Guinea pigs are special pets. This is because they are considered rodents, even if they aren’t exactly. This is the reason people think guinea pigs and rodents have the same needs.
There is a lot of discussions about should guinea pigs have the wheel in their cage or not and that is exactly what are we going to talk about in this article.
Do guinea pigs need a wheel in their cage? Guinea pigs don’t need a wheel in their cage because a wheel can damage their back. They have different anatomy compared to hamsters and that is why a wheel can be deadly to them. More than that, even if you buy them a wheel, guinea pigs will not use it.
We always need to keep an eye on everything that our pets use. Especially if we are talking about guinea pigs: they are really sensitive to anything.
Now, we are going to go more in-depth about using a wheel in the guinea pig cage, and why using exercise balls is just a terrible choice of a toy for them. Let’s start!
Why Can a Wheel Put Guinea Pig’s Life in Danger?
When you think about hamsters, probably the first thing that comes to your mind is an image of a hamster in a wheel. It’s an appropriate toy for those little breeds of rodents such as hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils, and others.
It is very beneficial to keep them in good shape and also to have some fun. However, this should never be the image you see when you think about guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs have different anatomy from the other little rodents and running in a wheel can cause terrible injury to their backs. These spinal injuries always happen when you put your guinea pig in a wheel.
Hamster vs. Guinea Pig | Running in a Wheel
Hamsters’ backs are arched when they run on a wheel. Guinea pigs are not designed to have an arched back as hamsters do. They haven’t developed this special characteristic, and if they are forced to bend their backs, injuries will occur.
To make you understand this fact a little better, we need to talk more about hamsters. A good rule of thumb is that the diameter of the wheel should be at least twice the length of your stretched-out hamster.
If the wheel is smaller, the hamster’s back will be too arched, and it will cause back pain.
This is also why guinea pigs don’t need wheels. They can’t arch their backs as much as a hamster does, so the diameter of the wheel would have to be much longer than twice your guinea pig’s length to be comfortable for your guinea pig to run on a wheel.
On the other hand, it would need to have solid flooring, because guinea pigs’ legs are too sensitive to run on the mesh flooring seen in a lot of metal wheels.
There are no such big wheels specially designed for guinea pigs anywhere, so this is the problem. If you want to build this kind of wheel, feel free to do it. It is just not convenient for you.
Guinea pigs do not feel the same need to run as hamsters. Hamsters can get depressed if they are not running and they feel the urge to run most of the time.
Even if you buy your little friend an exercise wheel, it will probably be just to make the cage look nicer. Guinea pigs won’t even use it. They might stare at it occasionally and sometimes use it as a butt-scratching device.
Ways to Keep Your Guinea Pig Happy and Healthy Without Harming Them
The most important and obvious thing to do is to buy the largest cage you can find and afford. It is known that guinea pigs need a lot of floor space to be active. A big cage will make all the difference. This way, you won’t be stressed whether you need to get it a wheel or not.
Guinea pigs have different preferences from other pets. They love burrowing, nibbling, and sometimes tossing things. Additionally, guinea pigs don’t like running and climbing.
This is why it is actually easier to entertain a guinea pig without spending too much time of your time. It is especially useful to know these alternatives for the times when you are busy, and you don’t have time and energy to cuddle with your guinea pig.
We have discovered a lot of ways guinea pigs can have a good time, and we will share it with you as much as we can!
Carefully Pick a Toy for Guinea Pigs
You also need to keep in mind that guinea pigs are like babies. They will lick or even chew what you give them. The point is that the toy you give them will certainly go into their mouths. So, be careful when you choose a toy for them.
Never give them something made out of metals or something with sharp edges. Also, think about toxic glue and dyes. To cut it short, just buy or give them things that are approved for children.
Just as important as a big cage, you also need to play with them. Spend some lap time with your little friend. This will make it happier and in no time, you will feel a connection between the two of you.
Also, if you don’t just cuddle with them and you actually play with them, that will help even more by keeping them active and full of life.
Guinea Pigs Love Cardboard Boxes
Another excellent and money-saving alternative is cardboard boxes. Guinea pigs are prey animals. They enjoy playing hide and seek, especially if they are not really in danger.
They love to run in and out of the boxes. You can give your friends some of your old cereal boxes or any kind of cardboard box you don’t need anymore.
It’s a very cheap idea to entertain your pet, and it will work surprisingly well. When the boxes get dirty or wet, you can easily replace them with new ones.
Following the same idea, they can also play with clothes and blankets. You can hang some pieces of clothing or fleece in their cage to let them play. They will hide between the clothes.
So if you have old clothes you’re not using anymore, think about your little friend before you throw them away.
Related: Top 10 Best Guinea Pig Hideouts (Tubes/Tunnels and Caves): Detailed Reviews and Tips
Sock or a Paper Bag
This is another alternative that you can use for guinea pigs to play with. You can take a sock or a brown paper bag and fill it up with hay. They will love to take the hay out and eat it. It might seem pointless to you, but they will love you more for this toy.
Any Type of Ball
Even if it’s not safe for them to run in an exercise ball or wheel, you can always give them a ball. A tennis ball or a ping-pong ball is appropriate for them.
They will enjoy pushing it around, and it is a very safe way of letting them play on their own or you can play with them as well.
Recently, in the last few years or so, bird or cat toys have been given to guinea pigs, especially the bells that can be hung in their cage.
You can leave your guinea pig without supervision if the bell is too big to fit into his mouth. Otherwise, remove the bell when you are not around. It’s much safer that way.
Another thing you can do is let them play with plastic spoons. However, it’s better to give them the plastic spoons when you are playing with them.
Change Their Toys Often
There are a lot of boring things for humans that guinea pigs love. However, they get bored very quickly, and this is why to need to change their toys as soon as possible.
This will help your guinea pig to exercise often and will help you to keep your little friend entertained and excited.
Summary
Guinea pigs don’t like cage wheels. They will not even use them because they can cause the little guinea pigs back injuries.
Fortunately, there are a lot of ways you can keep your friend in good shape physically while keeping him healthy and happy.
There is probably an infinite number of things you can do to get your guinea pig out of a bad mood. So, don’t be scared, there is always something else you can do!
List of Sources
Are Guinea Pigs Rodents? The Importance of Adequate Models in Molecular Phylogenetics