Good Toy Ideas?

[CavyQueen13]

Hey everyone!

So, I am preparing for my two new girls, Bellatrix Lestrange (Bellatrix for short) and Luna Lovegood (Luna for short). The thing is, is that I am kind of having a hard time deciding what type of toys I should get them. Both are really adventurous and love to explore new things. Does anyone have any suggestions for good toys?

 

[ItsaZoo]

How exciting to get new piggies! I have one, Lacey, and she loves her wiffle ball. It’s a hollow plastic ball the size of a baseball and it has holes all around. I chop up peppers and carrots and put them inside. She pushes the ball around and gets her treats.

I also make a pellet dispenser from paper towel rolls. Just cut a 5” length and cut one or two holes in the side. Then cut slits in the ends about 1” deep. Fold the slits inward to cover the end, put a spoonful of pellets in the other end and close it up. Lacey rolls that everywhere for her pellets.

I also take apple branches, wash them with a veggie brush, and tie corn husks to them. And just crumpling white paper with a fruit or veggie piece inside is fun for them to find.

 

[Snugglybutt]

What cute names you picked out! I don't really buy toys for my piggies, since their favourite toys are toilet paper rolls filled with hay. Not sure if this counts as a "toy" but they love their Oxbow Timothy tunnel. They lay inside it, chew it, climb on it, and drag it across the cage. Since my pigs don't really like Timothy hay, the tunnels last a very long time. Once it starts to unravel I cut off the excess into little strips so they can play with those too.

 

[CavyQueen13]

How exciting to get new piggies! I have one, Lacey, and she loves her wiffle ball. It?s a hollow plastic ball the size of a baseball and it has holes all around. I chop up peppers and carrots and put them inside. She pushes the ball around and gets her treats.

I also make a pellet dispenser from paper towel rolls. Just cut a 5? length and cut one or two holes in the side. Then cut slits in the ends about 1? deep. Fold the slits inward to cover the end, put a spoonful of pellets in the other end and close it up. Lacey rolls that everywhere for her pellets.

I also take apple branches, wash them with a veggie brush, and tie corn husks to them. And just crumpling white paper with a fruit or veggie piece inside is fun for them to find.

Thank you so much for the suggestions!

 

[CavyQueen13]

That sounds adorable! Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[bunnyfunny]

Newbie here. Between guinea pig, rat and hamster, which one has more energy to play or maybe more active and the curiosity is high to play some games?

 

[bpatters]

Definitely not the guinea pig.

 

[Snugglybutt]

Newbie here. Between guinea pig, rat and hamster, which one has more energy to play or maybe more active and the curiosity is high to play some games?

What kind of games are you talking about? Rats and guinea pigs are pretty lazy. My sister owns 6 rats and she only gets to play with them during the evening and early morning, since they sleep all day. And by playing, I mean having them crawl on her shoulders. Sure, guinea pigs and rats can be playful to a certain extent and are curious creatures, but they're not going to play fetch or tag with you if that's what you're thinking. I can't speak for hamsters as I've never owned any.

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

@bunnyfunny, if you're looking for a pet that will play with you and things like that, a puppy or cat may be better suited. Rodents, even though they will show some interest in objects and things like that, don't really "play" with anything but their buddies. Hamsters are nocturnal animals, so they basically sleep all day long, and then they'll come out and run in their wheels, or climb in their tubes or whatever they have and basically keep you up all night long.

Don't get me wrong, I love my pigs the way they are and I would NOT trade them for anything else. But they're definitely not the play games and fetch type of pet.


My boys DO have objects that they will pick up and toss around, ie toilet paper tubes, and small plastic cat balls with bells in them. They'll chew ANYTHING cardboard.

 

[joyknights]

Hi, I hope that these articles can give you an idea on which product should you purchase. My guinea pigs love to have this race on an improvise tunnel that my boyfriend made.


Edited by bpatters: Removed because most are unacceptable for guinea pigs.

 

[spy9doc]

I'm afraid that whoever wrote both these articles doesn't know much about cavies! Not only are most of the items better suited for other small animals, a few of them are downright dangerous for cavies! hmy:

As a newbie way back, I too made the mistake of buying various "toys" for my cavies........and they never used them. I tend to repurpose items from the "dollar store" or else make them myself. My boys get just as excited over a cardboard box/tunnel that I put in their cage as anything else I've tried.

 

[LittleSqueakers]

I found that my pigs always seemed the most interested and curious if I could re-shape their environment somehow. Like, I would move hides and tunnels around and switch them out regularly, and drape towels or fleece forests over different areas of the cage or playpen. Anything I could do to kind of change the layout of the area or create a new "space" to explore would interest them. (I'm trying to describe it in a way that makes sense. )

Also, the vast majority of "toys" for my pigs were re-purposed cardboard boxes, towels, fleece, paper bags, and a step-stool. Except for the fleece, I never really spent much money on toys from a store or anything.

 

[SSLee]

I have spent way too much money buying toys that my pigs are not interested in. I read about the toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay but couldn't resist the lure of toys on Amazon. I did try the scrunched up brown paper that are often found in the Amazon boxes, so that your items do not shift during shipping, but my pigs were scared of those noises. I buy willow balls but you have to be careful that once your pig starts chewing the willow down, they don't get caught in the round shape. Lately I have been buying them bamboo chew sticks and they love those. The bamboo ones last longer than the apple sticks.

 

[ItsaZoo]

I always think of that old saying about people who have “champagne taste on a beer budget.” Well, guinea pigs are just the opposite. Mine has “beer taste on a champagne budget.” I order a Timothy tunnel for $10, she’s prefers the overturned bin from the dollar store. I buy a $7 treat ball that’s adjustable for veggies and pellets, she prefers the 2 for $1 wiffle ball. I order a ton of dog, cat, and guinea pig stuff just to get free shipping, her favorite part of the order is the brown packing paper that can be rolled into a tunnel.

Now I just buy good quality hay, pellets, vitamin C and fresh veggies. I rearrange the playpen and “splurge” on seasonal pot holders and coordinated towels. Sooner or later everything ends up being a toilet anyway! lol

 

[spy9doc]

How true! I needed a good laugh today! Thank you. lol