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Exercise How to get my guinea pig to move around more during floor time?

HollyG

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I have a lone sow guinea pig. She has a large enough cage and gets fed both veggies and food quality pellets. She is in fine health and gets out of her cage at least twice a day. She loves to cuddle and be petted. When I take her out for floor time, however, she just sits there or will walk to me and crawl on my lap and try to cuddle. As much as I love this, she should be getting exercise. Any way to encourage her to move around more? She doesn?t have a ton of toys or anything that I can get her to play with either.
Thanks in advance!
 

Cakegirl554

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Sorry I’m a little late. But the same thing happened to me when I had only one. I think when they are alone they tend to lean more on thier owners and since they don’t have company they aren’t as adventurous without a partner. I think maybe you can lead her with her favorite fruit or veggie and let her follow the veggie as. Now that I have two it’s funny actually because my first one Snuffie she basically always came to me and loved me. But now I have two Hershey and Mini and they move around a lot during floor time. But I’m still working on floor time and lap time. Because hey don’t take food from me or sniff me at all. But it takes time. So for your one guinea pig I just recommend spending as much time as you can with her. And the excessive just lead her with lettuce
 

wheekermommy

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If you have the space and money for two sows I would really look into adopting a friend. We can give them all the love but it doesn’t make up for another guinea pig that can speak their language. Mine became a lot more adventurous when I adopted another one. What size cage is she in? She should have a big enough cage where she can run around if she chooses. Mine usually make more zoomies in their cage then outside of it. When I do have floor time I use lots of tunnels made from grids covered in fleece. I’ll space them out in a circle or line. All three of my piggies spend most of them time just zooming through them.
 

HollyG

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@wheekermommy I have thought a lot about getting a friend for my pig but now just isn?t the right time, unfortunately. I?m in the process of moving from Vermont to Tennessee and I feel it would be way too much transition for both pigs to get them used to each other (after quarantine), move them in together, etc and then have to move them over 1,000 miles. Once I am settled down I plan to get another pig, but right now it just doesn?t make sense, unfortunately.
The cage my pig is in now is plenty big for her, she has a lot of room to run and play. I have noticed she does zoomies much more often in her cage. I just feel bad that she doesn?t move at all really during floor time. There aren?t a lot of toys or things that interest her but I have an order coming in soon and I?m hoping some stuff I ordered will interest her. Right now she?s mostly interested in her fleece forest, food, and cuddles.
 

wheekermommy

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@wheekermommy I have thought a lot about getting a friend for my pig but now just isn?t the right time, unfortunately. I?m in the process of moving from Vermont to Tennessee and I feel it would be way too much transition for both pigs to get them used to each other (after quarantine), move them in together, etc and then have to move them over 1,000 miles. Once I am settled down I plan to get another pig, but right now it just doesn?t make sense, unfortunately.
The cage my pig is in now is plenty big for her, she has a lot of room to run and play. I have noticed she does zoomies much more often in her cage. I just feel bad that she doesn?t move at all really during floor time. There aren?t a lot of toys or things that interest her but I have an order coming in soon and I?m hoping some stuff I ordered will interest her. Right now she?s mostly interested in her fleece forest, food, and cuddles.

I understand, that is wise to wait until after the move. I just think that is great you are planning to get her a friend after! What type of cage is she in now? Most likely you will have to get a bigger one when you do get a friend.

I am quite jealous that yours like cuddles, you should feel very lucky. Only 1/3 enjoys lap time and pets. The other two just tolerate me for veggies lol Mine like cardboard tubes cut lengthwise in half and stuffed with hay as a boredom buster. If you order online from Small Pet Select they have lots of good stuff.

She sounds like a typical guinea pig though during floor time. Sometimes mine run through tunnels, other times they just rest and wait to be put back. Tunnels though are the only way they move around, they don't like to be out in the open. Plus they are naturally curious. You could even make some tunnels out of cardboard if you don't have extra grids to spare. To encourage moving around you can scatter some veggies around the tunnels.

But don't feel bad if she isn't running around. As long as she is in a big cage (2x3 cxc for one piggy but bigger is better) then floor time is more for a change of scenery, safe place for cage cleaning and to bond with you. Not necessarily exercise.
 

HollyG

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Thank you! I really just want the best for her; right now I just graduated college and am between jobs right now (hence the move) so I have a ton of time to spend with her so I think that somewhat makes up for not having another pig yet. I?m also not close to any small animal shelters now and I know I want to adopt rather than go to a pet store when she does get a friend.
Right now she is in a jumbo size Amazon basics cage (.788m square or something like that not counting height) so there?s enough room for her but I?ll need a bigger one when I do get another pig. When I do I think I?ll probably go with a C & C cage.
I?m glad that her behavior is in the norm during floor time; she does a lot of zoomies in her cage and jumps in her litter box and on other things as well when she gets crazy. I?ve ordered her a couple toys off of Dr.s Foster and Smith?s website that come in next week including a tunnel thing so hopefully that will interest her. I just put up a fleece forest and she loves it; I think she acts like inside the fleece is her bedroom and she goes in there when she doesn?t want to be annoyed, it?s hilarious.
 
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