🧸 10 Guinea Pig Toy Ideas You Can Make from Stuff You Already Have

DIY enrichment that keeps your piggies happy—and your wallet full.

Guinea pigs are intelligent, curious creatures that require mental stimulation to remain happy and healthy. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on toys! In fact, some of the best enrichment comes from household items you already own. 🐹

Here are 10 easy, safe, and fun Guinea Pig toy ideas your piggies will love—and you can throw together in a pinch.

1. Cardboard Box Castle

🧱 Enrichment: Exploring, hiding, chewing

Take a clean cardboard box (like from cereal or shipping) and cut out doorways, windows, and even tunnels to connect multiple boxes. Stackable = bonus fun.

Tip: Remove tape, staples, and any printed glossy paper first.

2. Paper Bag Hideout

🛖 Enrichment: Burrowing, nesting, surprising you

Take a plain paper lunch bag, cut a small entrance, and stuff it with hay. Your pig will love rustling around inside—and may even nap in it.

3. Toilet Paper Roll Treat Tunnel

🌀 Enrichment: Foraging, chewing, snack-hunting

Fold in one end of a toilet paper roll, fill with hay and a few veggies, then fold the other side shut. Let your piggy work for their reward!

4.Crinkled Paper Maze

📦 Enrichment: Sensory exploration

Lay down a big towel or fleece blanket, then crumple plain (non-glossy) paper over it to create an uneven surface. Hide snacks underneath for an adventure.

5. Sock Snuffle Snake

🧦 Enrichment: Foraging, sniffing, wheeking with glee

Take an old clean sock, stuff it with hay or shredded fleece, and tie off the end. Your pig will root through it like a champ.

6. Upside-Down Flower Pot

🏰 Enrichment: Hiding, climbing, bossing the other pigs around

Flip a small plastic plant pot or bowl upside down and cut a doorway into the side. It becomes an instant hidey hut.

7. Tissue Box Hay Bar

🌾 Enrichment: Grazing, tug-of-war fun

Remove plastic from an empty tissue box and stuff it full of hay. Pigs will pull out mouthfuls one strand at a time like fancy salad connoisseurs.

8. DIY Hanging Mobile

🎡 Enrichment: Stretching, chewing, curiosity

Tie bits of lettuce, herbs, or veggies to a clean string and dangle from a safe height in the cage. Supervise while they explore.

9. Fleece Forest

🌿 Enrichment: Sensory and social enrichment

Cut strips of fleece and hang them from a dowel or the top bars of your cage to create a “curtain” your piggies can walk through. So satisfying.

10. Crumpled Newspaper Ball

⚽ Enrichment: Chasing, pushing, lightweight soccer dreams

Crumple a plain newspaper sheet (no glossy ads!) into a ball. It’s lightweight, rollable, and surprisingly fun for nose pushes and zoomies.

💡 Final Tips:

• Always supervise when introducing new DIY toys.

• Avoid glue, staples, ink-heavy papers, or anything coated in plastic.

• Swap out enrichment items weekly to keep things fresh!

Got a Guinea pig-approved DIY toy Idea we missed? Share it in the comments or tag @cavywhisperer on Instagram with your creations!

🐾 Happy wheeking!