Guinea pigs are curious and playful little creatures that like to be entertained. They enjoy playing with each other and appreciate a fair amount of toys and other objects in their cage to interact with. Without enough mental and physical stimulation, they can get bored and even sick. Therefore it is important to offer pet guinea pigs some things to play with. But what are toys that guinea pigs like?
As a whole, guinea pigs like objects they can hide in and crawl through, things they can chew on, things that are filled with hay or other food, things that rustle, and new places that can be explored.
In the following, you will find information on what kind of toys guinea pigs like to play with and if they can also play with toys for other animals such as cats, dogs, or birds.
What are the Best Toys for Guinea Pigs?
Unlike many other rodents, guinea pigs do not climb. They don’t need a second level in their cage and won’t climb up on cage wires. Some guinea pig owners even leave the top open, because the guinea pigs will not try to climb out of the cage.
Guinea pigs are prey animals and tend to run away and hide in case of any kind of danger. They need to feel safe, which is why hideouts are one of the most important things for guinea pigs.
It’s not particularly a “toy”, but definitively something that should be in the enclosure. They also love to explore new areas, enjoy laying around in a cuddly area in the enclosure, and love to eat.
This is why food toys, such as chew toys or hay racks are very popular, as well as food towers for vegetables, to make the feeding more entertaining for guinea pigs.
Hideouts
Guinea pigs need some houses, caves, and tunnels to rest, sleep, and hide in to feel safe and happy. If you choose to buy objects made of wood, they will nibble on them to trim down their teeth. That is a good thing and important for guinea pigs because their teeth keep growing throughout their lives.
Here is an example of a wooden hideout for guinea pigs on Amazon.
A hay or straw tunnel or house is also a great way to offer the guinea pig a hideout that can be chewed on. Here is an example of a grass hut.
If you prefer houses that can be washed, there are also plenty of super cute fleece house options for your furry friends, such as this one.
Cuddle Spaces
Once guinea pigs got used to certain places, they feel safe and secure enough to lay around. You can offer your guinea pigs some places they can just lay down and relax, such as half-open nests or fleece mats that can be used as beds.
Here is an example of a cute half-open nest option.
And this is a cozy fleece mat where your guinea pigs can rest on.
Food Toys
Guinea pigs love to eat and chew on things. Since they spend so much time eating and chewing, you might want to make it more fun for guinea pigs to get to their food, and not simply throw it into the enclosure.
There are many ways to make feeding more entertaining or challenging for guinea pigs. Wooden hay racks, hay towers, or hay bags are one way to make it more fun for the guinea pig to eat.
Here is a cute hay bag in the form of a strawberry.
You can also offer your guinea pigs chew toys or food towers for their daily veggies.
Playpen
Guinea pigs are very curious and love to explore. If you have a garden, you can put a playpen on the grass and put some houses in it.
You can let your guinea pigs roam free in a guinea-pig-save room. Keep in mind that these pets tend to leave some droppings wherever they walk.
Can Guinea Pigs Play With Cat Toys?
Guinea pigs can play with cat toys, but they might not enjoy these toys as much as a cat would. Guinea pigs are prey animals and don’t chase after moving objects. They also stay on the ground and do not climb on cat trees.
As a whole, guinea pigs can play with cat toys but most cat toys are not the best option for guinea pigs. Cats have very different tastes in toys than guinea pigs have, and it might be easier to simply stick to toys for rodents.
Some guinea pigs might even try to chew on cat toys that are made of plastic. And obviously eating plastic is not very healthy for any animal.
Some cat toys make rustle sounds when they have moved around, which is fun for some guinea pigs to play with, but if you want to be sure that a toy is safe for guinea pigs to play with, you should go for toys that are specifically designed for rodents.
Can Guinea Pigs Play With Dog Toys?
Dog toys come in all kinds of forms and sizes. There are lots of stuffed animals, balls to throw, squeaky objects, and things to chew on or eat. Not every toy is suitable for guinea pigs, and since guinea pigs are very different from dogs, they might not be interested in dog toys at all. But as long as you keep an eye on your furry friendy, you can let them play with dog toys.
As a whole, guinea pigs can play with some dog toys such as stuffed animals or balls, but since these toys are not designed for rodents, you should never let your pets play with dog toys unattended. A squeaky plastic object inside of a stuffed animal might be chewed on by guinea pigs.
Dog toys are designed to please dogs. Many objects can make squeaky sounds to imitate the squeaking of a scared prey animal. This is a sound that makes a dog happy- but not a guinea pig. Guinea pigs are the ones that make these sounds when they are scared.
Stuffed animals in general can be a fun toy for guinea pigs, but make sure that the eyes of the toy and any potential plastic inside of the toy cannot be chewed by your pets.
Balls can be fun to play with, but guinea pigs are not the kind of animal that chases after balls. They will rather enjoy the fact that this is something new, or something chewable.
Even though it is possible for guinea pigs to play with dog toys, they will rather enjoy wooden toys made for rodents, that they can chew on.
Can Guinea Pigs Play With Bird Toys?
Birds are very different from guinea pigs. There are not many bird toys that a guinea pig will enjoy, but as long as your pet is under your supervision, you can offer some bird toys. Maybe your guinea pig is more than happy to play with a bird toy, but don’t be disappointed, if not.
As a whole, many bird toys are safe for guinea pigs to play with, but only a few toys are actually suitable for a guinea pig. Wooden objects that can be chewed on, or items that can make fun sounds might be entertaining for a guinea pig.
There are bird toys that are made of wood, coconut shells, or loofah sponge, that are safe and fun for guinea pigs to play with and nibble on. But most toys are designed for birds that can fly, and that enjoy climbing around.
Guinea pigs are incapable of flying and cannot climb around in the cage. Therefore toys such as ladders, or any toys that are supposed to hang from the ceiling, are not really suitable for guinea pigs.
Lisa is one of the two founders of Animal-Knowledge. She has been very interested in animals and insects from a very young age and has owned different kinds of pets such as snails, ants, fish, turtles, mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, a dog, … you get the idea 🙂