Why Do Guinea Pigs Flip Over Their House?


Have you ever looked into your guinea pig’s cage and noticed them flip over their house sometimes?

They might have a little hut, igloo, or hideout that they constantly tip over when they feel like it.

Most of the time a guinea pig can even look proud that they’ve done it, so why do guinea pigs flip over their house?

The main reasons why guinea pigs flip their house over are:

  • Because they like to rearrange the things in their cage.
  • They’ll flip things over when they’re mad.
  • When they think their cage or house is too small.
  • If they’re trying to get a better angle so that they can chew on it.

So it’s true that they can do it for a lot of different reasons, but luckily there are some easy ways to get them to stop if you don’t want them to do it anymore.

Why Does My Guinea Pig Flip Over Their House?

If you have a guinea pig that flips over their house then sometimes it can be a confusing behavior to see happen.

This is mainly because like most of their behaviors it can have multiple meanings when they do it.

The first reason why they’ll knock over their little house is that some guinea pigs just like rearranging the items that are in their cage.

So this can happen when they don’t like the spot that a certain item is in so they’ll push it around and turn it over to how they want it.

It’s fun and almost like a game for them and it’s kind of like interior decorating for guinea pigs.

The second reason why they’ll do it is when something around them it’s starting to make them a little upset.

For example, if another guinea pig in the cage is harassing them, even playfully, then they may start to act out and begin to flip things over.

It can sometimes be hard to tell when your guinea pig is mad, but this can be one of the smaller signs that they are.

Another reason why a guinea pig will flip their house over is if they think that their cage or house is too small for them.

If they don’t have enough room to run around and release all of their pent-up energy then you may see this happen.

It’s the same with flipping over their little igloo or hut as well, because when they do this, for them it can seem like they’re creating some extra space for themselves.

Guinea pigs will also flip over their house so that they can try to get a better angle to chew on it.

They will try to chew on any and everything that they can get their little hands on, so it’s no surprise that they will try to chew on their house after they’ve tipped it over.

Is It Normal For A Guinea Pig To Flip Over Their House?

It is natural to want to know if their house flipping behavior is normal if you have ever seen your guinea pig do it.

It’s one of those odd things that you’ll see them do every now and then, but is it a normal thing for them to do?

Generally, it’s normal for a guinea pig to try to knock over their house when they feel like it.

Most of the time when it comes to guinea pigs it would actually be unusual if they didn’t do it every so often.

A lot of guinea pigs just like to rearrange their stuff to how they like it, and usually, that’s a good thing.

The reason why it can be a good thing is that it can mean that they still care enough and have enough energy to do these types of activities.

Guinea pigs will try to move around a lot of things in their cage, so you’ll see them knock over their food bowl, their toys, and their house, and it’s all very normal for them to do.

Will Guinea Pigs Always Try To Flip Over Their House?

Like their houses, guinea pigs can flip over a lot of the items in their cage so much that sometimes it can even seem like they prefer it this way.

Sometimes you may even see them turn it over as soon as you put their house back in the right position too. So is this something that they will always try to do throughout their lives?

Most of the time some guinea pigs will do it as they continue to get older and that’s completely normal behavior.

However, some guinea pigs can stop flipping over their house sometimes as well. So it usually depends on the reason why they’re doing it in the first place.

If they’re doing it because they don’t have enough space in their cage or if their house is too small for them, then they may stop once they get a bigger cage and house.

But if flipping over their house is something that they like to do and it’s fun for them, then they most likely won’t stop unless you intervene in some way.

Should You Stop A Guinea Pig From Flipping Over Their House?

Sometimes when a guinea pig flips over their house they’ll put it back to how it was themselves, but most of the time you’ll have to fix it for them.

Constantly doing this can start to become slightly annoying over time, so is this something that you should stop them from doing?

Most of the time trying to stop your guinea pig from knocking over their little igloo or hut won’t always work out how you want it to.

Guinea pigs are mainly going to do what they want and sometimes that means flipping over their house.

So when they rearrange the items in their cage it’s just what they want to do and it’s usually fine to let them continue doing it.

However, there are some simple things that you can try to help stop them from doing it all the time.

For example, if they’re doing it because they don’t like the size of their cage or house, then getting them a larger sized cage or house may stop them from doing it.

A larger-sized house can also help stop them from knocking it over because they won’t be able to get the angle that would allow them to flip it over as well.

If that’s not the reason why they’re doing it and you want them to stop, then getting them a house that is a little bit heavier may help.

A heavy house can make it so that they won’t be strong enough to physically pick it up and turn it over.

They’ll still be able to push it around to where they want it which can make them happy, and you won’t have to constantly come back to their cage and flip their house back over.

Guliana

Hey, I'm Guliana. I really love animals, especially small ones. I grew up having gerbils and guinea pigs as pets and know a lot about them. That's why I'm passionate about writing everything I've learned about them over the years.

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