Guinea pigs are very playful and sociable, so getting them toys that they can play with will be a very wonderful idea.
However, you don’t want to go off buying all kinds of pet toys for your guinea pig because they might have been made with some chemicals that might upset the digestive system of your guinea pig-like acrylic paint, glue, etc.
It’s worth noting that guinea pigs don’t need fancy toys with detailed designs; as long as the toy is chewable, tasty, soft, crinkly, and/or enclosed, your pet is definitely going to like it. So here are our most recommended DIY guinea pig toys you can make for your cavies today.
Read Also: How to Know If My Guinea Pigs Like Me
10 Diy Guinea Pig Toys
If you’ve ever wanted to get a toy for your little piggies but don’t know which one to go for, the DIY toys for guinea pigs below will give you an idea of what to go for.
Let’s get started!
1. Obstacle courses
Guinea pigs are very active animals and will definitely enjoy an obstacle course. You can either create a DIY cardboard maze or place random items to create a maze your guinea can find its way through.
To create motivation, you can use a treat to entice him from start to finish line. After a few tries, your piggy will be able to recall the path, so you can try switching it up, so it doesn’t become boring for your guinea pig.
2. Paper Bag Foraging Toy
You can use either a small to a medium-sized paper bag and then create small openings in the body of the paper bag.
Using a hole puncher or a pair of scissors. Then fill up the paper bag with hay, herbs, or clover and Crinkle it shut. This simple toy will provide hours of foraging fun for your guinea pig!
3. Newspaper Tent Cave
This toy is very easy to make; simply Lay down several sheets of newspaper as a floor and use a whole section of a newspaper to create the tent top by folding it at the crease.
Finally, Place the created tent top over the newspaper base. This created a crawl space that your guinea pig.
4. Stuffed Cardboard
Avoid using white cardboard rolls for this toy because they have been bleach, and you don’t want your pet ingesting that. Instead, Get untreated brown cardboard paper towels or toilet paper rolls, which are safer to use.
As stated earlier, you want to remove as much adhesive residue on the cardboard as possible before using them. Then using some timothy hay, stuff the cardboard roll and place it inside the guinea pig’s cage.
When your guinea pig munch on the hay and cardboard, it will help to groom their teeth as well as keep them entertained. For an extra incentive, you can place a small piece of treat in the middle of the hay inside of the tube.
5. Stick Tree Roll
For this toy, you can make use of sticks from your yard, but you need to make sure it is safe for your pet to chew on. To create this toy, simply create small openings along the length of a paper towel roll.
Then place sticks into the holes so that they stick out from both sides of the central roll itself. This is a great toy choice because Guinea pigs love to chew on twigs and small sticks.
6. Hay Socks
If you have any mismatched socks that can easily come in handy as a toy for your guinea pig. Simply get a sock, run it through the washer to make sure it is clean, and stuff it with timothy hay. Then tie off the end of the sock using a piece of thread of wool. If it’s a long sock, you can tie it around itself.
Then create some holes in different areas of the sock using a pair of scissors or a knife. Stick a bit of hay through this opening so that your guinea pig has something to pull on and place it inside your guinea pig’s cage.
You can place a treat inside the sock also. Your guinea pigs will love this toy and will enjoy pulling it around and playing with it like a ball. Keep an eye on the sock and remove it from the cage once it gets dirty.
7. Biting Blocks Garland
For this toy, you will need a length of string or rope but make sure it is non-toxic. Use the rope or string to thread children’s blocks, empty wooden thread spools, wicker, toilet paper, or cardboard rolls onto it.
Leave one of the ends open and tie the other one to one side of your guinea pig’s cage. Then stretch out the garland and tie the other end to the other side of your guinea pig’s cage. This is a great toy, and your guinea pig will definitely love it.
8. Shoebox House
Get a brown box with little or no printing at all. Remove all the adhesive glue residue from the box and use a pair of scissors or a knife to cut holes that are big enough for your guinea pig to go in and out as it pleases.
You also need to create a hole on top of the box to allow them to poke their head up at will and even climb to the top of the box.
You can create a bigger house with many levels by using multiple cardboards. Then finally, add some timothy hay inside the house so that your guinea can munch on, and you can even add some treats inside the house for your guinea pig to find.
9. Foraging Clothesline
Simply cut up into circles fruits and vegetables that can be fed to guinea pigs like carrot or radish, then create a hole in the center of the fruits and vegetables and thread it with some non-toxic string or rope, alternating between the different veggies.
Then place this veggie string up at a height where your guinea pig has to stand on its hind leg to reach it. This is a great workout toy for your guinea pig.
10. Fleece Accessory
You can get a couple of fleece pieces from a craft store, or you can cut up an old fleece blanket into either a fleece hammock or curtain for your guinea pig.
11. Fleece Curtain
Simply cut a piece of fleece into long, thin strips and string them onto some non-toxic string or rope to form a curtain.
You can make only one or a couple of these curtains and simply Tie them to the top of your guinea pig’s cage to create a soft and cozy fleecy shelter for your pet.
You can also hang just one fleece curtain across one corner of your pig’s cage, then place a wider strip of fleece across the top for a super soft enclosed shelter.
12. Fleece Hammock
Simply Cut a wide, square strip of fleece that will act as the hammock base and Sew a length of non-toxic string or rope to each end of the fleece square creating a hammock you can attach to your guinea pig’s cage from each corner. You can Add some hay or bedding material to the hammock for extra comfort.
13. Cardboard Box Cave
All you need for this is an old cardboard box or shoebox that your guinea pig can fit inside comfortably.
Then create an entrance/exit point on the sides of the box and place some soft bedding material inside the box for comfort. This will be like a home your guinea pig can go in and come out at will.
14. Stick Log Cabin
You will need a couple of wood sticks with about the same width and length. You have to make sure the wood is safe before using it and tie each stick together, Using non-toxic string or rope in a figure-eight pattern.
After creating the walls, use some more string or rope to bind the four walls together, but leave one wall unattached at one end, and this will serve as the door.
You can also decide to bind only three sides together and leave the floor open because this gives it a more cave-type shelter look.
Read Also: Average Lifespan of Guinea Pigs
What to Note When Creating a Toy For Your Guinea Pig
The good thing is that all these DIY guinea pig toys require cheap and inexpensive materials that you probably already have lying around. But before we get into the toys, let’s look at some safety precautions that you should try to adhere to:
- When making use of Newsprint or magazine pages, you need to make sure the ink used is plant-based because your guinea pig cannot digest animal materials.
- For toys like Wood sticks or blocks, make sure it isn’t cedar or pine because they have a very strong odor, which can cause discomfort and lung damage. Also, make sure the wood isn’t treated.
- When choosing Bedding and foraging material, avoid corn cob bedding and straw because they both absorb moisture poorly and can host mold, which can fatally harm your guinea pig’s health.
- Before using toilet paper or paper towel rolls for making DIY toys for your guinea pig, try to remove as much adhesive as possible.
- When making fleece or soft/stuffed toys ensure that the fleece material is safe for children; this makes it safe for your guinea pig.
- Always keep an eye on your guinea pig and make sure none of the toy material is ingested. For toys like tunnels or obstacle courses, make sure your guinea pig isn’t in danger of getting stuck inside.
- Before adding any small item to your guinea pig’s toy, make sure that the item is made from materials that are either designed to be chewed and swallowed or are big enough that they can’t be ingested.
- Never use Plastic bags for your guinea pig’s toys because of the risk of asphyxiation.
- Never offer your guinea pig human food or treats, and make sure that its staple food of hay and pellets is specifically formulated for the nutritional needs of guinea pigs. You also have to provide a source of vitamin C for your guinea pig because they cannot produce it themselves.
Conclusion
You do not need to break the bank to get toys that are entertaining and stimulating for your guinea pig. If you can create any of these DIY guinea pig toys for your pet, it’s definitely going to love it.
