No noise piggy

Question
Hi, I have female guinea pig that doesn't make any noise. I know that she can make noise because she has made noise before. I have had her for a while. So she is ok. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Natasha,

It sounds like your Guinea Pig is depressed. A few toys in her cage and a little more attention and love from you should pick her spirit right back up. Guinea Pigs get depressed easily since they are social animals and also they get depressed when bored. So a few toys and attention and love from you will pick up her spirits and get her to act a more normal. Some floor time will help also, give her a few toys on the floor and let her play there for about an hour.

Here are some toy ideas in case you need it.

Wooden hidey houses of different size and shape,

Towel Tents
Cut up or fold larger bath size towels. Be sure to cut off any hanging threads. Towel tents in the corner make a great hidey hole that can be washed and don't take up too much room. You can just loop the towel through cage wires on the corner and secure with a safety pin or two.

Tunnels
Guinea Pig and ferret tunnels.

Old Socks
You can leave them alone or stuff them with bedding. These can become a favorite pillow that gets dragged around the cage. Tie off or sew the top closed. You can also stuff the toe with a tennis ball.

Tennis Balls
Will roll around easily on bedding.

Ping Pong Balls
To push around.

Mirrors
On the outside of the cage. If they are on the inside, make sure they are pet-safe.

Fruit Tree Branch
Good chew treat, free if they come from your UNSPRAYED backyard. Untreated wood, twigs and logs that have been aged for at least 3 months. Apple tree branches can be eaten fresh off the tree. Stay away from: cherry, peach, apricot, plum (fruit trees with pits) and redwood branches, which are all poisonous.

Children's Wooden Blocks
For chewing and pushing around. Please make sure any children's blocks are not coated with any sealants (shiny or smooth looking) and are basically just plain wood.

Plumbing Pipe
If you already have some 4" wide plumbing pipe, the different joint combinations (T's and elbows and +'s) can make interesting tunnels for the piggies to run through and hide in.

  Small Stuffed Animals
These can be used in the same way as stuffed socks. Some piggies use them as pillows or something else to cuddle up with. IF your guinea pig chews on the stuffed toy, the stuffing inside may be harmful. In that case, you should switch to a sock stuffed with bedding, or if your guinea pig really likes a particular stuffed toy, but chews enough to get to the stuffing inside, you could replace the stuffing with bedding and sew it back up.

Some Bird Toys
The kind you can hang with bells on the end. Try hanging from a small bungee cord or string stretched across a corner or hang from the top of a covered cage. Try attaching with pipe cleaners, cable ties, or a large paper clip. Make sure they are safe and well constructed with large parts that can't be swallowed.

Some Cat Toys
Some pigs like the balls with the bells inside. Use with caution. They may separate. Make sure they are safe and well constructed with large parts that can't be swallowed. The wire balls with a bell inside may be a safer option than the plastic variety.

Some Guinea Pig Toys
Bounce back toys - you can put a treat inside. The related Boredom Busters are not recommended as the ring can break and cause a serious health hazard. Tug-N-Tumble toys,    Kritter Kabobs.

Some Rabbit Toys,

Some Ferret Toys, Tunnels, and Hammocks

I hope this helps,
     Take care now,
          Jules