Cardboard and paper

[Autonerd]

Hello all -- New member, thrust into guinea pig ownership.

My wife read/heard/knew about giving them cardboard boxes, paper bags, and other sort of things to play with. We've done this a couple of times and the guinea pigs LOVE it -- they come out to investigate, sit inside, shove it around, whatever. We've been rotating through the objects a bit, leave one in for a day or so then take it out and swap with something else.

My question is -- is there anything we need to watch out for in putting cardboard or paper in the cage? We've been removing any tape and cutting out any bits with exposed glue. Do we need to worry about colored/inked cardboard or boxes that have the end flaps glued down? I read somewhere to avoid paper towel tubes since they can have recycled paper content, is this something to be concerned about?

Thanks
Aaron

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all -- New member, thrust into guinea pig ownership.

My wife read/heard/knew about giving them cardboard boxes, paper bags, and other sort of things to play with. We've done this a couple of times and the guinea pigs LOVE it -- they come out to investigate, sit inside, shove it around, whatever. We've been rotating through the objects a bit, leave one in for a day or so then take it out and swap with something else.

My question is -- is there anything we need to watch out for in putting cardboard or paper in the cage? We've been removing any tape and cutting out any bits with exposed glue. Do we need to worry about colored/inked cardboard or boxes that have the end flaps glued down? I read somewhere to avoid paper towel tubes since they can have recycled paper content, is this something to be concerned about?

Thanks
Aaron

Hi!

Cut any paper bag handles so they cannot get stuck in that. If possible, use brown cardboard and stay of any brightly printed boxes with a glossy surface. Toilet rolls are OK every now and then.

Here is our enrichment guide with lots of pictures and videos, including some cardboard ideas: Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[Autonerd]

Thx!