Toys and training

Question
I recently bought two cute female guinea pigs. I've bought the basics (hay nest, chew toys and a ball) to play with, but I was wondering what else they might like to play with?
Can they be trained to go to the loo in one area of their cage?

Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hello Emma!

My pigs all love jingle balls sold for cats and pet safe stuffed animals. Make sure the jingle balls don't have feather or string appendages and that they don't have cat nip. Here is a picture of some of the toys my piggies have: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/kaos_kat/piggytoys3.jpg They also love pigloos (the little plastic igloo shaped hideys that can be found at most pet stores). As far as potty training, well, that depends on the piggy. I can give you several tips for potty training, but I must warn you, most piggies can't be potty trained. There are a select few that can be. Most piggies will just pee anywhere. Some will choose certain "pee spots" but they are the minority (those are the ones that there is hope for in potty training). Out of my 14 current pigs, only 1 has a potty spot (just behind his pigloo). It is worth a shot, but try not to be too disappointed if it doesn't work out. Even if they can't be successfully taught where to pee in their cage, you can usually teach them to not pee on you. Ok, first tip, and usually the most effective method, when you clean their cage, save some of their icky bedding to put in the litter box. If they are some of the "potty spot" pigs, this will hopefully encourage them to go there. Thye may get the hint in a few days. Tip 2: Use a different type of litter in their litter box than in the rest of their cage. Make sure it is still a piggy safe one though.

As far as not peeing on you, that's a bit simpler. Take a towel to sit them on everytime you pull them from their cage and have it on your lap. After a while, you can sit the towel next to you and they will clamber down onto the towel when they have to pee. Most piggies, do not want to pee on their owners, they just can't hold it anymore and don't know where else to go. Most all of mine are towel trained and some will go so far as to when they are running all over playing, will come back to the towel to pee. Also remember they can hold it about 15 minutes. After you see them pee in their cage, choose then to pick them up, then in about 15 minutes or so put them back so they can use their cage. The real trick to getting them not to pee on you is learn to understand when they are telling you they have to go. They are probably still a very young pigs because they are usually infants when sold at pet stores and they are still learning so it may still be a bit before they learn just like any babies. Most pigs will get a bit fidgety when they have to pee, others will nip, and some others will just back up a few steps and pee. If one of them starts doing any of these (especially backing up), quickly plop her butt on the towel that should be next to you eventually she'll know that's what she's to do when she has to pee. You will probably have time to get her back to her cage before she goes if she nips or fidgets, but if she just backs up, you won't. That's why a towel is important. I wish you the best of luck with potty training. Have fun with your wonderful new pigges.

-kkat
www.geocities.com/abyssinianguineapigs