Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Training your guinea pig in a cage
• Part 2 of 2: Training your guinea pig outside the cage

Guinea pigs are adorable and funny animals that enjoy spending their time both inside and outside the cage. To make it easier for you to keep your pet's cage and play areas clean, you can teach him how to use a litter box. Like many other animals, guinea pigs can be toilet trained with a patient and attentive approach.By following a few simple steps, you can explain the purpose of the litter box to any age guinea pig.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Training your guinea pig in a cage

1. 1 Watch your guinea pig. Before placing a litter box in a guinea pig's cage, you need to pay attention to which area it usually goes to the toilet in. Guinea pigs prefer to mark this area with an appropriate scent, so it is very likely that the animal will allocate one of the corners of the cage in order to regularly go there to the toilet.
   • Despite the presence of a corner often used as a toilet, a pig may not always go to the toilet there. Just find out the place that the guinea pig most often visits for this purpose.
2. 2 Buy a litter box. Once you've figured out your preferred location for your toilet, you'll need to buy a litter box that fits well into the corner. Choose a tray that is the right size for the cage itself and is comfortable for your guinea pig. The tray should not be too small, otherwise the guinea pig will simply not be able to sit down normally inside it to go to the toilet.
   • A litter box designed for small rodents can be purchased at your pet store.
   • The cage will also need brand new bedding. Otherwise, it will smell like old excrement, and the guinea pig may continue to go to the toilet in the already soiled areas of the cage.
3. 3 Prepare a litter box. Fill the tray with the same type of bedding that you use in the cage itself. Although the litter box itself is called a litter box, it does not need to be filled with any special toilet filler; you need the same hay or straw that you use to cover the cage itself. In this case, you need to take a handful or two of the old litter, already stained with excrement and urine, and place it in the litter box. Then the tray should be placed in the previously selected corner of the cage.
   • The initial use of already soiled litter in the litter box will lure the guinea pig to the litter box as its own scent will already be present.
   • Litter types such as aspen sawdust, wood pulp, hay and straw are great for guinea pigs. There are also a variety of veterinarian-recommended granular filler options. Never do not buy filler based on cedar sawdust or corn cobs, as these are toxic to guinea pigs.
   • Do not place food and water near or in the litter box. A guinea pig will not want to go to the toilet where she eats.
   • You can put some feed straw in the tray to keep the animal comfortable and able to chew on something while going to the toilet.
4. 4 Observe the behavior of your guinea pig. After placing the litter box in the cage, see if your guinea pig is using it. Since the tray will contain her scent and be located in the usual place for the toilet, in most cases she should start using it. If your guinea pig doesn’t use the tray, you may need to take it out and try from the beginning. For example, there might be something wrong with the litter box itself, which discourages your pet from using it.
   • When you see your pet using the litter box, treat him with a treat. This will stimulate proper behavior and give the guinea pig an extra urge to use the litter box to get more treats.
   • If the sides of the litter box seem too high for your guinea pig, you need to take a sharp pair of scissors, a small saw or knife and carefully cut the excess height. This will keep the litter box low enough for your guinea pig to climb into it.
5. 5 Keep your litter box clean. You need to clean the litter box every three days or so. In this case, you can simply empty the contents of the tray and pour fresh filler into it.You only need to wash the tray every two weeks. This will preserve the scent of the guinea pig itself in the tray to increase the likelihood of regular use for its intended purpose.
   • You need to use the filler that is most suitable for your guinea pigs. If you are unsure of what to use in the tray, check with your pet store or veterinary clinic.
6. 6 Be patient. While most guinea pigs are able to get used to using the litter box in most or all cases, some guinea pigs sometimes fail to toilet train. Continue your efforts to train your pet to use the litter box, but even if he uses it half the time, it will also significantly reduce the laboriousness of cleaning his cage.
   • Never punish or yell at your guinea pig. So she will not understand why she has to go to the toilet in one place all the time. Encourage good behavior, but don't use punishment. They have no effect on guinea pigs.

Part 2 of 2: Training your guinea pig outside the cage

1. 1 Start small. Once you've trained your guinea pig to use the toilet inside the cage, you may want her to use it during her play time outside the cage. Start learning small. Choose an easily controlled area where it will be easy to keep an eye on your guinea pig. Make sure there are no small crevices or vents in the selected area that the guinea pig can get into and get stuck in.
   • A good place to start learning is in the bathroom or hallway. These rooms are quite small, they usually have few wires and there are not many places for the guinea pig to hide. This will keep your pet safe and give you the opportunity to look after him while he gets the physical activity he needs.
2. 2 Set up a litter box for your guinea pig. To install a litter box, choose a corner of the room that is dark and out of the way. This will encourage the pig to get into that corner to go to the toilet. Since the litter box will be the only thing with the appropriate scent, the guinea pig will easily find it regardless of the corner in which you place it.
   • Try to leave some soiled filler in the tray. So the guinea pig will perceive this territory as his own.
   • If you wish, you can first just let the guinea pig go for a walk and see which corner it chooses for itself as a toilet, and only then install a litter box there.
3. 3 Close access to other corners of the room. Guinea pigs like to go to the toilet in dark corners, away from everything else (like in a cage). To convince your pet to use the corner in which the litter box is located, you need to block the rest of the corners, just not allowing them to be used as a toilet.
   • If the guinea pig has no other dark corners to go to the toilet, the litter box in the corner will be more likely to be used as intended.
   • If desired, the rest of the territory can be covered with newspapers in case of an oversight of the guinea pig. This will make it easier for you to clean up.
4. 4 Gradually expand the guinea pig's walking area. Once your guinea pig gets used to using the litter box, you can gradually expand the area available to it. Since she will already know the location of the litter box, she must continue to use it even if the available area increases. Just do not keep the wires on the floor and block hard-to-reach places in which the pet can hide so that it does not get lost or injured.
   • As with cage learning, don't swear at your guinea pig if it goes to the bathroom elsewhere. You can reward her for using the litter box as a positive reminder to use it later.