Toys for guinea pigs: what are needed and how to make them with your own hands?
Guinea pigs are quite active and inquisitive animals. However, unlike dogs and cats, rodents live more isolated and less in contact with humans. In order for the animal not to be bored, it is necessary to equip its cage with special toys. This article will discuss what toys are needed for guinea pigs, and how to make them by hand.
Toy Requirements
Today there are a large number of a wide variety of toys for guinea pigs. They can be purchased at any pet store or make yourself. When choosing, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to how safe the thing is for the pet.
A toy should not consist of many small parts. Otherwise, the rodent can gnaw through the thing and choke on small items. There should also be no sharp details and angles, otherwise the animal will be cut during games. There should be no small holes in the toy in which rodents' paws can get stuck.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the material from which the item was made. Poor quality toys can lead to poisoning of the animal.
Also paint coatings may be dangerous for rodents, as they are toxic.
For guinea pigs wheels or closed balls that are very popular with hamsters will not work. This is due to the physiological characteristics of animals. Guinea pigs in such structures can easily damage the spine, since their back muscles are rather weak. For the same reason, guinea pigs should not buy toys that must be hung from the cage ceiling. In an attempt to reach the subject, the animal may be seriously injured.
One of the most popular toys for guinea pigs is tunnels. When choosing such items be sure to consider the size of the pet. The size of the aisles and holes must be such that the animal crawls freely into them without risking to get stuck.
When choosing a finished toy it is necessary to evaluate not only the appearance of the thing, but also its smell. If an unpleasant odor emanates from an item, this may indicate the toxicity of the materials used to make it.
In addition, guinea pigs react negatively to unpleasant odors - a pet may not even come close to such a toy.
Varieties
Guinea pigs are not picky in toys. Entertainment for a pet can be organized from those items that are already available at home. If necessary, you can purchase a suitable toy in the pet store.
Handy things
If you look around the house carefully, then you can find several ready-made options for entertaining a guinea pig. Rodents willingly play with table tennis balls. Balls must be periodically cleaned as they become contaminated and replaced with new ones when the pet crumbles the old balls.
Guinea pigs love to look at their reflection. To please your pet, it is enough to give him a small mirror. It is best placed outside the rodent's cage so that it does not accidentally hurt. Children's playing cubes from a natural tree can serve as useful entertainment for guinea pigs. The thing is that such animals like to actively nibble on wooden objects. Such a thing will help keep your pet's teeth in good condition.
Instead of objects from a tree, branches of trees also will be suitable for rodents. However, it is necessary to consider both the type of tree and the place where it grew. It is important that the branches do not have traces of chemicals that are used for processing plants.
Therefore, it is best to collect branches from forest and garden trees.
As for the type of plant, it is best to use the twigs of apple trees. Trees such as cherry, plum and apricot will be dangerous for your pet, as they contain harmful substances. Also as a toy for a rodent, you can use pine cones.
However, it should be remembered that they must first be cleaned of tar and dirt. It is recommended to put the bumps in the oven, heated to a temperature of 200 degrees, for 30 minutes. Cardboard tubes made from paper towels or toilet paper are another simple gaming option.
Guinea pigs are also willing to play with paper. As an entertainment pet can offer a ball from an old crumpled newspaper. However, you need to be sure that the printing did not use toxic dyes. For security reasons, you can make the ball not from newspaper sheets, but from unused and clean printer paper.
Toys from the store
If you want to please your pet with a brighter toy, you can purchase it at the pet store. As an alternative to solid-colored table tennis balls, bright colored rodent balls can serve. When there is no opportunity to independently collect branches of trees, you can purchase a ready-made set of sticks in the pet store.
Some rodents like to play with soft toys. The biggest advantage in the first place is safety for the pet. The guinea pig may begin to gnaw a plush toy. In this case, it is recommended to remove the gasket and replace it with hay.
In their natural habitat, guinea pigs mainly build housing for themselves underground or build houses from plants. The pet will enjoy toys in the form of labyrinths, tunnels and soft long cuffs in which to hide.
What can be made by hand?
Guinea pigs do not require any technically complex toys. Because they can easily be made independently at home. One of the easiest options - shelter of cardboard boxes. In a regular shoebox, it is enough to make several holes so that the rodent can easily pass through them.
Guinea pigs love hay, so any objects stuffed with dry grass can be used as toys.. Socks, egg cartons, paper bags and other items can be used as a base for stuffing. An interesting and tasty entertainment for a rodent will be a rope, to which pieces of various delicacies will be attached. As noted earlier, hanging toys from the ceiling of a cage for guinea pigs is not recommended. Therefore, the rope must be placed on the floor.
From the sanitary polypropylene pipes can be built tunnels for a pet. It is best to additionally sheathe the pipes with a soft cloth. You can build a small hammock out of unnecessary clothes or pieces of cloth.
The main thing is not to hang it in a cage too high - it is better to place the product near the floor.
Dimensions of the cell do not always allow to equip the playing area right in it. For the guinea pig, you can make a playground outside of its home. First of all, it is necessary to find and prepare a place in the house for an area for games. It will be convenient to use for this purpose a free corner in the room.
The floor must be covered with a soft cloth or an unnecessary bedspread. It is recommended to fence the borders of the playing area with a fence made of metal rods or a net. The height of the fence should be such that the pet could not get through it.
It is possible to equip the playing area at its discretion, but at the same time, taking into account the preferences of the pet. Here you can arrange your favorite toys of the guinea pig.Additionally, it is recommended to build a house from the branches, place containers with hay and various tunnels. In such buildings, a rodent can not only entertain, but also to relax if necessary.
Useful recommendations
When choosing a finished toy or self-manufacturing it is first necessary to take care of the safety of the guinea pig. However, the business is not limited to the purchase or construction of various game items. The state of the playing areas and things must be regularly monitored.
Guinea pigs can crack their things into many small parts. Such situations should be prevented and immediately discarded damaged items. Otherwise, the pet may swallow some small part, choke, or get poisoned.
It is also important to monitor the purity of toys. Items made of plastic and wood should be periodically washed and dried. Soft toys, as well as bedding and hammocks made of cloth should be washed regularly. The thing is that guinea pigs do not go to the toilet in a separate place, so they can even stain their favorite toy.
If you do not follow the purity, then there is a risk that the animal may become infected with a fungal disease.
You can find out how to make a sleeping bag for a guinea pig by looking at the video below.
