Wheels/Balls What is so bad about the ball? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**Miss.Kiada** · #1 08-20-09, 12:23 pm

I know people say that these exercise balls are bad for your pig's and I can see what their talking about but I saw a HUGE ball in a store the other day that would be big enough for my pig to stand in without her back arching almost at all. I was wondering about it because I would love to find a way for her to come outside of her cage more often. My family has a dog who will eat her and my parents don't like the idea of her coming out of my room in case she get out of her pen or jumps out of my arms and my younger siblings have to watch my pig be killed. So I wanted to get her something that she would be protected in but everyone here says these things are horrible. I know she would fit fine in the ball without any back injury's and it's not like I would keep in for hours but I don't know of anything else like these. Answers please? Thanks a bunch.

**rabbitsncavyluv** · #2 08-20-09, 12:32 pm

It is not the size of the ball - it is the fact that guinea pigs cannot bend their backs at all like a hamster. They can still breaks their back and limbs in those things if they move inside them.

**Ly&Pigs** · #3 08-20-09, 12:39 pm

Like RnCl said, their spines aren't meant to bend that way, even in large balls the movement will cause their spines to bend and they could break their back.

**fieryone** · #4 08-20-09, 12:40 pm

I've also never heard of a pig who did anything inside one of those balls. The people I adopted my newest pig from tried to give me one (I declined) and he said the pig never moved in it anyway. (then my 9 year old son piped in with "My mom says that will kill the guinea pig!")

My son also had a guinea pig at his bio father's house who was put in a ball and according to my son "Patches didn't like it very much. He just sat there". This was years before I ever looked into guinea pigs, by the way.

**Paula** · #5 08-20-09, 12:41 pm

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...gs-either.html

As long as the pig doesn't try to move - no matter the size of the ball - s/he would likely be fine. But should the poor thing try to walk anywhere, it's very likely to do serious damage to his/her spine. Possibly catastrophic damage, actually.

I do agree that your pig probably needs more time outside the cage, but the wisest way to go would be to use some extra grids to create a large play area that the pig can't get out of for floor time. Do it in an area where the dog can't get to (ie, behind closed doors) or have a brother/sister/parent take the dog outside for a walk or play time while the pig is outside the cage.

**Wheekie** · #6 08-20-09, 01:02 pm

Before I found this site and knew any better, I bought one of those HUGE balls. My pig just stood in in and looked at me like"What are y'puttin' me in this thing for?" Then he promptly laid down and just patiently waited for me to remove him...or it! Didn't move an inch! I had cute little visions of him rolling all over the house, but he thought otherwise..thank God!

**Peggysu** · #7 08-20-09, 01:13 pm

I think they like carpet under their feet better then being on a plastic ball that could seriously injure them.

**cherrytop108** · #8 08-20-09, 01:26 pm

well i still think that its probably not the best for his/her back, but if you thnk its big enough for it then you should be okay--one thing though i bought one(its pretty big) and it just sits in it and does nothing so its kinda pointless to buy one unless you know for a fact that theyll run in it.

**jordan** · #9 08-20-09, 02:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wheekie

Before I found this site and knew any better, I bought one of those HUGE balls. My pig just stood in in and looked at me like"What are y'puttin' me in this thing for?" Then he promptly laid down and just patiently waited for me to remove him...or it! Didn't move an inch! I had cute little visions of him rolling all over the house, but he thought otherwise..thank God!

I had the same exact response. I immediately returned in to the pet store and the lady there was like "you NEVER put your guinea pig in one of those." What's funny is the vet I took my pigs too said that a ball would be fine. I won't be using him again though.

**Miss.Kiada** · #10 08-20-09, 02:26 pm

ok, well thanks for the info everyone. The only place I can put her in is a play pen I made for her but she would only be able to stay in my room. Would that be ok? she's in a 3x3 with a 1x2 loft where her food is so he dose have lots of room to play around in. Dose anyone have any good idea's for toy's? She has a few PVC tubes which she loves and a ball with a bell in it that she roll's around the cage and some toilet paper rolls but other than that idk what to get her and because she's an only pig I want her to have lots of toys she she isn't board. Any idea's?

**akstrohm** · #11 08-20-09, 02:29 pm

It's fine if the playpen is in your room.

The best toy you can get her is another pig. Toys and human interaction cannot replace that. Guinea pigs don't play with toys very much. They like to have another guinea pig, lots of space to run around, and lots of hay.

**gooberific** · #12 08-20-09, 02:29 pm

The Humane Society of the United States also states this on their Hamster care page: "NEVER put your hamster in an exercise ball, which is dangerous and stressful for all animals" and leads me to believe that no animal should be in a ball, regardless of whether or not their spines are able to bend that way.

(Source: How to Care for Hamsters | The Humane Society of the United States )

**Miss.Kiada** · #13 08-20-09, 02:34 pm

My parents won't let me get another pig. I've shown them this website and all the info on how pigs need another of their kind but they won't budge. so once a week I take her to the rescue I got her from and she plays with the lady's pig who we know is very healthy and quite friendly but Kiada seems to want to fight with her all the time.

**sirigirl92** · #14 08-20-09, 02:44 pm

Its not that they want to fight, when guinea pigs come into contact with one another, they start by 'deciding' who's dominant. This is done by chattering and rumble strutting. Every time you introduce them they will once again decide on who's dominant. If you did get another pig(just an eample, im not saying "AH! YOU! GET ANOTHA PIGGEH NAO!!!!") they would do this dominance ritual for a few days and then get over it and be piggy buddies.

**Miss.Kiada** · #15 08-20-09, 03:07 pm

Ok, Well how do you know when to separate them...like what *besides blood* is key that their just not happy with one another?

**sirigirl92** · #16 08-20-09, 03:10 pm

If one pig is too scared to leave the hidey house for food because the other is just so mean. If one pig is Lunging, and trieing to jump on the other. You could always use the bathing meathod(it works for me every time) or divide the cage untill they get used to each other, and gradually introduce them.

**akstrohm** · #17 08-20-09, 04:07 pm

You really shouldn't separate unless there is blood. They should be left to work it out. You do need to make sure both pigs have enough space to get away from each other and that there is food in multiple parts of the cage so that both can eat.

"Thank you, rabbitsncavyluv, for this useful post," says:
Ibbet (08-20-09)

"Thank you, Ly&Pigs, for this useful post," say these 3 members:
IluvePiggies (08-20-09), Poelitstudent (08-20-09), rabbitsncavyluv (08-20-09)

"Thank you, Paula, for this useful post," say these 4 members:
gooberific (08-20-09), IluvePiggies (08-20-09), Poelitstudent (08-20-09), rabbitsncavyluv (08-20-09)