The Best Guinea Pig Toys (Review) in 2021

Features to Consider When Buying a Guinea Pig Toy

There are a number of things to consider when buying a guinea pig toy. Firstly, where the guinea pig toys are going to be played with is a massive factor. If you buy toys to put in a playpen, that means your guinea pig will be able to run around freely, but you should only really put them in a playpen while you are in the house. Otherwise there are some fantastic guinea pig toys and guinea pig accessories that can be bought that are good to put into guinea pig cages. Guinea pig chew toys are also fantastic for a pet’s oral health, but should only be used under supervision too.

Who Should Buy a Guinea Pig Toy?

Quite simply anyone who owns a guinea pig should buy a selection of the best guinea pig toys available. That selection needs to allow guinea pigs to be entertained in their guinea pig cages as well as out and about in a larger playpen. Guinea pigs need a little bit of exercise but also need things to gnaw on to keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Best Guinea Pig Toy FAQ:

Q: What toys can I give my guinea pig?

A: There are a few items that make the best guinea pig toys and the best guinea pig accessories. In particular, toys that provide your guinea pig with entertainment though gnawing, nibbling and burrowing is great for them. They do need a certain amount of exercise so some guinea pig toys that provide a level of exercise is great, but they are not meant to be very active animals so lots of activity should not be heavily encouraged aged.

Also remember that guinea pigs have sensitive stomachs like most small pets. Try to be wary of anything you give them that they can totally fit in the mouth, especially if it may be made by low quality metals, some cheap sort of paint that could well contain lead as well as any toy that uses a glue.

Bearing this in mind, the best guinea pig toys to get do not necessarily have to be the most expensive. In fact, many of the toys listed above are quite cheap. You can also give them a few odds and ends from around the house so that they can nibble away or even burrow using some of the things you give them. For instance, paper bags are a massive hit with guinea pigs as are water bottles and terracotta flower pots. Guinea pigs love anything they can hide in so pipes that are broken or even old paper towel rolls are great. A homemade toy that can make use of old socks by stuffing them with hay will also keep your guinea pig entertained as will any empty cardboard boxes for further hiding places. Shoeboxes are great as they are easy to cut holes out of for them to go in and out from.

There are a number of toys that guinea pigs can use by need to be used under supervision. Any cat or small bird toys could therefore be suitable, but be wary of anything with bells attached or any guinea pig accessories that are small enough for a guinea pig to fit in their mouth. Plastic spoons that have been used by you can also make some of the best guinea pig toys but be sure they don’t ingest any smaller pieces.

Q: Can a guinea pig use an exercise ball?

A: There are a couple of types of exercise ball that a guinea pig can use as guinea pig toys. However, only one makes one of the best guinea pig toys available especially for those that are in need of guinea pig exercise toys. The other is thought now to be dangerous for guinea pigs to use and those are the ones that guinea pigs can run around inside. These are sometimes referred to as guinea pig exercise wheels. Exercise balls can also be free standing that guinea pigs can be put in unlike the traditional exercise wheels.

These exercise wheels have been found to be able to damage a guinea pig’s back and spine due to being bent backwards while running. This can cause serious harm to your guinea pigs back and therefore a great deal of pain as a consequence. Exercise balls can otherwise be used if they are simply ones that are designed to be played with by pushing them about as opposed to running around inside. These types of guinea pig toys should actually be encouraged as they will keep your guinea pig happy and entertained as well as well exercised as a consequence. They come in such a wide variety that there will be some forms that your guinea pig prefers to others. They can vary in terms of material and color.

Natural play balls are currently quite popular as well as cheap to buy. They’re great to use as guinea pig chew toys too and they will therefore help your guinea pig’s dental health as at the same time. Look out for guinea pig chew toys that are play balls made of wicker or seagrass or even solid wooden blocks stuck together. These are fantastic for guinea pigs as they are non toxic but the act of chewing on them helps clean their teeth during the process of being entertained. They should last your guinea pig a few weeks for them to chew down on.

Some exercise balls will also have a treat in the middle or sometimes a toy like a bell. These are fine to use by your guinea pig but you should be aware of a couple of things before giving one to your pet. Firstly, pet treats can be bad for your pet – especially if used too much and eaten too often. Secondly, if your exercise balls contain little items like jingling bells they can be dangerous for your guinea pig as they are a choking hazard or can be ingested entirely which is bad for their digestive systems. Look out for exercise balls that are perfect to use simply due to being stuffed with hay or grass which guinea pigs love.

Q: Can I give my guinea pig toilet paper rolls?

A: You can definitely give your guinea pig toilet paper rolls which are the cheapest and environmentally friendly of guinea pig toys or guinea pig accessories out there. Plus they will keep your guinea pig entertained for a long time. The reason they are safe is that while your guinea pig will chew the rolls, they won’t ingest any of it so they are harmless to use as guinea pig chew toys. Additionally, guinea pigs love them. Guinea pigs have been seen to play around with toilet paper rolls for a long period of time. They are able to move them around from spot to spot and they even climb onto them if they can.

When using them, it is best to remove any remnants of toilet paper that are stuck to the toilet paper rolls. This is more for a case of clearing up the mess afterwards. Bearing that in mind, it is definitely a good not to give guinea pigs a toilet roll that is barely used. While your guinea pig will love it, they will create such a mess ripping up all the tissue which is very hard to clear up and tidy away again.

Our Top Pick

This playpen is, in our view, at the top of the best guinea pig toys. It can even be used by other animals that are small like hamsters, mice, gerbils or other small animals. We like it because it lets owners leave their pet guinea pigs with many other guinea pig toys or guinea pig accessories so that they are entertained easily and for a long period of time. It also means that their guinea pig can get a great deal of exercise as this is amongst one of the largest guinea pig cages available as it is 36” wide in diameter when constructed.

In fact, when put together, the multicolored panels which are 13” wide and 9 inches long make big guinea pig cages, which can be added to other packs of this playpen to make it even bigger. In fact, guinea pig owners can purchase a two pack of these panels for exactly that reason. The wire panels themselves have ⅜ inch gaps between the wires so your guinea pig has a huge space to run around and the tiny gaps make it impossible to escape.

In short, as an example of guinea pig cages that can be used with lots of guinea pig stuff at the same time, this playpen is hard to beat. It is perhaps one of the most helpful pieces of guinea pig accessories that you can buy.

Sources:

1. Cheryl Lock, The Complete Guide to Guinea Pigs, PetMD
2. Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS, 3 Ways to Choose Toys for a Guinea Pig, WikiHow