How can I get my guinea pig to exercise?

Question

I have a male teddy bear guinea pig and he's about a year old. He's been getting sorta fat and I can't get him to exercise! When I put him down on the floor, all he does is sit in a corner. I've tried alot of different toys to try and get him to have some fun but nothing works. Any ideas?

Answer 1

i dont exactly know the name but ther is a tire type thing which rotates auotomatically put the guinea pig in it and it will soon become more athletic

Answer 2

get a hamster ball thats  big enough for a guine pig and roll it if he doent run h**l go in circlel

Answer 3

Um, If you go to a pet store, you can buy a harness and leash for a guinea pig. And you could walk him down the street and back once every day. That's what I do. Oh and when you get back, you should give him a treat like a slice of carrot or something.  

Answer 4

does he try to get out of your hand when you pick him up?  If so just keep letting him go from hand to hand, that will exercise him.

Answer 5

Please do NOT get an exercise ball for your guinea pig.  #1, they're usually too freaked out and don't move any way.  #2, their backs cannot curve down like hamsters do, and it's very possible to break their backs if you put them in a ball.

The best thing to do is feed a good PLAIN pellet, that is fresh and has added vitamin C.  I recommend Oxbow for those that can order over the internet.  You want to also give him plenty of timothy (or brome, orchard, or sweet meadow) hay (not alfalfa), and a MAX of 10% of his diet should be treats.  10% is about the size of an average baby carrot.

Your guinea pig is probably scared when you put him on the floor in a big room.  Try letting him run around the bathroom floor (cleaned of course, with towels so he doesn't slip), and eventually he should warm up enough that you can move him to another room.

You can also put his food in one corner of the cage, and his water in another, with some pavers (bricks) in between for him to crawl over or go around.

Answer 6

I've read this somewhere on Yahoo! Answers before, so I give credit to that guy or girl... Try spreading and hiding it's food in the cage, instead of piling it in a bowl. It would make it more active.

Now this just hit me out of the blue: Try taking your guinea pig out on an empty stomach, that way it'll do almost anything for the food. Move the food around a little to get it familiarized. Then, just kinda move your hand in a trail for your guinea pig to follow.

I dunno if this will work for your guinea pig, but try anything once! I hope this helps and good luck! :)

Answer 7

Well maybe try encouraging  him to excersise. hold some ledduce far away from the piggie. which makes him want to go and get so he might walk or maybe even run!GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

let it run around on the floor

make a maze for it to try to figure it out

make a little hut thing with rooms with different things in it so it can explore

Answer 9

try a exercise wheel u can get them for guinea pigs

Answer 10

try playing with it. just u two. try wearing clothes with pockets and hoods so it can explore.

Answer 11

Get an exercise wheel and if he doesn't now how to use it ( like my hamster use to )

Pick him up put him in it and just gently move it and he will eventually get how to do it!!

Answer 12

empty stomach, and place food in diffrent areas. if you use pellets then take one pellet, place it on one side, watch him walk over there, and then take another, put it on the other side. keep doing that. maybe you can put him in a new place for him to explore.

do not use leashes and walk him. he will not appreciate it. this can choke guinea pigs, and often times the leashes and harnesses are poor quality so guinea pigs could easily slip out of the harness and run free

Answer 13

maybe get him another guinea pig to play with?

that'll keep him active.

Answer 14

Try taking him into a secure area and tying his favourite food/treat to some  string and run around the room! lol!

Also, try looking up "Guinea Pig Diets" on google and try and cut some of the more fattening things out of his diet.

Answer 15

Have you seen http://www.guineapigcages.com ? A bigger cage so he can exercise on his own is best. Another guinea pig also gets them to move more.

Also there are no teddy bear guinea pigs. Teddy bear refers to hamsters. They are just teddies.

You should also review his diet http://www.guinealynx.info too much fattening treats and poor diet can lead to obesity.