Copyright © Guinea Pigs Australia. All rights reserved Cage Accessories  Guinea pigs need hiding places within their cage, in order to feel safe and secure in a new environment. Accessories also provide mental stimulation, act as resting areas and should always be included in every guinea pigs home. DO NOT use exercise balls or wheels: These can cause severe spinal and back injuries. Cavies do not have the flexibility of other rodents and it will cause serious physical harm. Never under any circumstance place your guinea pig in any of these items. DO NOT use harnesses or leashes: These can be easily slipped out off, they stretch and flex a cavies back causing painful back and spinal injuries. Necessary Cage Accessories  Cavies need hiding areas in which to feel safe. These should be made out of a durable waterproof material such as plastic, and offer sufficient coverage. Some example are igloos, small chairs and cardboard boxes turned upside down. You must ensure that all hiding houses are well ventilated and allow sufficient air flow. Tunnels are also a good idea and can be made out of folded newspaper that can be discarded if soiled, PVC piping and over turned hay racks. A water bottle with a metal sipper should also be attached to the cage wall. A large bottle is best as cavies can drink a large amount of water during the day and night. A heavy ceramic bowl that cannot be tipped over should be included to provide your guinea pigs with either a plain pellet mix or to hold vegetables. A hay rack that can be attached to the wall should always be included in any cage. It helps keep the hay dry and off the floor where it may get soiled. Hay racks can be made out of bent wire grids, bird cage lids or purchased from a pet supply store. Suitable Toys Toys should be chosen carefully as many can have detachable or moving parts that can be easily swallowed and can be a choking hazard. Toys should have no small easily chewable parts and should be solid, with no sharp pieces attached to them. A guide to a suitable toy is one which is solid, smooth, with no small parts that can be swallowed or taken apart by chewing or movement. Bird/cat toys: Some good examples are hanging mirrors, bells with solid attachments, soft toys and wire fruit baskets. Always choose carefully and examine each toy before you purchase. Paper/cardboard: Toilet rolls with slits down the middle, crumpled newspaper, boxes with holes cut in the sides, newspaper tunnels, tissue boxes with plastic and ends removed, shoe boxes and large paper bags. Make sure you cut holes in the boxes so they have an entrance, you can also add various exits. Always check that the box/toy is large enough for your cavy so as not to get stuck or caught, this is especially important in tunnels. Balls: Tennis balls, ping pong balls and plastic balls with bells inside. Make sure they are light enough to be moved, in the case of the bell ball it should have no detachable parts that can be swallowed easily. Pipes: PVC piping. Always check the width and height measurements, piping should be a minimum of 4 inches in diameter; the larger the better. You can also assemble your own tunnels by connecting the various joins and elbows. Old post office tubes that are a sufficient width can also be used. Cat tunnels can also be used instead of piping. Cut away any loose strings or toys hanging on the inside. Hang using small chains/key ring clips by cutting small holes in the top. Some tunnels already come prepared this way. Can also be left on the bottom of the cage, or make an excellent tunnel for floor time. Polar fleece/towels: Fleece blankets, tunnels, futons, cuddle cups, hammocks, piggy pouches, towel tents, padded chairs and lounges. Many you sew yourself or hang up by using safety pins. A simple hammock can be attached by cutting a large rectangle, double folded, and attaching it to the cage roof with safety pins at all four corners. A large oven mitt or towel can also be used. Piggy pouches are an excellent winter warmer and can be sewn or purchased from stores. Wood: Log houses, apple branches, fruit shapes, kabobs, pine cones, shelving and wooden blocks. Blocks should be made out of plain wood with no paint, varnish or coating. Apple branches can be chewed on, do not use any fruit branch as many can be poisonous to guinea pigs. Branches should be picked from an unsprayed area. Fruit kabobs can be hung from the roof with cable ties, bungee cord or shoe laces. Fruit and vegetables can be added on. Pine cones should always be heated at 200 degrees in the oven on foil for 20-30 minutes to sterile them. You can file down any sharp ends with scissors or a nail file. Socks: Old socks stuffed with newspaper can be used as cuddle toys. A winter warmer is an old sock stuffed with rice. Simply pop it in the microwave for 60 seconds and the rice will warm up making it nice and warm to cuddle up too, the heat will last for hours. Socks should always be double folded and make sure you check the temperature and let it cool down if too hot. Socks should be warm to the touch, with no chance of the rice escaping. They can also be used as a cooler during summer. Simply pop a cold water bottle or ice pack into the sock. Small stuffed animals: can be used as pillows or to cuddle up too. Some guinea pigs may tend to chew these toys so you can unstitch them and replace the stuffing with newspaper or fleece. Toys attached to key rings can be hung easily from the roof of the cage. Plastic Containers: Large ice cream cartons turned upside down and small buckets. Cut an entrance hole large enough for your cavy. To make cutting easier run container under hot water to soften the plastic then cut. Bricks/Tiles: Bathroom tiles can be used in the summer to keep your cavy cool. Simply place on the cage floor; Many cavies will lay on them as they create a nice cold surface. Bricks can also be used in a similar fashion , place on the cage floor or near water bottles. They also may trim down a guinea pigs nails if used as a walk way, however this is not a replacement for nail clipping. Wire Grids: Come in a variety of colours, you can find these at K-Mart, Bunnings, Big W and the Reject Shop. Some storage stores may sell these. Easily bendable and make excellent hay racks and tunnels. Choose toys carefully Avoid accessories with easily moving or detachable part No exercise balls or wheels No leashes or harnesses Cage accessories should include a shelter, water bottle and/or heavy ceramic food bowl for plain pellets or vegetables Overview Examples Move your mouse over each picture for a detailed description Post office tubes make excellent tunnels