Guinea Pig

Do Guinea Pigs Like Cuddly Toys?

Toys are common items found in the homes of every pet owner. They are used as a form of entertainment or to release excess energy. In this article, you will learn can guinea pigs like cuddly toys?

Guinea pigs enjoy cuddly toys because they get to chew on them, hump them as if they were a mate in the animal kingdom, and drag around their newfound friends.

Safety measures to take

Cuddly toys are usually safe for your pet to play with but there are precautionary measures you should take to ensure that they are safe when playing with them.

Sharp objects

As an overall rule, keep all sharp objects away from your pet to prevent any harm they may bring. Some cuddly toys may have sharp parts too.

Ensure you take out any sharp parts from the toys. Guinea pigs are always chewing on stuff and you don’t want them chewing on things that could hurt them.

Glass and plastic

If the cuddly toys have parts made of glass or plastic, avoid buying them or take the parts out if the toys are just too adorable to resist buying. Parts like eyes or buttons in the toy’s clothing could be made of either glass or plastic.

Carefully take them out before handing them to your piggy. If left to play with such they could choke on them while chewing the toy. Plastic is also dangerous and should not be chewed on by your pet.

Loose threads and strings

Cuddly toys could have some loose string or thread. Your pet could chew on toys leaving the strings or threads hanging out.

See also  Can Guinea Pigs Eat Meat?

Always keep watch of your playing pet for things like that. Cut out this kind of lose material to avoid choking.

Toy material

Some material that is used to make toys may be toxic and therefore dangerous for your pet. Always be on the lookout for material made with toxic dyes.

The pet will inevitably chew on the toy so do not take any chances or assume it will only use it as a pillow.

Types of cuddly toys

Guinea pigs have a wide variety of toys that they can play with. From cardboard box houses they can hide in while having the rare pleasure of eating their own houses to simple socks toys stuffed with herbs.

Let’s look into some of their favorite toys.

Stuffed socks

These are easy to make. All you need is a sock that you stuff with hay and voila! It’s good and done.

You could also stuff it with healthy herbs or shredded paper. The catch is to stuff using soft material.

Your pet will chew on it delightedly or use it as a pillow. It’s simple to make and safe.

Paper

Guinea pets are excited by the sound of crinkling paper. They will be thrilled to the point of wheeling in delight when the paper makes that sound.

You can roll up the crinkling paper and put it in the cage for it to play with. You could also fill it with hay and let your piggy take all the hay out.

Stuffed toys

You could buy some toys at cheap prices from the store or thrift shop. They can be rugged dolls or stuffed animals.

See also  Can Guinea Pigs Eat Peaches?

Toys made for cats or birds are usually safe for guinea pigs to play with as well. Your pet will be happy to have the toy and they’ll cuddle with it.

Benefits of cuddly toys

Cuddly toys are really beneficial to guinea pigs just like they are to little children.

Pillows

A guinea pig will use its cuddly toys as pillows to sleep on. They will find the most comfortable position and sleep on them.

Playing

Stuffed toys make great playmates for guinea pigs. They will play with them for hours on end without getting bored or tired easily.

The piggy will try to unstuff it of all the hay or herbs inside. It really enjoys doing that and dragging the toy around.

Chewing

Always on the chew, as I’d put it, guinea pigs are ever chewing on stuff. They will utilize their cuddly pets to chew their teeth off, literally.

Guinea pigs have teeth that are ever-growing. They should have something to chew on so as to prevent the overgrowing of teeth which can be quite painful.

You will find your pet chewing contentedly on its toys which is why you should always ensure that the toys are safe to chew on. You don’t want any accidents with your small pet.

Cuddling

Guinea pigs will always cuddle what they feel relaxed with and comfortable around. If yours likes its cuddly toys, they will cuddle it frequently.

Guinea pigs are fond of cuddling whenever they are living together. They will cuddle for companionship, to feel safe, when cold, etc. So your lone pet will take its cuddly toys as companions and cuddle them.

See also  Do Guinea Pigs Attract Mice? (Explained)

Hump

Your guinea pig may sometimes try to mount the toys and hump them. Usually humping is not necessarily sexual and guinea pigs do it to show dominance. So maybe your pet is trying to show the toys who is boss in the cage.

Guinea Pig

What toys do guinea pigs like the most?

  • Cardboard boxes
  • Crumpled paper or paper bags
  • Hay or grass chew balls
  • Tunnels
  • Stuffed socks
  • Chew sticks
  • Stuffed tubes with hay
  • Fleece accessories

Conclusion

Guinea pigs greatly enjoy having toys and it’s wise to give them a variety of them. They do like cuddly toys but don’t stop at that.

Buy or make for them a variety including chewy toys which can be basic pieces of wood for them to chew on. Cuddly toys keep them occupied, entertained, and generally happy.

It is advised to always wash or disinfect all bought toys to avoid infections because they will definitely put them in their mouths.

Due to how different guinea pigs are, your guinea pig can fall in love with the toys and cuddle them right away, or it could take time to get used to them. Allow it to do things at its own pace.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *