Treats can supplement a guinea pig’s healthy diet by adding variety in flavours and textures. However, it’s important that these tasty snacks are healthy and made with safe, natural ingredients.
In this article, I will list a selection of the best guinea pig treats that my own pets have enjoyed the most. I will also provide a step-by-step guide on how to create your own luxury guinea pig gift basket filled with treats and other special items. Plus, I’ll include a recipe for homemade guinea pig treats.
8 Best Treats for Guinea Pigs
1. Pea Flakes
Pea flakes are one of my guinea pigs’ all-time favourite treats. They are 100% natural and make a healthy snack when given in moderation (a few a day). Pea flakes are also extremely useful to use when taming your guinea pigs.
2. HayPigs Subscription Box of Treats
The HayPigs Subscription Box is a monthly treat box packed with at least six different treats for your guinea pigs. The treats are good quality and, In addition to UK delivery, they also ship their treat boxes to the US and Canada. Past treats included in the subscription box are forage mixes, Rosewood Naturals Little Hearts, HayPigs Piggy Nom Noms, and the Little One Flower Bowl.
3. Rosewood Naturals Summer Harvest
The Rosewood Naturals Summer Harvest is a mix of dried edible plants that guinea pigs adore. This treat includes a combination of herbs, leaves, flowers, petals, and pea flakes, all safe for your pets to eat. As these are all-natural forages, you can generously scatter it into the hay or around their enclosure each day.
Buy a pack of Rosewood Naturals Summer Harvest >>
4. Small Pet Select Healthy Snackers: Mini Cookies
These crunchy, tasty treats always go down well with my guinea pigs and are suitable for other small pets, including rabbits. Healthy Snackers come in several flavours such as banana, pumpkin, pear & blueberry, apple & pea, and carrot & pineapple. Since they contain fruit, it is recommended to limit your guinea pigs to one mini cookie each day.
Buy the Healthy Snackers here >>
5. Haypigs Piggy Nom Noms
My guinea pigs love the taste and crunchiness of the Haypigs Piggy Nom Noms. These look like mini cookies and are full of delicious natural flavours. They come in a blueberry & basil flavour and carrot & coriander, plus they have a special ingredient, camu camu berry which is an great source of vitamin C.
Order your Haypigs Piggy Nom Noms online >>
6. Little One Flower Bowl
The Little One Flower Bowl is an edible treat made from meadow grass and marigold flowers, filled with dried herbs and flowers that guinea pigs love. The bowl’s ingredients are moulded and dried, making it perfect for nibbling and gnawing. This tasty snack also helps to keep your guinea pig’s teeth healthy.
Get the Little One Flower Bowl treat for your guinea pigs here >>
7. HayPigs Tasty Rainbow Pig’n’Mix
Rainbow Pig’n’Mix is just one of the delicious forage mixes in this range. Presented in a tub resembling a sweet jar, these colourful treats are a blend of natural forages including rose and sunflower petals, marigold flowers, raspberry leaf, blue cornflower, blue mallow, and beetroot. Not only do they look attractive, but guinea pigs adore these dried treats. These and other flavours can be purchased in either the “sweet jars” or paper bags.
View the full Haypigs Pig’n’Mix range >>
8. Timothy Hay Cubes
My guinea pigs love the Small Pet Select Timothy Hay Cubes, made from 100% Timothy Hay. These cubes, about an inch square, are perfect for gnawing and don’t need to be restricted since they’re all natural and it takes a while for a guinea pig to eat a whole cube.
Natural Treats for Guinea Pigs
Apart from commercially bought treats, you can also offer small pieces of fruit to your guinea pigs. Some of the fruits they enjoy are banana, apple, blueberry, strawberry, and melon. As fruits contain natural sugars, limit the amount to a small chunk per day for each guinea pig.
My Favourite Guinea Pig Treat Brands
There are many treats marketed for guinea pigs that are not suitable due to the ingredients they contain. It’s important to buy from trusted brands to ensure your guinea pigs are eating high-quality, healthy treats.
Two of my favourite brands that prioritise good quality, healthy ingredients are Small Pet Select and HayPigs. Little One and Rosewood Naturals also offer a good range of treats. While cheap treats might be tempting, they are often inexpensive because they use low-quality ingredients so always check the ingredients before purchasing.
Ingredients to Avoid in Treats
When buying treats for your guinea pigs, avoid ingredients such as nuts, added sugar, added salt, artificial colours and flavours, and dairy products. For more detailed information, check out my separate article on foods your guinea pigs can’t eat, which covers this subject in greater depth.
Homemade Guinea Pig Treats
The advantage of making your own guinea pig treats is that you can make sure all the ingredients are fresh and the treats are free from additives. The following recipe is a guide on some suitable ingredients to use. Both the ingredients and quantities can be adapted to achieve the correct consistency and for different flavours.
Recipe: How to Make Guinea Pig Treats
To make homemade guinea pig treats, use one or more of the dry ingredients and one or more of the fresh ingredients. It is best to use the pellets as the main dry base with smaller amounts of other dry ingredients as an optional extra.
Basic Dry Ingredient Options
- Good quality guinea pig pellets (blitzed in a food processor to a coarse powder)
- Hay dust from the bottom of your hay box
- Critical care powder
- Oats
Wet Ingredient Options
- Herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, basil, mint) – finely chopped or blitzed in food processor
- Apple (grated)
- Carrot (grated)
- Blueberries (mashed)
- Banana (mashed)
Method
- Put a cup of blitzed guinea pig pellets into a bowl or food processor.
- Add smaller amounts of other dry ingredients if desired.
- Gradually add small amounts of your chosen wet ingredients until the mixture forms a dough.
- Depending on the wet ingredients used, you may need to add a little warm water. The dough should not be too sticky or too dry and should be easily mouldable.
- Form the dough into shapes by hand or use mini cookie cutters. Avoid making them too thick.
- Place the shaped treats on a baking tray.
- Bake at 150°C (300°F / Gas Mark 2) for around 30 minutes to one hour.
- Allow the treats to cool completely.
- Store the treats in an airtight container in a cool place to retain freshness.
- Use within a few days
You can also experiment with other safe vegetables, herbs, and fruits in your DIY guinea pig treats. Try different shapes such as sticks, festive shapes, or hanging treats. Use a skewer to make holes and thread 3mm jute rope through so you can hang them in the enclosure.
How to Store Guinea Pig Treats
Store your guinea pig’s treats in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight to preserve freshness and retain nutrients. Make sure you use them within the specified date on the packaging.
How to Make a Gift Basket of Treats
Treats and enrichment toys make perfect gifts for guinea pigs. Presenting a selection of treats and other items in an attractive basket for a friend or relative’s guinea pigs makes it more special and personal.
Here’s how to build the perfect guinea pig treat box:
Step 1. Choose a basket
Select a basket that is big enough to hold the treats you want to include. Here are some good basket ideas:
- Natural water-hyacinth woven baskets
- A wooden personalised storage crate
- Small natural woven trug basket with handle
- Small white wicker basket with cloth lining
- Natural woven oval basket with handle
- Grey wicker hamper basket
Step 2. Choose the Treats
Pick a variety of safe treats in different shapes, sizes and colours to add variety to the gift box. You can find plenty of these among our recommended brands.
Step 3. Prepare the Basket
Before adding the treats, you’ll want to create a bed for arranging the items. Here are some ideas to enhance the presentation:
1. Line the Basket: You may want to start by lining the basket with an attractive cotton gingham tea towel. This is optional but adds a touch of luxury to the gift.
2. Choose a Filler:
- Shredded Paper: Available in various colours, including natural, white, coloured, and sparkly options.
- Fresh Green Timothy Hay: A fragrant and edible filler for a guinea pig gift basket, providing a natural look and feel. You could also mix in some dried forage to add a wonderful aroma and extra appeal to the basket.
Step 4. Arrange the Treats
Once your gift basket is prepared, you are ready to add the treats and any other gifts you wish to include. Arrange larger items at the back and smaller ones to the front, or create a flat layer so everything looks neat and organised.
Step 5. Add a Gift Card & Other Ideas
A gift card is optional but adds a thoughtful touch where you can include a personalised message. You might also like to include a personalised tag for each guinea pig, which can be hung on their enclosure as a decoration and kept as a lasting keepsake.
To add variety to your gift basket, you could also include a couple of small toys. Check out our page on the best guinea pig toys to see which ones our guinea pigs have enjoyed the most.
These additional touches make the gift basket more special and enjoyable for both the guinea pigs and their owners.
A presentation basket can be kept as the guinea pigs’ treat box, allowing it to be topped up as necessary. Bear in mind that these baskets are for presentation only and not suitable for the guinea pigs to nibble on.