Monday, June 27, 2011

Guinea Pig Habitats - Adding Fun Toys

By Kristen Matthews


You have already got your cage, pellets, hay, water bottles, and all the other obligatory guinea pig supplies you want to make your pig feel at home. It's one of the best little guinea pig habitats you could have set up. It actually looks like the perfect place for eating, drinking, sleeping, and of course pooping. Although it may be correct that your guinea pig cage may be fit for even the most high maintenance pigs, life in the same cage day by day can get quite dull for any pig. So what can you do to help boost your pet's comfortable quarters as well as keep him entertained?

One thing to keep in mind when you find yourself shopping for guinea pig supplies online or at your local pet store is the seriousness of guinea pig toys in terms of providing rich guinea pig habitats. Toys are a great way to help your pig exercise physically as well as emotionally. And considering how much those lazy pigs like to sleep and eat, a dose of exercise and cognitive gymnastics now and then can actually be beneficial.

Another great thing about toys is that they really serve two purposes. Not only do they entertain your pig, but they also act as chewing devices for guinea pigs to wear down their long teeth. As an owner of 5 guinea pigs, I won't stress the significance of this enough. If you do not provide your guinea pig with things to munch on, you will run the risk that their teeth may overgrow and they may not be able to close their mouth. This can be very uncomfortable for your pig, but most critically, it could cause significant health issues. So when selecting a toy for your pig, look for one that's OK for gnawing and gnawing. Wooden ones have a tendency to be tops for guinea pigs. By doing this, you will not only help your pig avoid health issues, but will also help yourself avoid unwelcome vet bills.

But when you find yourself in the guinea pig supplies aisle surrounded by hundreds of toys, how do you know precisely which one your guinea pig will enjoy the most? Well, latterly my five pigs had their very first experience with a toy called a Nut Nibbler. Fundamentally, the toy consists of brightly coloured wooden sticks put together in a dome-like shape with a walnut in the middle as a noise maker. When my I first purchased the toy, I was very doubtful that my pigs would pay any attention to it" seeing as guinea pigs are not thought to be frolicsome like cats and dogs are. Nevertheless when I placed the Nut Nibbler in their cage, I was shocked to discover that they were not only curious, but essentially seemed to enjoy chewing on it and pushing it around. In reality after leaving the pigs alone with the Nut Nibbler for one or two hours, I returned to find all five of them sleeping around it as if it were a security blanket. And to this day, every time I place the Nut Nibbler in their cage, they instantly flock to it.

The point I wish to impress upon you is that even though my pigs might seem to worship that Nut Nibbler like it were a guinea pig God, to another pig it may just be one other thing to poop on. In other words, each and every pig is different and unique and you may need to try out more than one toy before you find one that strikes your pig's interest. In any event, I seriously recommend that you try giving your guinea pig fun toys to elbow and snack on to keep him content and healthy. The final analysis is: fun toys are a terrific way to enhance the livability of most guinea pig habitats.




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