Best guinea pig toys?

[Iggi999]

So excited to finally be able to post on here - got two lovely pigs today and am wondering what some of the best toys are for them.
Have got a tube and a small bridge.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Pigtures and a full description are compulsary
We need to know
Age/ boar-sow/colour/coat type/where you got them cos we're nosy like that

They'll need MN Nicknames

Toys- my piggies love cardboard boxes (take off any tape and staples and cut 2 doors)
Big paper bags , cut off the handles (Primark ones are good) empty or full of hay.
Tunnels- I have one of those ridged plastic ones and a couple of Hop In tunnels
You can get those hay covered ones and woven grass type ones.

I used to have a wicker hedgehog house that was GP1 den.
Lasted ages until GP4 and GP5 (our older sows) ate it [sigh]

Bags and boxes are free/cheap and once they get grubby, throw them out.

[Iggi999]

Ha ha! They are baby boys, from a well known pet store as I could not find them any where else in my area.
I will try to put up a photo.
I like that a lot of your toy suggestions are not expensive things.

[Iggi999]

Pic

[Iggi999]

Not sure why it's a bottom pic!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

they are gorgeous (and you'll find out they're not the easiest animals to photograph, so a couple of rumps is a good start )

Piggies are not the most intelligent creatures which is part of their charm IMO

They love to hide in things and chew (paper and cardboard are good for this)

I recently got two new sows (all my piggies are Rescued) and the 2 newbies don't want to bond with my other two sows and our boar.
So I had to buy a new run and a wooden housie for them.
So they can work out expensive (DH was about the cost of holiday boarding for the 5 of them, but I told him it's a "Holiday Expense" like airport parking and it's a once a year expense . And worth it for the pleasure of keeping these little animals. He's not convinced though.... )

[Iggi999]

Dh is trying to remain aloof but I caught him standing watching them play earlier!

[FernieB]

Congrats on the new members of your family. My DH maintains that he is indifferent to the livestock (2 pigs and a bun) but I've caught him picking lavender for the pigs and he never leaves the house without going to say goodbye to them.

With respect to toys - my boys have shown little or no interest in proper toys from the shops, but give them a paper bag with hay in, or a kitchen roll tube, or cardboard box with doors cut in it and they get very excited.

[Iggi999]

Thanks!
Trying not to get impatient with the amount of time they sleep for...

[EastMidsGPs]

Lovely piggie bums you have there .

Over the years I've spent wasted pounds and pounds on toys for my pigs. Always believed it was their pocket and spending money however they've always managed to be suitably unimpressed with the toys lovingly bought.

But they love cardboard boxes and paper bags .. and parsley bells

They show no interest in the boredom breaking cardboard maze, the willow ball thing, the wooden things to hang in their cage (Amazon is your friend) or any little treasure available at Xmas time

They do love their nylon tunnel tho .. I think they like the scampering noise they make as they run through it!! And the fact that they think they are hidden when they sit in the centre opening.
Collect boxes and bags, save your money and instead buy wine and chocolate for youself 😃
Oh and DH claims he isn't interested in ours but talks to them always in passing, makes sure they are in shade and not too hot (ignores me) and reads the news to them when he sits in the garden with them - he also asks their opinions [erm]
Sadie actually prefers him to me 😞

[Iggi999]

Loving the wine and chocolate idea! I may need it given the amount of poo they are doing.
Feel sad for them at the moment as they must still be so scared of us, and also sad for ds who so desperately wants them to love him and want to be picked up and stroked.

[millimat]

Cute! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has wasted money on toys, but they prefer cardboard tubes!

[Iggi999]

I wish they'd have a look at the top part of the cage (not two-tier - just the bit along one side of the cage above their sleeping area). It has some steep plastic steps but really all they need to do is stretch!

[EastMidsGPs]

They'll soon get used to you and their routine and in no time will be waiting for you (they do the most pathetic 'we've been abandoned for hours' faces 😃). Then the wheeking will start, and they'll call out to you to remind you they've been abandoned and are starving 😃😃
Talk to them and get Ds to, they'll start to recognise your voices.
Gently stroke them and use parsley as a treat bribe
It won't be long before you see their different personalities

[Iggi999]

Ah thank you. Their nugget bowl is never empty, maybe I should put a bit less in so it creates more excitement when it's filled up!

[Iggi999]

Do they swallow the cardboard? Is that ok??

[EyeRollChampion]

I keep the nugget bowl empty but bring them fresh greens twice a day (you probably know this already but piggies can't manufacture their own vitamin C so need plenty of fresh veg). They go mad for a bit of kale or coriander :)

Cardboard will get nibbled and eaten but it's perfectly safe :)

[EyeRollChampion]

I meant I keep the nugget bowl full! Piggies can't go long without food so there should always be hay and food about x

[EastMidsGPs]

Cardboard doesn't seem to hurt them. Some toys are cardboard based - tunnels and some tunnel things covered in hay. The discarded boredom maze I bought wasted cash on -- is cardboard.

Keep the nugget bowl with nuggets in it, they will eat them, but probably in private when you are not near them. Nuggets are better than the mixed museli you can get because with that they pick and choose what to eat and leave the bits that a good for them. Also I think the nuggets really keep their teeth knawed down.
Have just been to my pair, the nugget bowl is pushed up against the door in a 'is this all there is?' protest 😃