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can guinea pigs share a cage

10 things that make guinea pigs happy

Guinea pigs are the most fantastic pets and because of this it is natural that you may want to find some things that really make them happy and improve their quality of life.

So here are 10 things that make guinea pigs happy.

1. Lots of hay

Guinea pigs love hay.

In fact, the greener the hay the better is. Timothy hay is the best for them, but meadow happy is a close second.

The more you put in the better and They love to play in it and hide.

My guinea pigs go buts when I do a hay replenishment and so I try and do it often. They also become hay connessuers and turn their noses up when I put I bad hay which is too yellow. But even then, if there is a lot of it in their cage they still enjoy it.

2. Being held

Guinea pigs love to be held.

They really enjoy the comfort of soft hands and being stroked properly, doing this often will increase the trust that you have between you and they will enjoy it and respond with affectionate squeaks and purrs.

Just make sure you put a towel on your lap if out intend to hold them for more than 10 mins as they are likely to pee or poop on you.

3. Giving them toys to play with

Guinea pigs love to play around and so by putting things for them to do in their cages they will enjoy them.

They especially love things to climb on, hide in or chew on. So lots of tunnels, shoeboxes, empty cardboard tubes and things like that always go down well with them.

You can also purchase toys from pet stores and online, but to be honest the free stuff is just as good.

4. Giving them companions

Guinea pigs are not meant to live alone and get very lonely if they are by themselves.

They are social animals and enjoy the company of others, so do consider getting a companion guinea pig if you just have the one on its own.

We started off with one male and then added another male within a few months and have recently added another two and they get on great and are always squeaking away, chasing each other around and they genuinely seem to enjoy each other’s company.

This is especially vital if you are not around during the day time and can’t give them the company they need

5. Giving them space to run around

Being cramped in a space is not fun for anyone and this is true with guinea pigs.

They love to run around and their quality of life is enhanced by having somewhere where they can exercise. This can either be outside in a run or inside on your home floor. They do really enjoy the experience.

Do be careful if you let them out in your home, for things they may chew on though and for poops left in innocuous places.

6. Giving them treats

Just like us, guinea pigs love teats.

Only their treats are more like veggies and really nice Timothy hay. Giving them treats such as bell peppers or carrots goes down so well. Or you could try putting together a mixed veggie bowl of tasty treats.

The great thing about these is that it grows their affinity with you and they’ll pretty much be ecstatic about it. For instance, my piggies go nuts whenever I put down bell peppers for them.

7. Cleaning out their cage

I find that my piggies always tend to appreciate it when they have a cleaner cage to live in.

Fresh hay and newspaper goes down well with them rather than walking amongst their own pee and poop.

8. Keeping them in a good temperature

Guinea pigs do not like freezing temperatures or really hot weather.

Keeping them in an environment between 10 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius is comfortable for them. Their quality of life goes up when the temperature is suitable for them.

9. Keeping them away from the elements

Guinea pigs do not like the rain, snow or hail so have a place where you can keep them if this happens.

Just like us they are not great fans of getting wet and do prefer dry environments so it is not good to leave them outside when it gets wet or snowy.

10. Avoiding the sun

Guinea pigs do not like direct sunlight either.

They much prefer the shade and will retreat their if they are exposed to direct sunlight. So always provide a shelter or shade for them when they are outside.

Whenever my piggies to outside they look for the shaded parts of the run rather than those that are in the sun and even if there is no shelter they will look to make their own.

So do take care when you put your piggies out in the summer and give them plenty of shelter, they will really appreciate it.