Download Guinea Pig Care Guide – PDF
Information and images courtesy of GuineaPigCages.com!
Towel Tents
Cut up or fold large bath towels. Be sure to cut off any hanging threads. Towel tents in the corner make a great hiding place that can be washed and don’t take up too much room in the cage. You can just loop the towel through cage wires on the corner and secure with a safety pins or binder clips.
Paper Bags
Easy, inexpensive, and disposable; try folding them down, or cutting them down to fit better in the cage. Lay them on their side like a cave, but be sure to cut off any handles. You can also try stuffing a paper bag with hay! Cut some entrance/exit holes on the side for more fun.
Cardboard Boxes
Shoe boxes, tissue boxes, and empty soda carton boxes are good cavy-friendly examples. Turn boxes upside down or sideways for a cave. If sideways with a bottom, throw in some bedding or hay for a soft hide-away. If upside down, cut out one or two entrance and escape holes.
Cozies or Cuddle Cups
These are HUGE hits with the guinea pigs. They LOVE snuggling in their cozies. They are available at many pet stores, but with a little ingenuity and crafting skill, you can make your own versions of these items as well. We consider a tunnel and cozy a must have for every cage!
Tunnels
These are HUGE hits with the guinea pigs. They LOVE running through and sleeping under their tunnels. They can be purchased at many pet stores, or can be made from cardboard packaging.
Crumpled-Up Pieces of Paper
A very simple and inexpensive option, but guinea pigs love them. Plain paper is better, as they will likely chew on it and may eat it. Occasional paper eating is okay, but inform your veterinarian if your guinea pig appears to have consumed a large quantity of paper.
Sheets of Newspaper
Another simple and inexpensive toy option, but generally a big hit. Newspaper is good to chew on, crawl under, and play tug-of-war with. Just make sure there are no staples before giving the paper to your guinea pigs. Most newspaper is made with soy-based dyes, which are safe for the pigs. Check with your newspaper company if you are not sure.
Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Cardboard Spools
Stuff some Timothy Hay in them and they make great treats. Be sure to cut a slit down the length of any tube so that a playful, curious guinea pig won’t get stuck, like the in the photo to the right.
Oatmeal Containers
Just like the cardboard spools, oatmeal containers make great toys for curious guinea pigs. Slice lengthwise to make sure they can’t get stuck as shown above, and toss them when dirty or chewed down.
Bricks, Cinder Blocks, or Rough Stones
These options may help with wearing down a guinea pig’s sharp nails. You can also make a pad of bricks available in the summer time, so that they can lie on the cooler bricks. You can also put the bricks under your guinea pig’s water bottle to help absorb drips and ensure they get their little claws on them. For entertainment, make a low pyramid with bricks and put food on the top platform. With bricks, cinder blocks, and stones, make sure there is NO danger of any item falling or dislodging in such a way that could hurt them. Try putting the stones or bricks under or next to their hayracks, especially if you hang the hayracks from an upper deck in a cube cage.
Old Socks
You can leave them alone or stuff them with cage bedding. Tie off or sew the top closed, and these can become a favorite pillow that gets dragged around the cage.
Tennis Balls
These may be better than cat toys as they will roll around easier on fluffy guinea pig bedding.
Ping Pong Balls
Lightweight and also fun for guinea pigs to push around.
Small, Lightweight Bowls
Items that they can toss or get inside, like a clean, empty sour cream or cottage cheese container.
Fruit Tree Branch
A good chew treat, and free if they come from your UNSPRAYED backyard. Untreated wood, twigs and logs that have been aged for at least 3 months are appropriate. Apple tree branches can be eaten fresh off the tree. Stay away from: cherry, peach, apricot, plum (fruit trees with pits), and redwood branches, which are all poisonous.
Children’s Wooden Blocks
For chewing and pushing around. Please make sure any children’s blocks are not coated with any sealants (shiny or smooth looking) and are basically just plain wood.
Plumbing Pipe
If you already have some 4″ wide plumbing pipe, the different joint combinations (T’s and elbows and +’s) can make interesting tunnels for the guinea pigs to run through and hide in. Please be aware that while PVC pipe is not toxic to your guinea pigs, it is one of the most environmentally damaging plastics on the planet. Please be sure to recycle if you are discarding your guinea pig’s PVC pipes.
Small Stuffed Animals
These can be used in the same way as stuffed socks. Some use them as pillows or something else to cuddle up with. Only use stuffed animals that are safe for pet use, as the stuffing in some children’s toys can be extremely harmful. If your guinea pig really likes a particular stuffed toy, but chews enough to get to the stuffing inside, you could replace the stuffing with cage bedding and sew it back up.
Some Bird Toys
The kind you can hang with bells on the end. Try hanging from a small bungee cord or string stretched across a corner or hang from the top of a covered cage. Try attaching with pipe cleaners, cable ties, or a large paper clip. Make sure they are safe and well constructed with large parts that can’t be swallowed.
Some Cat Toys
Some pigs like the balls with the bells inside. Use with caution. They may separate. Make sure they are safe and well constructed with large parts that can’t be swallowed. The wire balls with a bell inside may be a safer option than the plastic variety.
Some Guinea Pig Toys
Bounce back toys – you can put a treat inside. The related Boredom Busters are not recommended as the ring can break and cause a serious health hazard.
