My guinea pig won't roll?!!?

Question

Okay, so I have this cute little guinea pig and I'm always spoiling him with toys and stuff. One day I realized I didn't have a plastic ball for him to roll around in, so I went out and bought him one. But when I put him in it, he just kind of sits there. He started climbing up the side of the ball today, but he didn't roll. What can I do to convince him that he's supposed to roll in his ball?

Answer 1

guinea pigs can't roll in balls!

it hurts their backs, thats why we won't go

please don't force him in there :(

Answer 2

Most of the people who make the balls don't know much about the pets. All they care about is their profit. I have two guineas who don't roll in their balls as well. It hurts their back. Please don't make him roll in his ball, it could be very dangerous and stressful for him.

-Witch

Answer 3

Oh dear. You know, they also sell cigarettes that say they are for people... One huge very important rule of marketing is that people will say ANYTHING to get you to buy their stuff. Do you have the slightest idea just how many utterly UNSAFE products you can find in your average pet store? It is just common sense to do your research at home instead of buying all sorts of things on the spot like this.

Guinea pigs CANNOT use balls. It doesn't matter if santa claus told you they can. Please be sensible and relate to facts. Guinea pigs have very stiff, inflexible spines. They should NEVER be aloud to run in a round surface, like a ball or wheel. ONLY flat surfaces like the floor. It is so extremely likely for their kind of spines to fall serious injury from running on rounded surfaces simply becayse they should not bend that way.

Please read the sites the first person listed! You may have a look here for proper play and exersice advice: http://www.guineapigcages.com/toys.htm

By the way, guinea pigs are social, and benefit from having other piggy companions. If you really want to spoil your guy, please consider getting him a male friend, that would beat all the expensive toys you will ever buy for him :)