Chewing Newspaper....

Storm1974

Storm1974

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
South West Somerset, UK.
Herbert has taken to chewing on the newspaper that lines his cage, he is doing it quite a lot and never used to.

Anybody have any ideas as to why? He lives on his own in his cage, but has Bramble living next door to him, and I know that's not as enriching as having another pig actually living inside the cage with him, so could this be why, do you think? 😕

I do think they both get bored at times and I do struggle with giving them enough enrichment as we barely have any spare money to keep buying them lots of different enrichment items. They have their pea flake ball, but they've got a bit bored of that, also apple tree branches which they no longer touch, their hay, and that's about it. 😟

I do try to find forage for them sometimes (Along with fresh grass because ours isn't growing too well and they don't really like it too much anyway!), but find it hard to get different items, and which they like! I do feel very guilty that they're not happy, especially as (at the moment), we can't try and get them a friend each, or provide enough stimulation for them in other ways. They don't even really enjoy going outside in their run and Herbert spends most of the time sleeping in his hay out there, so Brambles' basically on his own. 😥

I wish we could free range them inside too, but this is impossible where we live!
 
It may not have anything to do with him being bored and/or single - I (and many other owners) have pairs who will chew cage linings, correx etc! It’s just because piggies chew things and explore with their mouths and now he has found it, it is something new to chew on.

Enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive or things you buy. Just a new cardboard box filled with hay is enough often to give them something else to think about. Putting veg and pellets in the hay etc rather than in a ball (I’ve never had an animal use those treat balls!)
 
Piggies&buns said:
It may not have anything to do with him being bored and/or single - I (and many other owners) have pairs who will chew cage linings, correx etc! It’s just because piggies chew things and explore with their mouths and now he has found it, it is something new to chew on.

Enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive or things you buy. Just a new cardboard box filled with hay is enough often to give them something else to think about. Putting veg and pellets in the hay etc rather than in a ball (I’ve never had an animal use those treat balls!)
Click to expand...
They both love their treat balls, or did!

Yes I do sometimes put their veg and pellets in their hay, but I also mix the majority of their veg in water because they don't drink from their bottles.

I have tried a box and paper bags with hay in, which does keep them interested for a short while.
 
Storm1974 said:
Herbert has taken to chewing on the newspaper that lines his cage, he is doing it quite a lot and never used to.

Anybody have any ideas as to why? He lives on his own in his cage, but has Bramble living next door to him, and I know that's not as enriching as having another pig actually living inside the cage with him, so could this be why, do you think? 😕

I do think they both get bored at times and I do struggle with giving them enough enrichment as we barely have any spare money to keep buying them lots of different enrichment items. They have their pea flake ball, but they've got a bit bored of that, also apple tree branches which they no longer touch, their hay, and that's about it. 😟

I do try to find forage for them sometimes (Along with fresh grass because ours isn't growing too well and they don't really like it too much anyway!), but find it hard to get different items, and which they like! I do feel very guilty that they're not happy, especially as (at the moment), we can't try and get them a friend each, or provide enough stimulation for them in other ways. They don't even really enjoy going outside in their run and Herbert spends most of the time sleeping in his hay out there, so Brambles' basically on his own. 😥

I wish we could free range them inside too, but this is impossible where we live!
Click to expand...

He sees it as enrichment... ;)

I line my hay trays with newspaper for easier cleaning and every now and then one of mine discovers it, pulls it out and nibbles on it. There is no harm in it. It is edible if without any nutritional value.

PS: Because newspapers have been traditionally used to sell foods in (fish & chips) but have also been used as liners for wrap[ing and storing human foods on as well as for hutch liners, newspapers have long ago switched to non-toxic inks.
 
Storm1974 said:
They both love their treat balls, or did!

Yes I do sometimes put their veg and pellets in their hay, but I also mix the majority of their veg in water because they don't drink from their bottles.

I have tried a box and paper bags with hay in, which does keep them interested for a short while.
Click to expand...

Putting their veg in water will not add much water to their diet - the amount is literally negligible. Adding the veg to the hay is providing more in the way of enrichment than adding water into the diet.
Plus any water you supplement with will consequently reduce the amount of water they take from their bottles.
 
Don't worry - all of mine chew newspaper, cardboard, plus anything that falls into the cage, in their time they have had a go at rubber gloves, plastic bags, brushes................
And it's also quite normal for them not to drink, mine don't touch their water for weeks, in fact it's how I know when I have got the ratio of dry to wet food wrong as it's the only time I see them drink. I've had several who have never drunk at all, ever, and still lived long healthy lives!
 
Mine have all chewed newspaper at one time or another. Caspy used to love a ball of it to push around, unfold and chew up. Bertie and Duck are my biggest culprits at the moment for pulling paper out from under the hay and ripping it up and chewing it. Don't worry about it, I'm always glad they've found something to keep them amused for a while!
 
Bert was a prolific newspaper eater. He’d burrow under the fleece and tear strips off. Jelly was a correx chomper - he’d find the bits I couldn’t protect with plastic file binders 😂
 
I never find evidence of it in their poops. The Correx does turn up as pieces of black plastic in the hay so luckily I don't think they swallow those! I also have file binders all over.
 
When we were rearranging the cage I discovered a big bit had been eaten out of the ramp correx and lots of lil teefies marks on the correx at the back!
 
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