Enrichment and boredom

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elherman0811

New Born Pup
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Hello! I have recently noticed my guinea pigs chewing on each other's fur. It's not a skin condition because they won't chew their own, but they will pull at each other's. I have done some researching and discovered that they might be bored, but I haven't a clue on what enrichment items to provide them with. They currently have 4 chew toys hanging on the walls of their cage that they frequent, as well as stacking cups and a wooden puzzle. I exchange floor toys weekly when I do my deep cleanings. If anyone could provide me with ideas, that would be lovely. Thank you all!
 
Barbering (hair eating) can be done for a number of reasons. I have added a guide below which explains it in more detail.

As for enrichment - toys such as the cups and puzzles or most commercial toys are usually ignored by piggies. They do need lots of mental stimulation though and that is best provided by giving them lots of opportunity to do what they do naturally, and that is forage. Piggies spend a lot of their time grazing so ensuring you have large hay piles loose on the cage floor (ie don’t use hay racks or hay bags as they restrict foraging ability), and also don’t use food bowls. Instead scatter their veg and one tablespoon of pellets each per day directly into those hay piles. That way it becomes a lot more of a mentally stimulating exercise and means eating takes a lot longer and keeps them occupied.
Items such as cardboard boxes with multiple doors cut into them and then stuffed with hay also provide good enrichment for them.

I’ve added our enrichment guide below also

Wiebke

Thread 'Barbering (Eating Hair)'

1 What is barbering?
2 Barbering other guinea pigs
- Social grooming
- Dominance grooming
3 Self-barbering
- Habitual over-grooming
- Stress
- Pain
4 Problems that can look similar to barbering
- Skin parasites and ringworm
- Hormonal problems and nutritional...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs'

1 Company and interaction
- Company of their own kind is the best enrichment
- Human interaction
2 Excercise
- Daily run time and exercise
- Race and obstacle courses
- Outdoors time and how to bring it indoors
3 Sensory enrichment
- Things for the nose and the palate
- Working to get their daily food
- Romping and burrowing in soft...
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Thank you so much! My piggies are refusing to eat veggies though, and I'm not sure why. I had taken them to the vet for a nail trim and he had recommended sweet peppers. I've also tried lettuce and herbs of sorts. I tried hand feeding them, putting it in their hay piles, and scattering them around, but the piggies refuse to touch them. Thank you for the resources, they are very helpful!
 
Did they used to eat veg ok?
Are they eating plenty of hay and maintaining their weight?
Are you measuring out their pellets (one tablespoon each) to ensure you aren’t over feeding them?
 
They have never eaten veggies. Ever. I try every day and they won't touch them. They are maintaining weight and I give them a vitamin tablet, and they are each getting a tablespoon of pellets.
 
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