Guinea pigs are intelligent animals needing stimulation for happiness and well-being. Toys, often called boredom breakers, provide enrichment by encouraging natural behaviour and by challenging them. Over several years of caring for guinea pigs, I’ve experimented with a wide range of toys. The following toys have consistently been favourites with my guinea pigs and are all available to buy in the UK:
- Haypigs Treat Ball
- Wooden Puzzle Toys
- Braid Mobiles
- Pig’n’Mix Forage
- Forage Cube
- Dandelion Roll ‘n’ Nest
- Meadow Ball
- Clover Ring & Meadow Twist
- Carrot Cottage
- Wicker Bridge
- Cavy Cannonball Tunnel
I will also give you some ideas for homemade DIY toys you can easily make for your guinea pigs and a guide on some toys and accessories you should avoid.
1. Haypigs Treat Ball
The Haypigs Treat Ball is an all-time favourite toy among my guinea pigs. Roughly the size of a tennis ball, it dispenses treats from its star-shaped holes as they roll it around their cage. I fill it with pea flakes because they are the ideal size, and my guinea pigs love them. Initially, your guinea pigs may not show interest until they discover what the ball does. Once they do, it becomes a source of immense enjoyment.
Enrichment Idea: Keep your guinea pigs interested by varying the treats inside the Haypigs Treat Ball. Poke pieces of fresh vegetables, like carrot and celery, into the holes. They will enjoy nibbling and trying to pull them out, adding variety and fun to their playtime.
2. Small Pet Select Wooden Puzzle Toys
The wooden foraging and drawer puzzles are new toys that Small Pet Select introduced in 2024. I wasn’t sure if my guinea pigs would figure out how to use them, but it didn’t take long for them to work it out! I filled the puzzles with a few pea flakes, along with some pepper, tomato, and carrot flakes, and they quickly learned how to reach the treats. These enrichment toys are unlike any others available. I especially love that they are made from safe wood and have a natural look that looks fantastic in their setup.
3. Small Pet Select Braid Mobiles
Braid mobiles, made from a mix of natural dried plants like stems, roots, and grasses, offer guinea pigs a wholesome chew toy. These mobiles can be hung inside the cage, encouraging your pets to pull and interact with them.
4. Haypigs Pig’n’Mix Forage
The Haypigs Pig’n’Mix Forage offers a tasty assortment of dried forages that naturally appeal to guinea pigs. This range includes flavours like Dandelion & Burdock, Lemon & Lime Leaves, and Tasty Rainbow, with colourful dried flowers.
Enrichment Idea: Enhance your guinea pigs’ environment by mixing these forages into their feeding or bedding hay. This encourages their natural instinct to dig and forage and sets them a challenge.
5. Rosewood Naturals Forage Cube
The Rosewood Naturals Forage Cube is a cardboard cube with heart-shaped cutouts, filled with hay and marigold flowers, and coated on the outside with meadow hay. My guinea pigs enjoy chewing on the cube and pulling out the hay. They also sometimes like to sit in the box but this can cause the base to become soggy from urine. If this happens, I cut off the base to transform the box into a hideout, which my guinea pigs really enjoy.
6. Dandelion Roll’n’Nest
The Dandelion Roll ‘n’ Nest is a 15cm woven grass ball filled with meadow hay, dandelion, and marigold. My guinea pigs love pulling it apart to reach the hay inside. The woven grass is great for chewing and lasts pretty well. Even when it loses its round shape, they continue to enjoy chewing on the pieces that are left.
7. Small Pet Select Meadow Ball
The Small Pet Select Meadow Ball, made from twisted dried meadow grass, is a 100% natural chew toy that can entertain your guinea pigs for hours. Guinea pigs are attracted to the natural smells and textures of plant-based toys like this. They love to roll it around their cage, which increases their physical activity and enjoyment.
8. Clover Ring and Meadow Twist
The Clover Ring and Meadow Twist are organic chew toys by Small Pet Select, crafted from natural plants. The Meadow Twist consists of dried meadow grass, while the Clover Ring, made from sweet dried clover, is shaped in a circle for guinea pigs to nibble on. Small Pet Select also offers a range of other equally good chew toys that my guinea pigs enjoy.
9. Rosewoods Natural Carrot Cottage
The Rosewood Natural Carrot Cottage, designed as a house, doubles up as an enrichment toy. Made from cardboard and coated with meadow hay and a real carrot topping on the roof, it’s perfect for chewing and deconstructing, activities that guinea pigs find irresistible.
Enrichment Idea: For added enrichment, stuff the Carrot Cottage with hay, blending in some Pig’n’Mix forage to encourage more foraging activity and prolong the enjoyment of this toy for your guinea pigs.
10. Trixie Wicker Bridge
The Trixie Wicker Bridge, made entirely from natural materials, serves as both a playful tunnel that encourages exercise, and a chewable item for guinea pigs. While these bridges may not last very long due to their chewing, this activity is enjoyable for your pets. Although the bridge is suitable for most guinea pigs, if your pet is especially large, the larger rabbit-sized wicker bridge might be a better choice.
11. Cavy Cannonball Tunnel
The Cavy Cannonball features a cardboard tunnel attached to a plastic stand, designed to tilt upward as a guinea pig enters and downward as they exit. Guinea pigs will love chewing on the cardboard, an activity that’s both enjoyable and part of the product’s appeal. Replacement tunnels are available if needed.
Enrichment Idea: Fill the tunnel with some soft hay and Pig’n’Mix Forage. This not only adds to the enrichment but also entices guinea pigs to explore and use the tunnel.
| Toy | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Haypigs Treat Ball | Lasts a very long time | Need to buy treats to put inside |
| Wooden Puzzles | Challenging, unique and encourages natural foraging behaviour | Needs treats to put inside |
| Braid Mobiles | Natural ingredients and materials | Needs replacing |
| Pig’n’Mix Forage | All natural in flavours guinea pigs love, encourages natural foraging behaviour | Needs replacing |
| Forage Cube | Natural materials and ingredients | Bottom can get soggy if guinea pigs get inside. Needs replacing |
| Dandelion Roll’n’Nest | Encourages natural foraging behaviour | Needs replacing |
| Meadow Ball | Organic and 100% natural | Needs replacing |
| Clover Ring & Meadow Twist | Organic and 100% natural | Needs replacing |
| Carrot Cottage | Useful as hideout as well as chew toy | Can get soggy near the bottom. Needs replacing |
| Wicker Bridge | Can be used as hideout, guinea pigs love chewing it. | Needs replacing |
| Cavy Cannonball Tunnel | Unique design, plastic stand can be used again, replacement tubes available | Tunnel will need replacing |
DIY Homemade Guinea Pig Toys
For homemade guinea pig toys, try these simple and easy ideas:
- Fill a cardboard tube from a toilet or kitchen roll with hay and dried forage. You can hang them in the cage with a safe sisal rope. These tubes are perfect for chewing and foraging.
- Convert a cardboard box into a tunnel or hideout by cutting two or more doorways and placing it upside down. Ensure there are no staples or harmful glues.
- Gather safe sticks and twigs from trees like apple, pear, birch, beech, hazel, and willow. Guinea pigs enjoy chewing these, and you can weave willow branches into shapes or insert sticks through holes in a toilet roll tube for unique toys.
Can Guinea Pigs Use Wheels and Exercise Balls?
Guinea pigs should not use wheels or exercise balls (where the pet is put inside the ball), as these can harm their spine and cause foot sores. Their bodies aren’t built for the movement wheels and exercise balls require, making these toys unsuitable and potentially dangerous.
Can Guinea Pigs Wear Harnesses and Collars?
Guinea pigs should not wear harnesses or collars as these can lead to serious injuries, including broken bones. It is also unsafe to take guinea pigs on walks with a leash, as this is unnatural for them and exposes them to significant risks of attacks by dogs or other animals.
Do Guinea Pigs Need Salt Licks?
Guinea pigs do not need salt licks because they receive ample natural salts from fresh foods when fed a proper diet. Although products like mineral blocks and Himalayan salt toys might sound like healthy enrichment for guinea pigs, they can lead to excessive salt consumption, which can lead to serious health problems.