TOYS!!

Yes, pigs do like toys! You can use a variety of things for toys. The cardboard tubes from carpet rolls, paper grocery bags,  and toilet paper and paper towel rolls, are not only fun for piggies, but they get to chew on them too! You can also use PVC piping. Have your local Home Depot or Tool Supply store cut pieces of the piping for you, or you can buy them already cut. "L" shaped and "Y" shaped ones are fun, as well as the regular straight ones. They don't have to be PVC brand, there are also several generic brands that cost less. You can use these toys, and others, to make a mini obstacle course for your pig!

***A note on the cardboard tubes, if you have small pigs and or babies, you need to cut the tube(s) down the center to prevent the pig from getting its' head stuck.******

Pigs need floor time! Find an enclosed space that has an easily washed floor, like the kitchen or the bathroom. Block off any dangerous places the pig might go, like under the stove or the fridge. Put some of the toys down and let them run. You might want to place a few pieces of parsley in some of the tubes to give your pig a little extra incentive to run around. It gives them some exercise (as well as giving you some trying to catch them!) and helps to prevent the pig from getting bored from sitting in it's pen/cage all day.

"Hidey Houses" are also fun for a pig. You can take an old shoebox, a tissue box, a soda box, or any box you can find and cut some holes in large enough for the pig to run through. Some pigs will just sit in the boxes to hide, others will just run right past it! Give your pig time and s/he will learn to love floor time!

Regular bricks, preferably ones without and sharp ends or pieces on them, or rocks are some other things you might consider also. Placing a brick or a rock in the middle of the piggy obstacle course will help to file down the pigs nails, and provide a mini hurdle to jump over. Although some pigs just might ignore the brick or rock all together and walk around it.

Ferrett balls and oversized hamster balls are not made for guinea pigs. A guinea pig's back is not meant to bend the way a ferrett and hampsters do. A guinea pig can get seriously hurt in these things.  Most likely if you do have one, the pig will just sit in it and not do anything. We do use them here. We take the lids off, throw them away, cut the side down so it is flat and stuff them with hay. The pigs love to sleep in them and it also gives them another stationary toy to play with.

I have a friend who uses bird and cat toys..this is what she said on them-- "My pigs love the little plastic cat balls with the bells in them. They only play with them when I am around. I don't leave them in the cage. I also have 2 bird toys that I leave in their cage. One is called "Olympic Rings", it is 5 rings connected with a bell on the end. The other one is 4 of the cat balls strung together. They both hang from the top of the cage. They love to make the bells ring, especially first thing in the morning when they want to eat. I do check them frequently to make sure they aren't broken and can't hurt my pigs."

Guinea Pigs are intelligent animals. Stimulate them! Give them lots of toys, lots of love, plently of veggies and food, and they will reward you will lots of wheeks, purrs, piggy kisses and unconditional love.

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