New Toy at PetCo

I got one for my boys 3 years ago, haha so they're not new.
But I see you have a salt lick or something like it on the side of your cage?

That was the first thing I got for my piggies and they loved eating hay from it!!
Mine is purple.

This is what I use for hay

I had a pig get her head stuck in those hay balls. I would never suggest them. I also use hay bags (I make my own) and have bought from Jen's Custom Crafts. Hay bags or bent grids are the best hay hacks ever.

Those balls are fine when supervised, but only when supervised. And it should not be the only source of hay, guinea pigs should never have to work for their hay.
I would also be wary of feeding the most important daily veggie staples through the ball unless both are equally good at getting them out & enjoy it. I'd stick with feeding occasional fruit in it.

I love those hay bags. They're very cute. I just give my guinea a pile of hay though. No matter what I do, it ends up all over the place, so why make it harder for her? I have a litter tray pan and use it exclusively for hay and the inevitable pooping to go along with it.

I have a little hay bin piled with hay.
But that hay bag is SO cute! I will definitely make one of those for my girls. But where did you get that fabric, it's just too adorable!

That WAS a salt lick at in the cage, but it has been removed since (after some feedback on another thread) I found they aren't the best for the pigs.

The holes on the hay ball are way way way too small for my pig's head to get stuck.

Also, when we feed them hay, we usually leave a small pile outside of the hay ball as well, but even when there is no hay in the ball, Ano pulls, tugs, and shakes the ball. He absolutely loves it, so I don't think it's bad for him to get his hay from it.

His veggies are placed in a separate bowl for easy access.

I also had 2 other questions.

Has anyone ever gotten their pig one of those balls in a barrel? It's the wooden brown and orange thing on the left side of the cage in the picture above. Ano LOVES that, he seems to think he is lifting weights with it lol.

Also, do any of your piggies knock over, lift, shake, throw, and just all around toy with their bowls if they aren't attached to the cage? If we ever put a stand alone bowl of veggies in the cage, Ano will PROMPTLY (read: obsessively) walk over, tip it over, and will throw it around his cage until it is upside down and empty lol.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not buy anything from PetCo, PetSmart, or any other pet store that sells live animals!! please check out this link: PetSmart Cruelty // What's Wrong With PetSmart?

The unbelievable cruelty that happens to live animals that are sold as "merchandise" takes your breath away. Even if you don't buy animals from them ANY money you spend there supports their business, and enables them to continue selling animals and abusing and torturing them.

whatever animal supplies you need these days can be found at Walmart (the ones that don't sell animals), Target, and on-line at places like amazon etc.

you may not think it matters whether you spend your $20 dollars there or not, and maybe they're not going to go out of business if you stop buying there, but i myself couldn't possible give them any of my hard earned money, knowing that they treat living animals this way.

@peeweesPiggyPalace, where on EARTH did you get that pig fabric?! I want to buy some in bulk!

jacqueline said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not buy anything from PetCo, PetSmart, or any other pet store that sells live animals!! please check out this link: PetSmart Cruelty // What's Wrong With PetSmart?

The unbelievable cruelty that happens to live animals that are sold as "merchandise" takes your breath away. Even if you don't buy animals from them ANY money you spend there supports their business, and enables them to continue selling animals and abusing and torturing them.

whatever animal supplies you need these days can be found at Walmart (the ones that don't sell animals), Target, and on-line at places like amazon etc.

you may not think it matters whether you spend your $20 dollars there or not, and maybe they're not going to go out of business if you stop buying there, but i myself couldn't possible give them any of my hard earned money, knowing that they treat living animals this way.

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I have a question, then. I have NO PROBLEM not shopping at PetSmart and PetCo, because I have been discovering all these farms where I can order online, and the accessories I can make myself, or purchase from someone. However, we also have 2 lizards... Where would I be able to buy crickets and mealworms, and his accessories, etc? If anyone could point in a direction, I would really appreciate it.

P.S. I went to PetCo after school today to buy the crickets and was so saddened... There was a dead hermit crab in one of the tanks. I used to have hermit crabs and this really upset me. I went over to inform one of the associates, but she din't really even seem to care.
I also felt really bad for the poor guinea pig babies there. I wanted to take all of the home because they just seem so neglected an unloved... (which of course they are). When I told my husband that we should have thought about adopting piggies, not buying them from the pet store, he pointed something out to me that I appreciated - we saved these two piggies from the horrible lives they could have had to keep living in the petstore. So for that I am glad. But I do NOT approve of breeding, not in the slightest. No animal should be bred irresponsibly.
Sorry if I keep rambling on, it brings up a lot of negative thoughts about the neglected cats and dogs in shelters, especially pit bulls, who I love with all my heart because they are truly genuine and misunderstood breeds...

I bought my 3 piggies at PetSmart. I am beyond glad to have saved them from a life of mistreatment and abuse.

E.j. Smith said:

I bought my 3 piggies at PetSmart. I am beyond glad to have saved them from a life of mistreatment and abuse.

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The issue isn't that those three pigs have a home, the issue is that you directly payed them to replace those pigs with another three.
You can't save them all, and the vicious cycle of abuse continues. Three pigs in an overpopulated shelter didn't get a home & three spots for homeless or abused pigs will not be open.
A sow will be forced to breed another litter, often back-to-back without medical care, which often will lead to her death. Don't support the extreme overpopulation & abuse in pet stores, adopt in the future.

There are very few places you can shop that aren't promoting cruelty in one way or another. Promoting Walmart as an ethical place to shop is not one I've heard before. I'm not saying this to start anything but I wouldn't want someone to feel guilt over buying a toy at a petshop rather than buying one at a Walmart.

@Agrimony, I think they meant that it's more ethical in the sense that Walmart is not breeding animals. The whole issue of unethical Chinese labor is a WHOLE other issue, that could have it's own forum. But this is a guinea pig forum, not a fair labor forum! I'd rather support Walmart than PetCo because WalMart is not breeding animals willy nilly in disturbing conditions.

We're not trying to make them guilty, but we are rabid when it comes to ending pet store cruelty, as you probably already know. We just don't want to let somebody support the vicious cycle if we can help it...

I don't think walmart carries ANY good brand of pellets OR hay. as far as I've seen they carry food with seeds and nuts and then the food without nuts and seeds is Kaytee which i do not recommend at all.

Im positive Walmart was referred as a better choice for toy purchases, specifically. And im sure farms and other online sources are recommended to purchase food and hay to substitute for the pet store.