig back in his cage.[2]
    • Supervise your guinea pig closely while he is outside of his cage to make sure that he doesn't run away or start chewing on something that he's not supposed to chew on.
  3. Provide your guinea pig with a variety of toys. Toys are an important aspect of keeping your guinea pig happy. There are many types of toys that you can give your guinea pig, including nibblers, chew toys, and toy balls. In addition, you can make homemade toys out of toilet paper rolls, empty shoeboxes, and empty milk cartons.[4] Although you may not interact directly with him when he’s playing with his toys, you can still spend time with him while he’s playing with them.
    • Nibblers and chew toys are usually made of a sturdy natural material, such as wood. Not only will these toys keep your guinea pig busy, they will help him keep his teeth filed down. Your guinea pig’s teeth can become dangerously long, so providing him with toys that he can nibble on will help maintain his good dental hygiene.[4]
    • Toy balls are also typically made of natural material and can easily be pushed around by your guinea pig.[4]
    • Ramps and stairs are fun toys if your guinea pig is in a multi-level cage. Make sure that the ramps and stairs are solid. Your guinea pig’s legs are short and could get stuck in the wires of wire ramps or stairs, causing injury.[4]
    • Exercise balls and wheels are not suitable toys for your guinea pig. His back does not bend like the backs of other pocket pets (mice, hamsters), so exercise balls and wheels can very easily lead to back injuries in guinea pigs.[3]
    • Clean his toys on a regular basis. Plastic toys can go in the dishwasher. Wooden toys should be washed by hand with a towel and allowed to dry completely before being placed back in his cage.[4]
    • Put only a few toys in his cage at a time so that he still has room to run around his cage. Switch out those toys when you clean his cage so that he has a new set of toys to play with.[4]

Playing With Your Guinea Pig Outside

  1. Prepare an outdoor enclosure. Allowing your guinea pig outside is good for his health and well-being.[5] Guinea pig runs are popular enclosures that will allow your guinea pig to play safely outdoors. Runs are relatively easy to put together and can be made of different materials, such as wood, PVC, nylon and mesh.[5] Whichever type of run that you choose, there are few important things to keep in mind. For example, cover the run to keep predators out and provide your guinea pig with some protection from the sun and breeze.[6]
    • Place some things in the run that your guinea pig can hide and rest in, such as a guinea pig-size igloo and paper bags. Plastic tunnels or toilet paper tubes are also good items that he can rest in.[7]
    • Make sure that you place plenty of water and good-quality hay in the run as well.[7]
    • If the grass is still damp, place several large towels on the ground so that your guinea has somewhere dry to go when he is outside.[6] Alternatively, you could wait until the grass is completely dry before taking your guinea pig outside.
    • Remove any weeds, and debris from inside the enclosure area.[6]
  2. Take your guinea pig outside when it is warm. Guinea pigs are very sensitive to hot weather (80 degrees Farenheit or more), [3] so it is important to take him outside only when the temperature is not too hot. Temperatures will not be extremely high in the springtime, so this would be the perfect time to take your guinea pig outside.
  3. Keep a close eye on your guinea pig. Because guinea pigs are sensitive to extremes in temperature, watch your guinea pig when he is outside to make sure that he looks okay. If your guinea pig is starting to suffer from heatstroke, he may exhibit signs such as reluctance to move, weakness, and panting. If you notice any of these signs, bring your guinea pig inside immediately and contact your veterinarian.[8]
    • You can administer some first aid to your guinea pig before taking him to your veterinarian. Wet his ears, feet, and fur with cold water. Do not use a lot of cold water, because cooling his body temperature down too quickly and/or too much can also cause serious medical issues.[8]
    • On your way to your veterinarian’s office, keep your guinea pig on a cool, wet towel. Putting on the air conditioning (not too high) or keeping the windows down will also help to keep your guinea pig without lowering his body temperature too much.[8]

Tips

  • When you are playing outside with your guinea pig, pay attention to which direction the sun is moving in. You will probably need to move the towels periodically to make sure that your guinea pig has a continuous shaded area in his enclosure.[6]
  • Guinea pigs are also sensitive to very cold weather, so do not take your guinea pigs out in the winter.[3]
  • If you have children, supervise them closely when they play with your guinea pig so that they do not play too roughly with him and injure him.[2]



Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/30/19/1418/Natural-Guinea-Pig-Behavior.aspx
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.texvetpets.org/article/owning-guinea-pigs/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/how-to-keep-your-guinea-pig-entertained.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 http://www.guineapigcorner.com/toys
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://abyssinianguineapigtips.com/outdoor-guinea-pig-run-ideas/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://www.rodentswithattitude.co.uk/seasonalcare.html
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://littlestrescue.org/guinea-pig-care/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1800&aid=3411
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