“To Be Allowed To Express Normal Behaviour”

The ability to express normal behaviour. To be able to burrow in hay, run and have shelter to ‘hide’ in if desired. To have a friend(s) in the correct living sized accommodation.

eating hay is a necessary pastime for guinea pigs

Hay and a compatible friend are probably the most important components for allowing guinea pigs to express “normal” behaviour. Both hay and companions are natural parts of a guinea pig’s life (hay takes the place of long grasses that would be freely available to guinea pigs in the wild. Domesticated guinea pigs have the right to have a suitable friend (another guinea pig) and lots of hay for playing in.

Bags of Fun, worth looking into…

Hay can be presented in various ways, none of which are costly, Paper bags (remove handles first), cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes are good to stuff with hay and make houses from. The Hay Experts stock a good range of hidey holes and houses for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs use their houses in a variety of ways, some prefer to perch on top of them where possible, some will hardly use their houses whilst others spend more time in there. Provide more than one house so there is a choice.

Torn between open and closed… So going Dutch…

Houses should be washed weekly (plastic) to keep them clean, not washing/wiping them down defeats the object of a thorough clean and bacteria and spores (if present) remain.

A friend and a pile of good hay, essentials for guinea pigs

Living accommodation will be four foot by two foot minimum for two guinea pigs, even a hutch with a sleeping compartment is more fun if a house is put in it. Vary the houses, paper bags and boxes and where you put them.

Fun comes in all sizes….

Eating hay is a big part of expressing normal behaviour for guinea pigs, it helps to keep their constantly growing teeth worn down correctly. Hay is therefore a great boredom breaker by itself. Always provide a suitable hay for eating that guinea can play in too, a pile of clean, good meadow hay is a great source of enjoyment and will be munched on with much pleasure as it low in nutritional value but high in the long fibre that is so important for guinea pigs.