How to make guinea pigs exercise

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Claire W

Claire W

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When the specialist phoned me to discuss Connie, she said to also make sure that they both get plenty of exercise. They have floor time nearly everyday in a large indoor run during the winter and outdoor run during the summer. The problem is that neither of them really seem to run around a lot and prefer just to sit there and chew on a towel. Don't get me wrong, they don't sit there scared or anything but just generally 'chill out'. When I have them on the stairs (supervised) Eliza will run up and down the stars where as Connie will run to the top and just sit there. This has now stressed me out as I'm concerned that neither of them are getting enough exercise :( Any tips?
 
I'd like some help on this too! Baby Pedro loves flying around everywhere- he whizzes round so fast you can hardly see him, but Alfie just likes to sit and watch him...or lie down...or eat!
 
we have a lazy piggie, we have one of those logs with wholes and fill it with food. pushing it around means at least she is moving!
 
I understand your situation Claire. I was concerned about the amount of 'fat' on a couple of my pigs; they seemed to be pretty inactive and happy to just pig out on a plateful of food without moving, and their bellies just kept expanding little by little!

Spreading the veggies around a wide area really makes them move around. Nothing better than veggie bribes! That is the *only* thing that got my chubby lot moving. They've all toned up and are far more active after a few weeks of throwing the veggies around and letting them hunt for them.
 
I've tried that Frank but Blossom will go over to the veg and not leave the bowl until it's gone then she would head to the dried food.

I have problems getting Blossom to exercise - she's just not interested. She just likes to sit/lie down and watch the world go by. Whereas Daisy will run around absolutely mad.
 
I get my two piggies to run around with my eye on them in the lounge. They only seem to run around when each other is there.
Maisey sometimes goes bersek lol Cookie sometimes can't catch up and stops and looks confused at Maisey.
Then Maisey gets tired and lies down on the ground. I eventually put them back when i notice them getting abit naughty and Cookie bossing Maisey. Getting them to go back to their cages gets hard work sometimes. :))
 
what about putting toys in like balls (the ones that are designed for them) my lot love toys and play all day, that might get them moving :)
 
i know this sounds a bit cruel but i watch alot of animal programmes and tiddlywinks animal hospital place their hedgehogs and other animals in a bath when they want to exercise them because swimming is a very good form of exercise that dosnt put any pressure on the limbs have you tried this? obviously you will need to keep an eye on them cos they will get tired but swimming is infact good exercise and they will automatically swim if put in water.
 
Sorry, but swimming is cruel for guinea pigs. Mine hate baths, never mind me putting them somewhere for a swim.

Of course, they start to swim - they think they're going to drown so they're swimming to save themselves.
 
Some suggestions...

Here are one or two suggestions - please feel free to ignore them...
Get a big book and place veg bits on top repeatedly so that the piggies have to step up and down each time. If they have a shelf in the hutch then place bits on that - tiny ones mind, we're looking for repeated movement here.
Get a piece of lawn and put it into a plastic tray. They will gladly get up onto that one, even when the grass has been eaten down to the roots!
Take away the food for a bit so that they start to become hungry, maybe half an hour, then let them out for their run and lay a trail of tiny pieces of veg across the floor so that they move to them and have to compete for them. They will get faster and faster!
Teach your piggies that they have to go around a shoebox in order to receive the piece of lettuce etc from your hand. After a few turns around the box following the veg and then receiving it they will begin to learn what to do. Connect this kind of game to a word as well, that helps them to learn as they are sound oriented.
They do learn new games amazingly fast. I made the mistake of giving mine a bell to ring when they wanted me and they learnt that I appeared when they rang it so very quickly. Then they never stopped ringing it! I had to take it away again....
Basically, make up a game for bits of food and play it with them. They love it and you might too!
 
well i knew some people would think its cruel, and i dont put mine in the bath to swim because they run about but it was just an alternative if ** guinea pig needs exercise because its in poor health as this is what animal carers and vets do with animals who wont neccesarily do other exercise.
 
and some guinea pigs like water, mine tend to popcorn and like a good scrub in the bath.
 
Mine have just had loads of fun playing with newspaper! I got a couple of pages and put them on the floor to make a kind of hut/tunnel - Curly had loads of fun running in and out, and then Humphrey throughly enjoyed himself destroying it!
 
I just tried something with my girls,
You know the mini boxes of cereal you can get, well I got an empty one and stuffed it with spinich and carrots (the girls favourites) and put them on the floor with it and at first they were wary but must of smelled the food. Then whe they worked out to knock it over and found food the have spent 20mins pushing it around in circles tryin to reach the food, this seems good exercise.
However I think this should be just done supervised as Abbi got her head stuck and I had a guinea body running around with a box head lol
:))
 
We gave ours a bath last month. First one we gave them they were in a bowl in the sink. Didn't like that, so last time we put them in the bath in very shallow water. Seemed to enjoy that a bit more
 
One of my boars doesn't like exercise either, the only sort he likes is with his teeth, eating!:)). My vet has said that he is getting a bit 'portly', I will try some of the tips you have all put up here, especially the book one:)
 
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