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Do Guinea Pigs need Toys?

11 replies

KnappShappeyShipwright · 01/01/2014 17:54

We've got two young boars who are now enjoying their indoor run (bargain from the Range last week) in the lounge. I've put a washable picnic blanket down to protect the carpet and in the run they have a chewable tunnel, their plastic house and food & water. Do they need anything else? They seem happy and do twitchy jumps every so often, chase each other up and down, and hide in their tunnel. DD & I are giving them plenty of affection & attention but I don't want them to be bored. They seem like such clever animals.

OP posts:
Gingerbics · 01/01/2014 19:29

Sounds great! Ours like a shoebox with a door cut out each end or an empty paper bag stuffed with hay ( recommended by 70) and their little tunnel, anything den like or edible seems to be a hit! Tell me more about your indoor run please, I'm intrigued. Ps happy new year everyone. Just off to scoop up more of the hundreds of poos these do each day, it's becoming an obsession!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/01/2014 20:45

Happy New Year Knapp and Ginger and the boarlettes Smile

Boars are 100% Love Sponges (I had sows as a child and a young male but he had a Sad demise thanks you his bullying wifey)

DD has her two boys and we try to give them as much space and activity as possible.

They love tunnels and boxes ( with two doors - one pig will always be more dominant, you don't want to risk the milder one being trapped)

YY they love a paper bag (Primark bags with the handles cut off - GP1 got stuck in a handle and was very ragey, though he could have bitten his way out, it's paper)

Those cardboard hay tunnels and the plastic tunnels last ages, and you can re-arrange them. We like to confuse them keep them entertained by moving things round when we clean the houses.

Make sure there's no staples or tape though, can be fatal if they ingest them.

Our weren't impressed by ramps, never used the upper level to the haybox, unless they were put on the roof and ran down towards the food. We took it out to give more room.

Boars WILL have the inevitable scraps. (There are loads of "My boars are fighting" threads ). Keep the food / veg /water well spaced so there's no crowding.

My two original boys were fine if they had their own hide-away/ get-out space (and no coriander, it made them fighty)

Now we have the older boy and our piglet who is about 7 months old, they like to sit apart but within hearing distance. They are pretty good at respecting each other.

Enjoy your piggies, they are lovely Grin

KnappShappeyShipwright · 01/01/2014 21:28

Thanks, Ginger and 70. Reassuring to know we're pretty much doing it right. They are very vocal animals so I'm sure they will let us know if we can do anything more for them! I'll bear the coriander in mind, our aren't very aggressive yet but are only 7 months old. One of them is definitely the alpha male (surprisingly, not the biggest or brightest of the two either).

Gingerbics - the indoor run is a wire thing that slots together in sections, I can't offer you a link as my internet connection is steam powered tonight but there are plenty to chose from. It means the pigs have more space to kick around without running over the sofa, and the cats can look but not touch. I've got an old plastic backed picnic blanket under it to protect the carpet from wee. I know what you mean about the poo - they are like manure machines. At least they are solid and easy to sweep up. Grin

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fridayfreedom · 01/01/2014 21:36

The twitchy jumps are call popcorning!
Clever animals?? Hmmm

fridayfreedom · 01/01/2014 21:37

Oh and a pooing guinea pig is a happy guinea pig!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/01/2014 21:38

Our piglet has gone from being the tiny, wheek wheek wheek "where are you, don't go away three steps away and leeeeave me" to a huge, solid teenage boy.
And much as my daughter will not admit, he's now in charge.
The older boy has accepted this gracefully (thank goodness) I didn't want winter and being indoors at night clashing with GP3 finding his muscles.

We have a run upstairs that's panels slotted together . The run is about 5'x3' with an extra bit in the bay window, we can change the size/shape.

No cover but we don't have cats

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/01/2014 21:40

Grin at the popcorning - it's lovely to watch.
and they're not the Sharpest Tools in the Shed but that's part of their charm IMO Wink

KnappShappeyShipwright · 01/01/2014 21:58

Popcorning describes it perfectly. I have just put a fresh, large cardboard tube in with them - it had A1 size posters in so really is huge. GP1 (beta pig) has been sent by Gp2 (alpha) to investigate.

Not bright?! Mine are clearly gifted animals. They talk to me and GP1 even looks like he understands me when we have conversations. Grin

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/01/2014 22:25

Mine understand the fridge
And the sound of scissors cutting grass

Anything else they pretend to understand just to humour me Grin

(Bit like my DC 'go along with' my OTT Christmas plans to keep me happy)
It just makes for a quieter, easier life all round.

"Now, who are my good boys"?
Wheek wheek, - well of course WE are Smile

nicky2512 · 01/01/2014 22:29

Well my old fella def knows the sound of my dads car arriving and starts to wheek very loudly. He just loves his granda. (or the parsley he brings).

fortifiedwithtea · 02/01/2014 13:04

Move their toys around their run, it makes the toys exciting again to be in a different place.

For anyone with a hard floor that can cope with wee and poop, food treasure hunts are sure fire guinea fun. Though mine give me judgey looks if I don't put anything under the table by the sofa Grin

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