Guinea pigs are very social animals. So they love to interact with other guinea pigs as well as their owners.
But what happens if you are in a situation where you only have one guinea pig? They can start to become really lonely without any other guinea pigs around.
So if that’s the case, how can you entertain a lonely guinea pig? The best ways to entertain a lonely guinea pig are by:
- Keeping your guinea pig’s mind stimulated with mazes and puzzles.
- Teaching your guinea pig some simple tricks.
- Keeping their cage in a busy part of the house.
- Taking your guinea pig out of their cage and playing with them.
- Giving them a steady supply of new experiences.
- Letting your guinea pig listen to music.
- Introducing a new guinea pig.
Introducing a new guinea pig should be one of the first things you should do for your lonely guinea pig. They’ll be able to entertain each other while also filling that need to be social.
But if getting another guinea pig is out of the question right now for whatever reason, then the best thing you can do for them is trying your hardest to keep them happy and entertained.
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Keeping Your Guinea Pig’s Mind Stimulated With Mazes And Puzzles
If you only have one guinea pig, a great way to keep them entertained is by stimulating their mind with different puzzles and mazes.
Guinea pigs love doing simple puzzles, especially when they get a treat once they’ve solved it.
The same goes for mazes as well. Letting your guinea pig make its way through a maze can be a really fun experience for them because it gives them the challenge to complete.
They know that if they make it to the end of the maze they will be rewarded with one of their favorite treats.
It’s really important to give them a treat after they solve a puzzle or make it to the end of a maze because it reinforces that good behavior. Remember guinea pigs are smart.
So once you feel like your guinea pig has gotten used to the puzzles and mazes, then you’ll want to change it up. That way you keep those challenges fresh for them.
Teaching Your Guinea Pig Some Simple Tricks
If your guinea pig is lonely then they’ll need something to continuously work on.
Simple tricks are a great way to keep your guinea pig entertained because it gives them a new activity to learn.
For example, you can teach your guinea pig to run through a hoop. Once they’ve run through the hoop, greet them with a tasty treat to reward them.
It’s a great way to entertain your guinea pig. It can take a while for them to learn some tricks, so it’s a great activity to do with them over time because it will take their mind off of being lonely.
Keeping Their Cage In A Busy Part Of The House
A guinea pig will feel less lonely when they have more interaction. If they can’t be social with other guinea pigs, then the next best thing is interaction with their owners.
A great way to do that is by keeping their cage in a busier part of your house.
That way they come into contact with you or your family when you walk by throughout the day.
All the new sights and sounds can be slightly scary at first for them, but they will start to enjoy it as soon as they getting used to it.
They’ll always be able to hear and see something interesting which will keep them entertained throughout the day.
Taking Your Guinea Pig Out Of Their Cage And Playing With Them
If your guinea pig is comfortable with you then you can take them out of their cage and play with them.
The new experience of being outside of their cage will keep them entertained for a good period of time.
Plus it gives you a chance to closely interact with them, which can really help their need to be social.
Give them some time to move around and explore the new surroundings and keep some treats available so you can get them to come back to you every few minutes or so.
As long as you make sure that the space that you let them run around in is safe, then they’ll have a good time.
You don’t have to let them out of their cage every day though. You can do it every now and then, or when you feel like they need some new experiences.
Giving Them A Steady Supply Of New Experiences
Speaking of new experiences, make sure they have a steady supply of different items in their cage.
A lonely guinea pig can be easily entertained with new toys. It gives them something new to play with while also piquing their curiosity.
The new toy will entertain them and take up their time as they try to figure out what the object is, and what they should do with it. Just like with their toys try giving them something new to chew on.
Guinea pigs love chewing on almost anything in their cage. So by giving them something new that’s made to be chewed on, you’ll be making sure they stay entertained while they’re tearing through their new chew toy.
Also, it’s a good idea to change up the treats that you give them. That way they don’t become bored with the taste.
Letting Your Guinea Pig Listen To Music
One thing you can try to entertain a lonely guinea pig is by playing music for them.
Some guinea pigs actually like music and find it relaxing. The new sounds that they’re hearing will keep them interested for a while and it also can be used as good background noise for them.
Having your guinea pig listen to music is really simple to try because all you have to do is turn it on and see how they react to it.
So if you’re looking for music that your guinea pig can listen to then all you have to do is a quick search online.
If they like the music then you can keep it on for a while to let them listen to it.
However, if you see that the music is starting to make them feel uncomfortable then go ahead and turn it off.
Introducing A New Guinea Pig
Lastly, the best thing you can do to entertain a lonely guinea pig is to get them another guinea pig to interact with.
You can use all of the methods above to entertain and keep your single guinea pig happy while you search for another one that would pair well with yours.
Once you found a new friend for your guinea pig, make sure to introduce them slowly to be safe. The best way to do that is with the split cage method.
That way they can still see and smell each other without being able to physically touch each other.
After they have gotten used to each other then you can see how well they do in the same cage.
Guinea pigs are naturally social so you can try all the methods above, but at the end of the day, the best way to entertain a lonely guinea pig is to introduce them to another guinea pig.
That way your guinea pig won’t be lonely and can live a happy and social life.