Cavy Clips
These short clip top tips will give you ideas for providing positive piggy welfare
Think more guinea pig!
Noises in our houses can be really alarming for our pet piggies. Having become attuned to my guinea pigs' behaviours, I have come to realise that certain noises are perceived by guinea pigs more than others as something to be scared of - such as magnetic closure mechanisms on cupboard or wardrobe doors. My piggies hate the noise of these doors closing (they are loud and metallic) - they freeze and then dart to safety! So what I have done is use felt strips cut to the right size and shape, which I then stick onto the magnet points. The horrible noise just disappears. The felt strips are cheap and easily found in any household store. See the short clip below with me talking through felt sticking! This is just one example of something that as humans we may not be bothered by, but our pets may be. Get to know your piggies, spend time with them, watch their behaviour and this will help you understand how your piggies perceive the world around them. This makes for a much improved piggy-person relationship :)
Healthy herbage
A stimulating environment encourages piggies to use their agency (behavioral engagement with the environment), while pottering about foraging. In the clip you can Belle feeding on oat grass from dried forage packets ('Rosewood Harvest Festival'). Notice that she is using her sense of smell and her body to reach up to take the stems. She is engaged consciously in goal-directed behaviour (agency) - deciding what stems she would like. Be mindful when providing forage that too much of some items can cause tummy upsets so it is wise when introducing food items, to do so gradually and monitor behaviour and poo. The type of poo is an indicator of gastro-intestinal tract health. See more on piggy poo. If thinking about providing wild vegetation, you can refer to Wood Green's useful wild forage ideas and resources on their website and YouTube channel.
Boredom breakers
'Rosewood' have a product selection called 'Boredom Breakers', including a trio of very lightweight balls. I also use the 'nature first' 'willow ball' (shown in the clip) to insert food items and then leave on the floor for them to pull the food out.
Smart choices
I used the 'Smart Choice Bone Puzzle' sometimes to hide food items in - this is a type of feeding enrichment. Guinea pigs learn very quickly if given the space and opportunity to do so. Check out Belle in the clip using her teeth to lift the green 'stoppers' to find some nuggets. I use moist food too like cucumber but make sure to keep the plastic clean, so wash after use. With any enrichment, it should be appropriate for guinea pigs - it should not be beyond the physical capacity of the species, otherwise guinea pigs may become too frustrated and not use the enrichment or worse, it could cause stress if they cannot access their food.
Sweet dreams
Observing our pets helps us become familiar with their characters, it helps us appreciate them as individuals. Here is a short clip of one of my piggies, Hermie, sleeping. I wonder what he is dreaming about.... a very important book, 'When Animals Dream' discusses this subject, and why it is ethically significant.
Hay play
Piggies love hay! My piggies love to tunnel into hay, it provides safety, they can eat and play as they go and nap in there too. This encourages their emotional and behavioural needs to be met. Just be mindful of hay poke, which can be a very serious injury to a guinea pig's eye - immediate attention is required.
Guinasium
As an ecologist, I am fascinated by how animals interact with their environment. I can watch piggies for hours to find out what they enjoy. I have noticed that my piggies at least, just love anything new. Here I have set my lounge up with lots of safe items for my piggies to explore, I call it the 'Guinasium'. As soon as something changes they immediately check it out, whether its new bedding or an item of furniture that has been moved in my lounge, they are very quick to observe, they will come and check out what is going on...they often then engage in popcorning. Check out the video of Belle and Roxy after I had to put a makeshift bed in my lounge - this was a new object in their environment and they appeared to be very excited. You will see (and hear) them running at full throttle around the lounge and the mattress! Great fun!
Cleaning time with cavies!
My guinea pigs all seem to become excited about cleaning time. They show this through popcorns, an increase in activity and come over to me, to see what I am doing. The following video clearly demonstrates how excited they can get - their personalities shine through. While I'm cleaning in the clip, you can see the girls running at speed around and around, then they dash back to the 'C and C' setup to investigate me cleaning...they then carry on with circuit racing! Lots of people will never see this side of their piggies because their pets are not given the space. It is not always known or appreciated that guinea pigs can be so active and fun. Novelty definitely piques their natural curiosity.