Guinea pigs need toys and home comforts in their cage to help make them feel secure, comfortable and occupied while in
their cage. If you can, provide a large enough cage that will hold cage accessories like tunnels and hidey houses,
this will help to keep your guinea pigs stimulated and happy. They can also use cage accessories for when they
are having safe free range time. This is even more important if their cage is small and your unable to fit many accessories
in the cage without it seeming like an obstacle course. Please don't overcrowd a cage
as guinea pigs do need to be able to run freely. Of course, one of the most essential ingredients to help keep your guinea
pig happy and occupied is for them
to have another guinea pig as a cage mate. But you can also enrich their lives by providing them with lots of things to do. You
may find that some guinea pigs will totally ignore certain cage accessories, others may adore them, just experiment to see what your
guinea pigs enjoy. To prevent boredom of always having the same items in the cage, swop things around each day, this will help to keep their interest.
Remember the number one rule, whatever
you put in a guinea pigs cage, it must be safe. Here are some cage accessories that my guinea pigs love. I have provided a few links at the bottom of the page as to
where some of my piggies cage accessories can be bought.
Tunnels, home comforts and hiding places
One of the most enjoyable things you can add to a guinea pigs cage are tunnels and little houses for them to run through or to relax in if they want to spend some time
on their own. They will also use the houses and tunnels as bolt holes if they become afraid, a safe place they can quickly retreat to. Here are photo's of some of tunnels and houses
my piggies use, both inside
their cage and outside in their safe play areas. Remember to never leave your guinea pigs unsupervised outside in the garden. Also, make sure the area you use for
your guinea pigs to have some free range time is safe.
For information about keeping your guinea pigs safe while out playing,
visit my Exercise page.
Jasmine and Clover playing *high noon* with their cardboard tube.
Cardboard tubes are inexpensive and are loved by guinea pigs, providing endless fun. Guinea pigs adore travelling through tunnels and you can hide a
vegetable treat or some tasty hay inside them. Caution: Please make sure the tunnels are wide enough so your guinea pig can run freely through them.
Peachy in her log tunnel
My guinea pigs also love these log tunnels that are now available to buy. They are flexible and safe for guinea pigs to nibble on. I actually bought the larger rabbit version as I found
the guinea pig version too small in height. My guinea pigs love going through them and the larger rabbit version is big enough for piggy to stretch out and have a
nap.Caution: Make sure there are no sharp edges and regularly check the log tunnel for damage.
Peachy relaxing in her igloo
Here is a delightful guinea pig Igloo, made of hard plastic that you can buy. These are fantastic for guinea pigs that like to have their own special
place for when they feel the need for some peace and quiet. They are washable too, so are very easy to keep clean. Caution: Some guinea pigs do like to chew on them, so if you
have a guinea pig that is constantly nibbling on the plastic, its best to remove the igloo, as you don't want the plastic causing an intestinal blockage.
Sweetpea in her homemade tunnel
You can also be a little creative and make your own tunnels and houses using cardboard boxes. Depending on the shape of the box, you can cut out the top and bottom of the box
and line the inside with newspaper. This will help to make them last a little longer. In addition, depending on the size of your cage or outside play area, you can add more cardboard tunnels for extra entertainment. You can also make
a cardboard house. Cut the base of the box out and make an arched entrance hole, large enough for piggy to enter. If using the cardboard
house outside the cage, place some newspaper underneath to avoid your carpet becoming damp. Like my
guinea pigs, you may find they will use it as a toilet area. You will find that they will quickly become damp or soiled, but they are easily replaceable. Look in large super markets near the check out area. Often they have boxes for customers
to use for their
groceries. Caution: Its very important that you remove all tape and staples before giving them to your guinea pigs. Stick to plain cardboard boxes
and avoid using brightly coloured boxes in case the dye used is harmful to your guinea pig.
Remember guinea pigs will like to
nibble on the cardboard, so its best to be cautious.
Sweetpea's paper bag home
Plain paper bags are very popular with my guinea pigs. Sweetpea especially loves hiding and relaxing in them. Although most shops tend to use plastic bags these days, you may find your local fruit
and vegetable shop will let you have a few for free or you could offer to buy a few for a few pennies if they have plenty of bags in stock.Caution: Never use plastic bags, they can cause an intestinal blockage.
Sweetpea in her newspaper tent
Guinea pigs are very clever at making their own little hiding place. Above you can see that Sweetpea made her very own newspaper tent. What a clever little girl. I just placed a
a sheet of black and white newspaper in the cage and the piggies love hiding under it. It can be amusing too, often when piggy decides to move, the paper goes with them :)
Jake in his cosy
Here is a very soft cosy, traditionally known as a cavy cosy. My piggies love resting in them, especially Sweetpea, Peachy and Jake. Often, Squeekie prefers to sleep on top of his. My cosies were specially made for me by my
friend Merry. My piggies cosies are washable too. Thank you so much to my friend Merry for making them. There is a link near the bottom of this page if you'd like to order a cavy cosy from Merry.
Sweetpea in her cuddle cup
Another lovely home comfort are cavy cuddle cups. Very soft and large enough for piggy to lie down and have a nap or as you can see above, Sweetpea enjoying a good scratch :)
They are also washable and quick drying.
Beatrix in her play tent
Adorable nylon tents are very popular with my guinea pigs. They have a removable fleece base so they are easy to wash, quick drying and are also very comfortable for your guinea pig to sleep in. Caution: Some guinea pigs may be tempted to chew the nylon and if you find this happening, it would be best to remove the tent or just allow your guinea pigs to have the tents when you are supervising them.
Other items
My guinea love empty toilet rolls, they love sculpturing them with their teeth and throwing them about. You can
also hide hay or a vegetable treat inside. Making a ball out of a sheet of black and white newspaper is also enjoyed. Another fun way to make
your guinea pig work a little harder, is to provide a hay rack. I'm looking for a small hay rack at the moment as I'm sure they would be fun for my piggies. I will also be trying out more new items in the future and will
update this page to let you know how popular they are with my little herd.
Dangerous items
Please never use exercise wheels or exercise balls that some pet stores sell for guinea pigs, they could badly hurt your guinea pigs spine. A guinea pigs body is not
designed to use wheels or exercise balls, leave these type of toys for the more agile hamster. Avoid any toys with small parts that can be chewed through and swallowed.
Links to on-line shops
Thistle Cavy Rescue Shop UK Sells cuddle cups, tents, chubes, grass houses, log cabins, wooden
guinea houses and other home comforts.
Bunny Mail UK Sells log tunnels, plastic igloos, roll-a-nest and many other
home comforts.
Piggie Marketplace USA Sells tents, cuddle cups, cardboard hideys, a very cute guinea pig bed and lots more.
