How to House Train Your Guinea Pigs
Are Guinea Pigs Easy to Potty Train?
Thankfully, guinea pigs are super easy to litter train! Unlike other animals, such as dogs, guinea pigs don’t need high amounts of reward incentives to go to the bathroom in certain areas. Guinea pigs are mainly drawn to the provided litter boxes because of how they are set up. Of course, giving them a tasty treat the first few times will be beneficial, it won’t be the make-or-break for your guinea pig toilet training journey.
How Long Does it Take to Potty Train a Guinea Pig?
Much of the ease of guinea pig litter training comes from the fact guinea pigs can be completely litter trained in only a few days! Guinea pigs are intelligent animals and will thrive off of the safety and stability a litter box can bring. You may have noticed your piggies tend to pee and poop in the same few areas anyway, so adding a litter tray to their routine will be straightforward.
While most guinea pigs will exclusively use the litter box within a few days, some may need a little longer to become familiar with it. That doesn’t mean anything may be wrong with your piggy, but just means you may need to give them a little more encouragement.
Guinea pig spending time in their hide
How to Potty Train Guinea Pigs
Once you get going, guinea pig toilet training will be an absolute breeze. However, there are a few preparations that you will need to make to ensure the process will be successful, for both you and your piggies.
Before starting, it’s also important to note that not all guinea pigs will be able to be fully litter trained. While it is natural for them to go to the bathroom in a few select areas, some guinea pigs do like to break that rule and pee or poop wherever they please.
You should also never punish your piggy if they poop or pee outside of the designated area. Punishments are not something they can understand, and you have the potential to break any trust you have built with them. For guinea pig litter training, you should only use positive reinforcement. This means only rewarding good behaviour and ignoring unwanted behaviours.
Step 1 – Finding the Best Area
The first step of guinea pig toilet training is finding the ideal areas to put your litter box. You’ll want to figure out the areas where your piggies prefer to use the bathroom. Ideally, you will want to find several different areas, as guinea pigs have pretty small bladders and won’t be able to hold them for long.
Step 2 – Setting Up the Litter Box
For the litter boxes, there are a few items you’ll need to include. The main incentive to encourage a guinea pig to explore certain areas is safety. Litter boxes should be placed in a quiet area with a covering, such as under a table. Typically, a litter area should include:
Bedding that’s easily cleaned (e.g. fleece liners).
A hide.
A favourite toy or two.
Timothy hay, or other grass hays.
The litter box are areas that will need frequent cleaning, as guinea pig waste has the potential to foster bacteria growth and spread sickness. It will be in your best interest to use a substrate that is easy to move, clean or replace.
In addition to quality substrate, your piggies will also require a place to hide. While the initial location should be inviting enough, having an extra level of security will greatly help your guinea pigs to feel safe and protected.
Lastly, you’ll want to add some hay, with timothy hay being preferable. The majority of a guinea pig’s diet is made up of hay, as this aids the digestion process. Having some hay close by will entice them to approach the area and spend enough time there that they will need to poop. The same can be said for a toy, having an item there that your guineas are known to enjoy will make the experience much more pleasant.
The same can be said for a toy, having an item there that your guineas are known to enjoy will make the experience much more pleasant.
Step 3 – Starting the Litter Training
Once your setup is complete, it’s time to start guinea pig litter training. The first part of this process may seem quite slow, but it’s essential. You simply need to wait. Let your guinea pigs roam as you typically would and wait for them to approach the litter box. You shouldn’t force them inside, as this may cause them stress and make them want to avoid the area altogether. Your piggies should make their own way over, to either have a nibble on their hay or play with their toys.
Step 4 – Praise and Consistency
When you notice your piggy has decided to use the litter area, you want to provide them with plenty of praise. Give them their preferred way of affection, whether that be a close cuddle or a scratch on the head. You may even want to keep some treats on hand, like a juicy strawberry or some kiwi, to give them whenever they use the litter box. Doing this consistently over a few days will guarantee your piggies will become guinea pig toilet training experts in no time!
