toys for guinea pigs

Question
H am a new owner of a girl guinea pig and i am not sure what to give him so she can play with.and every time i try to do floor time with her she always hides from me. also what can happen if i put the guinea pig with three little mice. Is it healthy for the guinea pig?

Answer
In general, mixing small animals is not a good idea. I've never heard of anyone putting mice and guinea pigs together, but as they don't eat the same foods, I don't think it would be wise. They could pass infections either way that the other animal won't be able to cope him. Not to mention, mice are incontinent so things could get messy! Guinea pigs are very social animals though, especially the females, and your piggy will be happiest if she lives with another female guinea pig.

Guinea pigs don't like being in big open spaces unless they have cover over their heads. In the wild they are prey animals, so they need to feel secure. This is why she'll run to hide from you if you put her in the middle of your living room. If you have a run for your guinea pig, try bringing it inside for her to run around in. Guinea pigs are very partial to tunnels and tubes and she'd love one of those, though of course, she will hide in it. Anything they can gnaw on is also fun; you can get lots of wooden chew-toys for guinea pigs - like a small ball with a wood-stick attached, a gnawing block, or a wooden "log" tunnel.

Have fun with your new pet, and just let me know if you have any other questions about how to play with your piggy and what to feed her!