How do I know if my Guinea Pig is getting enough excersise?

Question

I never let her out because she gets scared.

Her cage is about more that one meter in length.

I cuddle her and she crawls on my shoulders but thats about it.

At night she plays with her things but normally just hides

Answer 1

If she's getting scared, slowly and gently take her out, and give her a treat to show her there is nothing wrong with coming out. Sooner or later she will play out of her cage. But it will take a couple of weeks if she's really scared. Just have some patience. Until then, make sure she is moving around in the cage and if she runs on a wheel that's great. Running around should be enough exercise, but slowly get her used to getting out of her cage.

Good luck with her! :]

Answer 2

As long as she is still looking nice and trim, then she is fine. If she has excess fat wobbling around, you should really take her out for more running and excercise time. But even if she isn't overweight, you should still be taking her out.

Since she is scared, it will take time for her to get used to being out of her cage. Be slow and gentle when taking her out, and don't force her if she doesn't want to.

Let her run around and explore, but make sure you supervise her.

Please, do not get a wheel or a hamster ball for your guinea pig. Their spines are different from that of a hamster or mouse, and it cannot bend in the same way. If they try to run in a wheel, they can easily break their spine.

Just avoid wheels and balls, instead give her lots of tunnels and you can get one of those playpens when you take her out.

Answer 3

My sister has a guinea pig and they just naturally hide.

To make sure she gets exercise, we sometimes let her roam around in the grass in our yard. You could leave them there because they'll end up eating the grass. Also, since guinea pigs like to hide and like the dark, you could try putting your guinea pig in the grass under the towel. Then you move the towel away from them, and since they like to stay in the dark, they'll follow you. This always helps them get exercise.

Answer 4

How long have you had her for? If you've had her for over one month, she shouldn't be too scared for floor time.

If you want her to be more active in her cage, take her house out for a little while; I do this with my two piggies, and it encourages them to explore, eat their hay, and chase eachother around.

Guinea Pigs do need regular exercise - if they're happy and have a big enough cage, they should be running around and "popcorning" (jumping quickly, and squeaking happily).

The best thing you could ever do for her is get her a friend. Guinea Pigs are social, herd animals and *need* the interactions and companionship. Adopting another pig adds almost nothing onto the overall cost, and it /will NOT/ double everything, like some people have come to imagine. All you'll ever need to know about pigs can be found here: http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

I'm sure you'll find tons of other great tips, as well! Good luck with your piggy.

Answer 5

I have a guinea pig and she is the same way. Well to make sure she gets enough excersise try getting it a ball like a hamster ball but bigger, thats what my guinea pig has! Also try taking her outside when it's not to hot not to cold and let her explore but make sure you have an area that she can not get out of like a closed fence with no wholes and is close to the ground, I take mine out front but she just sits there beside me. You might want to try getting an exersize wheel also. To keep a guinea pig at an ideal weight give it plenty of excersise and give it a vitamin C tablet for guinea pigs (you can find it at your local vet or pet shop). Also feed it greens! Good luck! any questions you can neomail me!

Answer 6

Guinea pigs arent usually very athletic creatures so dont be to worried. As long as she has some room to run around it should be fine.

hope this helps..

Answer 7

She isn't getting enough exercise unless she's getting out of the cage a few times a month at least. If her cage is less than 30" x 36" then she is really going to be deprived of exercise! They are very active animals, contrary to popular belief. They love to run around and popcorn when given the opportunity!