Guinea pigs are quite social and intelligent animals. This makes them wonderful pets to bring home.
Your guinea pig will keep you company and cheer you up on your bad days.
If you do have a guinea pig, it is important that you schedule daily playtime, so they don’t get bored.
Playtime also offers your pet a chance to exercise, so it doesn’t end up obese. Today, let’s figure out the best ways to play with your guinea pig.
How to Play With Your Guinea Pig
Are you confused about games or activities you can enjoy with your guinea pig?
Here are some great ideas on how to play with your guinea pig.
Guinea Pig’s Treasure Hunt
Guinea pigs are highly motivated by treats. You can use this to your advantage as you try to teach them how to do a treasure hunt.
Simply hide your pig’s favorite treats in different locations within your play area.
Your guinea pig will get to work right away, sniffing to locate the treat and munch on it.
Snuffle Out
This is another game that requires your guinea pig to use its sense of smell.
Snuffle mats are easily available online and in pet stores. You even make one yourself and fill it with different yummy treats.
Your guinea pig will have a great time snuffling through to find the treats!
Curious Piggy
Curious piggy is a great game if you’ve recently started engaging your pet in playtime.
All you have to do is lie down on the floor inside the play area and see how your guinea pig reacts.
Will it get curious and come over? Will it climb over you and sniff out your clothes?
This is a great game to make your pet more comfortable with you.
Race It Out
If your guinea pig is an energetic one, try racing it!
This might seem silly, but your guinea pig will have its mental and physical abilities stimulated through it.
Set your guinea pig at one end of the play area. Walk to the other and call your pet to you.
Once it comes, throw a treat to the other side and race your guinea pig to it.
Train Guinea Pigs with Treats
If you have recently brought a guinea pig home, or you’re only just starting to introduce your pig to playtime, remember to do it with treats around.
Since guinea pigs are naturally small and delicate, they are bound to get frightened easily.
Therefore, you will need to put in some effort to make your pig comfortable around you first.
They should feel at ease with being carried in your palm and around the room.
The best way to ensure this is by offering them treats every few minutes.
Once they have settled well with you, they will be more likely to participate in and enjoy the playtime.
Wild Plants
Treats, by nature, should be something different and unique for your pet.
Food that is given as a treat shouldn’t be the usual food they are offered. This allows them to feel like they are being treated with something special.
Offering wild plans are treats is a great idea for your guinea pig. There are numerous different types of wild plants that your guinea pig will love to nibble on.
The best wild plants to offer your wild plants are chickweed, dandelion leaves, and fruit stems.
You can simply head out to your fruit garden and offer them some branches or fruit leaves.
When you offer your guinea pig a treat, it will be more likely to engage in playtime and enjoy it.
Your pet will love the extra attention and form a positive association with the activity that earned it the treat.
Fruit Pieces
Another excellent and healthy option to offer as a treat to your guinea pig is fruit.
You can cut up little pieces of their favorite fruit and let them enjoy snacking on them before and during playtime.
Here is a list of all the fruits that are safe for your guinea pig to eat:
- Apple
- Mango
- Papaya
- Strawberry
- Blueberries
It is important to keep in mind that guinea pigs shouldn’t be fed seeds at all. Always de-seed the fruit before offering it to your pig.
Also, remember that fruit shouldn’t be offered more than twice a week.
If you are looking for treat options to give your guinea pig daily, it is best to stick to vegetables.
Vegetables
Vegetables are perhaps the easiest treats to offer your guinea pig.
There is a wide variety of vegetables that are deemed safe for guinea pigs, so you don’t have to be too careful about what you offer your pet.
Moreover, guinea pigs love snacking on small pieces of fresh, juice greens. Here are the healthiest (and most delicious!) veggies to offer your pig:
- Beetroot
- Brussels sprouts
- Celery
- Kale
- Bell peppers
Note: There are numerous guinea pig treats available in pet stores. Unfortunately, most of them are rich in sugars and preservatives. Both of these ingredients are harmful to your guinea pig. Therefore, it is best to limit how often you give your pig commercial treats. By sticking to veggies and fruit, you can offer your pet delicious treats that are also highly nutritious for them.
Important Tips for Before You Play
Before you start playing with your guinea pig, it is important to assess your pet first. It is your responsibility to ensure they feel safe and relaxed before you start playtime.
Remember, guinea pigs are small creatures and can be frightened easily. Your pet needs to feel secure in order to enjoy playtime.
Here are some essential tips that will help you understand your guinea pig’s personality.
They will also help you make your pet feel safe and loved, so they can have a blast during playtime!
Keep Your Guinea Pig’s Personality in Mind
The first thing any guinea pig owner should do is understand their pet’s personality.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that all pigs are the same. Different guinea pigs have different personalities and prefer interacting with people differently.
Once you have identified whether your guinea pig is timid, shy, hyper, etc., you can then design games and activities that suit its personality.
For example, a timid guinea pig would prefer a one-on-one activity within an enclosed space.
On the other hand, a more energetic guinea pig would enjoy playing chase and running around the room.
Also, consider the age of your pet. Older guinea pigs tend to get tired easily. Therefore, it is best to involve them in a slow-paced activity with minimal noise.
Take notice of which games and activities your guinea pig enjoys the most.
Establish a Safe Play Area
A guinea pig-safe play area is essential when you are determining how to play with your pet.
The floor is the best place to play as there are no chances of slips and falls.
You can also create a safe playpen for your guinea pig. This should be an enclosed space that has been pet-proofed by removing any items that could hurt your guinea pig.
Remove any poisonous plants and sharp objects. You should also close off any space where your pet could become trapped.
Once you have secured a play area for your guinea pig, the next step is to get them comfortable in it.
When you first place your guinea pig in the play area, be sure to offer lots of positive words and treats.
Your guinea pig should be able to identify this area as a good place for them. Only then will it enjoy playing around in this space.
Test Out Different Games
It is important to find out what activities and games your guinea pig likes. They will only participate when they feel relaxed and are actually enjoying the activity.
See if your guinea pig likes to run around freely. You could play chase with them or even make a maze for them to run through.
Similarly, does your guinea pig react positively to toys? If so, buy a few guinea pig-safe ones, or DIY them, and include them in the playtime.
Once your guinea pig is familiar with playtime, it might even come to you with a game in mind. You might see it dragging a toy to bring towards you.
It might even head straight for the maze as soon as you let it into the play area!
Follow a Playtime Routine
Lastly, a proper routine is essential for the health and happiness of your guinea pig.
Like most other pets, your guinea pig will feel more relaxed when you follow a daily routine with it.
Set up a particular playtime, perhaps before a meal, and stick to it on a daily basis.
You should also be sure to announce before picking them up and be gentle.
Your guinea pigs are tiny creatures and can get startled easily, which would cause the playtime to stop being fun for them.
Let’s Starting Playing!
There you have it, everything you need to know about how to play with a guinea pig!
Always remember to keep the game fun and slightly challenging for your guinea pig. Playtime is a great way for them to exercise and stay fit.
Also, be sure to reward your little pet with lots of treats after each playtime.
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