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Shortly after Piglet and Hammy were welcomed as the first arrivals to the HappyCavy Forever Home, The Humans realized one thing they forgot to buy: guinea pig toys!
New guinea pig keepers often go through a flurry of activity in the days leading up to a new piggy’s arrival. There’s a seemingly endless list of things to do: shopping for supplies, planning and building (or buying?) a C&C cage, and seeking out that perfect pattern of cute, comfy fleece bedding. “But what about my toys?” your new guinea pig wheeks with baited breath.
Fortunately for your wallet, guinea pigs are easily amused. It doesn’t take a specialty toy or super-spendy accessory to keep your guinea pig happy. It just takes a little searching, just a few minutes of shopping, and possibly some clever DIY-creativity to get the perfect play-thing your guinea pig will love and enjoy.
Perhaps you have a new guinea pig, or your current guinea pig has tired of his or her toys. Whatever the case may be, here’s a list of inexpensive, fun, and super-simple toys that are sure to inspire and amuse your guinea pig. We’ve even ranked them for you to make the treasure hunt easier!
Do you have a favorite toy for your guinea pig? Share your ideas in the comments section! We’ve love to hear them!
Cheap & Easy Toys for Your Guinea Pig
“FUN FACTOR” KEY:
= The MOST fun
= Definitely fun
= Usually fun
= Sometimes fun
= Ho-hum
Almost-Free Guinea Pig Toys
Ping Pong Balls
| Pros: Cheap, colorfulCons: Cavy may tire easily of toy
Ping pong balls are an excellent toy alternative to expensive “specialty” toys you’ll find at big-box stores like PetSmart or PetCo. You can find ping pong balls at any sporting goods store and even local department stores. Often available for just a few bucks, ping pong balls come in different colors and patterns. They’re easy to wash and will last nearly a lifetime.
Caution: If your guinea pig likes to chew, keep an eye out for excessive wear. If you’re seeing them biting the plastic quite a bit, it’s a good idea to remove the toy.
Mirrors [link]
| Pros: Cheap, easy to findCons: May get dirty easily
If you had a face as cute as a cavy’s, wouldn’t you enjoy staring at it in a mirror of your own? The Humans have kept a mirror in the HappyCavy House for quite some time. Now used as “Dot’s Mirror”, the mirror hangs at the end of Dot’s ramp. She loves looking at herself as she walks down the ramp, and it even seems to encourage her to use it. Pick up a small, vanity mirror at a local dollar discount store or online and attach a simple “mount” to hang from the cage. You’re cavy may just fall in love with his or her new mirror toy!
Crumpled Up Newspaper
| Pros: Simple, costs no money Cons: Must use soy-based inkCrumple up a few pieces of soy-based ink newspaper and place conspicuously around your guinea pig’s cage. Newspaper is perfect for chewing, rolling over, and even sleeping on! Just be sure that the newspaper you use is made with soy-based dye or ink, which is safe for guinea pigs to play with.
Cardboard Boxes
| Pros: Free, easy to customize Cons: Easy to damageGuinea pigs are naturally burrowers and will love the chance to explore and hide in over-turned cardboard boxes, length-wise cut oatmeal containers, and empty soda cartons. Just cut a few holes to provide an entrance and you’ve got yourself a free hidey! The Humans use over-turned boxes for floor time, as they provide a welcome chance from plastic pigloos and can be chewed and knocked over easily!
Small Stuffed Toys
| Pros: Super-cute!Cons: Difficult to find pet-safe stuffed toys
The best part about stuffed animals is that you can find some really cute ideas and colorful designs online and you can usually find a stuffed toy in any price range. A lot of guinea pigs love to snuggle and sniff the toy, while others may not show any interest at all.
But even if your cavy isn’t enamored with a new stuffed toy, you can always save it for floor-time to give them something different in their environment to explore.
Caution: If your guinea pig likes to chew, be sure to watch how your guinea pig plays with the stuffed animal. If you’re seeing excessive chew marks or ripping out of stuffing, it’s a good idea to remove toy from the cage. You can remove the stuffing and replace with hay if you’re piggy likes the toy but also likes to chew.
Fruit Tree Branches / Chew Sticks [link]
| Pros: Helps keeps teeth trimCons: May not be that exciting
Did you know that apple tree branches can be eaten fresh off the tree? Just stay away from cherry, peach, apricot, plum, redwood branches, and fruit trees with pits, all of which are poisonous to guinea pigs. No fruit tree? You can pick up some super-cheap guinea pig chew sticks here.
Only Use Pesticide-Free, Unsprayed Wood
Be sure to ONLY give your guinea pig outdoor products that are unsprayed and untreated. Pesticides and insect sprays can cause serious damage to your guinea pig’s health!
Cozies, Cuddle Cups, and Tunnels
| Pros: Cute, colorfu, cozyCons: Cost may be prohibitive
Fleece and cloth accessories are a no-brainer for fun, colorful, and cozy play-times! There are hundreds of options to choose from, with a multitude of colors, styles, and sizes. Shop around! Our favorite accessory shop is Piggy Bedspreads.
Free Guinea Pig Toys
Clean Socks Stuffed With Hay
| Pros: Free, easy Cons: Once the hay is gone…What to do with that sock missing its pair? Or how do you put an old, worn-out sock to good use? Turn it into a guinea pig toy! It’s no secret your guinea pig loves hay. So stuff that sock full, throw it in their cage, and watch the curious sniffing and cautious approach turn into a full on fun war.
Egg Cartons Filled With Hay
| Pros: Free!Cons: Once the hay is gone…
Sensing a theme? If it can hold some hay, it can probably be put to use as a toy for your guinea pig. You can cut the egg carton in half or, if you have a large family of cavies, keep it whole. Just stuff the carton with some hay, close it as best as you can, and let the games begin!
Toilet Paper Rolls & Paper Towel Rolls
| Pros: Free! Cons: Damages easilyInstead of throwing used paper towel and toilet paper rolls into the recycle bin, toss ’em in your guinea pig’s cage! Like the wooden blocks, having a chew toy helps your guinea pig to keep their teeth trimmed and is be a practical way to prevent your cavy from chewing up other materials inside his or her cage. The best part? It’s free!
Caution!
Many guinea pigs like to chew on cardboard and used paper rolls. If you see your guinea pig eating a paper product in their cage, remove immediately as doing so can cause digestive issues.
Additionally, your guinea pigs SHOULD NOT eat the glue on used paper rolls. Remove any glue from a roll before giving it to your guinea pig. If all glue cannot be safely removed or cut off, then discard the roll and do not give to your guinea pig.
Bonus points: Stuff some hay into the empty rolls to kick the fun up 10 whole degrees!
Old Towels or Blankets to Burrow
| Pros: Free! Cons: Needs laundered regularlyTake those old, ratty dish rags and give them a good washing. Then place in your guinea pig’s cage in different arrangements and areas. Guinea pigs love to burrow, and they love to snuggle, making old towels the perfect household item that doubles as a totally free, and totally upcycled, guinea pig toy.
What’s Your Guinea Pig’s Favorite Toy?
Does your cavy have a toy that he or she simply cannot live without? Have an idea for an easy, affordable guinea pig toy?
As always, we love your comments! Leave your ideas in the comments section below!
My guinea pig chews on EVERYTHING he can get his teeth on except for the wooden treats and toys I give him. Any recommendations?
I learned a good lesson with the toilet paper rolls, don’t put them in with little piggies. Mine got stuck in the roll and we had to tear it to get him out. Once the piggies got a little bigger is wasn’t a problem, but at just over a month old they were still small enough to fit inside the roll.
I would say if your pet tends to go after smaller animals when outside(one of our dogs went after rabbits, the other went after birds) I would say they are not suitable for being with the guinea pigs. I’ve never let my dogs near mine because of their tendencies. Also, probably smaller dogs would be better. I have a 110 lb Collie, and I’d be afraid she’d smoosh the poor pigs. And if you do introduce them, maybe do it while holding one or the other so they can just sniff each other, and if there’s any hostility, then maybe it’s not meant to be. Always supervise, too. Never leave pigs alone with other animals.
oh my i will craft those!!!
One toy my two girls love is a candle box. They have holes in the sides and one on the top, so I usually stuff it with hay. They love going through it, poking their heads out the top and , of course, eating it! I recommend his to other guinea pig owners, it’s great! Here’s Bonnie trying to climb on top of it!
Awww what a cute face! <3
Mine and my sisters Guinea pigs Toast and Bramble are young-long haired guinea pigs,both female and both LOVE fresh grass. Could i stuff this in old toilet rolls if it it is rainy out and cant go in the run? They live outside, Btw.
Sure you can! Just be sure to cut the rolls length-wise so nobody gets their head stuck 🙂
Will Guinea pigs like squeaky toys?
Why are you writing all in caps? But good luck!
My boys love when I hang ping pong balls from the roof of there cage with string, they aren’t avid chewers so mostly the love bopping them around with there little noses and watch them swing around. They also love there egg carton food box. I’m also wondering, would it be OK if I try putting some ore toys in there? I’ve got 3 pigloos, a ping-pong ball on the ground plus the ping pong balls hanging from the cage roof, and I have a toilet paper hay roll, plus a mirror, am I overdoing it or is it OK? They don’t have a C&C cage, rather a pet store cage that is large enough to meet 2-pig standards with an extra two square feet. Thanks!
Hi, Donovan! Without having a cage that meets the size requirements for 2 guinea pigs, I’m surprised you can even fit 3 pigloos, much less those other toys! Usually with smaller cages, one toy is enough. I hope you are providing floor-time regularly, and often, to compensate for a small cage. But, as for the toys, I’d stick with what you have. Also, maybe think about down-sizing if your boys aren’t able to move enough throughout the day. Happy nose bumps to your fuzzies! 🙂
I am trying to find a cheap way to make safe tunnels for in-door play for our guineas Cookie and Misty. Any ideas. Love the ping pong ball idea and the egg box, will be trying that this week. Thanks. NC
hi my name is Flora and i have a eleven week old Guinea Pig named Brady. And i love him lots and i cuddle with him every morning and every evening before bed i also give him lots of hugs and kisses to show him his mommy loves him.
Hi, Flora and Brady!! You sound like a great piggy momma, Flora. Bit wheeks and nose rubs to Mr. Brady! 🙂
I’ve had my piggie, Lilly, for over two years now. I have always had an allergy with Timothy hay but it was tolerable. Now my allergies have gotten worse and I was wondering if there was an alternative to Timothy hay?
I have also read that you can put hay in small brown paper bags and put them in the cage for the piggie to eat. Is it safe for her to eat the paper bag.
Thanks for your help!
I’ve had my piggie, Lilly, for over two years now. I have always had an allergy with Timothy hay but it was tolerable. Now my allergies have gotten worse and I was wondering if there was an alternative to Timothy hay?
I have also read that you can put hay in small brown paper bags and put them in the cage for the piggie to eat. Is it safe for her to eat the paper bag.
Thanks for your help!
Human #2 is also allergic to Timothy hay, so we use orchard grass, which is lower in calcium and higher in protein than most other Timothy hay alternatives. We buy ours at a local pet feed store. You may want to look into using that instead.
As for the paper bag, they shouldn’t be eating a lot of the paper bag, so just be vigilant as to when they are eating more bag than hay 🙂 But a little bit of bag nibbling should be fine.
we have two piggies named snowy and muffin and I pick up free boxes from my local food store and I use them as hidy/igloo for the and they totally love it and they very often play with them also by moving and knocking the boxes around the cage and they also chew on them. I also bring home some free soft toys from my local op shop (I also work there and we are not allowed to sell soft toys) for our piggies and I also get them other toys also from the op shop, the op shops are a great resource for cheap and non expencincive way of buying pet toys (and for all pets)
My sister says toilet paper rolls have too much glue in them to let our piggies chew on. Is that true? And if so, should I be worried?
Depending on the type of toilet paper you buy, yes, it may come with a lot of glue that is difficult/impossible to remove.
We use the Cottenelle brand. Is that ok?
Yes, that’s perfect.
Our baby piggy’s named Luna. She has a wood chew toy from pet store. She is a chewer. Is it safe for her to eat the toy? I’m afraid she will get choked on the little pieces she chews off. If I see her pull a tiny piece off I take the toy away for that reason. So is it going to hurt her? Also, do you know if there is something we can do to help them if they do get choked on something?
If there are little pieces she can chew off, I wouldn’t give it to her. Some guinea pigs are naturally chewers and love to rip pieces off toys to chew. We just stick with pet safe wood blocks or apple wood sticks for chewing since it’s nearly impossible to chew off large enough pieces of these to choke. As for how to help if a guinea pig is choking…that’s a good question. I found this thread that may be of some help: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/83534-What-can-be-done-if-a-pig-chokes
Hi all! Just got my first ever Guinea baby today….& let me tell you, my daughter & I are IN L😍VE with him! Hehe-he’s so sweet! My baby girl (who is 5) decided to name him. So our sweet baby, is Norman Chocolate Bar Pumpkin. Hahaha-but for real, we just luv his fuzzy little butt! 😋 I love this site, & reading all the input-its so so helpful! Just want our little feller to be happy & know he’s loved! ❤️
Hi, Neidra! Norman, what an adorable name! We knew a guinea pig named Norman who was one of the sweetest, most affectionate boys we’ve ever met 🙂 I’m happy you’re enjoying the site and finding the info useful. Best of luck to you, your girl and Norman on your new life together!! 😀
How do I make him feel more comfortable? I’ve let him run around the house each day since we got him…hand fed him, and we’ve cuddled him lots-but he seems to still be quite afraid of us. I just want him to be happy. :*(
It can take months for guinea pigs to get comfortable. And, as they get older, they usually calm down a bit and get less skittish. Check out this article we wrote for a few ideas: https://www.happycavy.com/how-to-build-stronger-bond-with-guinea-pig/
Tysm! 🙂 <3
My Gary will occasionally pee on me. I’ve solved that problem by placing him on a folded hand towel when he sits in my lap.
Your pig may well let you know when he needs to go. He’ll get restless. Then it’s time to let him go back home.
Hi there. We have 2 piggies that we had rescued. We don’t know what kind are they or how old are they. We do know one is a girl one is a boy. We have a 3 bedrm apt. We took one of the bedrms n gave it to our pets. So our 3 cats n 2 piggies live in there. It’s completely hooked up with cages, beds, child sofa n chair, potty section, food n water section, toy box with lots of toys n stuffies n a drawer organizer with all the pets needed stuff. We also placed a window fan in the window facing out. So the air blows out of room. That way the fans takes all the pet air, dander, loose hairs, n smell out. Keeping The room fresh. We’re also looking to buy an air purifier, especially for the winter; since it will be too cold for the fan. The piggies have a 2 level cage with a ramp going to the floor. So during the day they can rom free n play with the cats n all the toys. At certain times during the day everyone is let out to play n run around the whole apartment, for hours (even the piggies). No worries the place is child/pet proof. Besides their hay n pellets, everytime I go to the refrig to get their veges, our girl comes with me to pick the days Veges. We don’t hold back noise, but it’s never too loud. That way the piggies get use to noise. We always talk to them n call them by name. Ours like the nose rubs n when we kiss their nose. N when we cuddle them we wrap a newborn pamper on their bottoms, just in case they pee. We use linoleum to line their cage then aspen wood chips. It stays much neater n easier to clean. Well this gives our story of our pets, hope it helps others.
My Guinea pigs are called Honey and Rosie they go out on the grass everyday, anyway they are super bored and I need some ideas for them.
hello my piggys (cinnamon & willow) love there house there house is from pets at home and is a carrot topped house made of hey and wood- they absolutly love jumping on top of it and jumping off it , sometimes they even do one after another as if they are seeing who can go the furthest, and also use it as a asult course as they run around there cage and then they jump on it then off it.
hope this helps and thanks for the suggestions – i have 1 question myself : suffing socks with hay – can they eat the fabric of socks?
thanks.
Hi, Hannah! They should not eat the fabric of socks. If you notice them nibbling on the fabric, you can remove the sock. Some folks prefer using used toilet paper rolls for hay for this reason, but keep in mind some guinea pigs also like to nibble on cardboard — it’s fine if they eat a little, but if they start munching on the cardboard as opposed to the hay, then you should remove that to prevent any gut issues.
I accidentally fed my guinea pig an iris flower. Nothing has happened yet, but what should I do?
Watch your guinea pig carefully — make sure it is eating and drinking adequately, and that it’s poops appear healthy. If you begin to notice signs of illness, take it to a cavy-savvy vet ASAP.
ok, thanks