Piggy Potty training/Poops and pees in dish

[kasey7891]

Hello, all!

I'm new here and I'm not quite sure what this site is about but it was recommended to me. I have a question and am seeking advice and opinions. I got my guinea pig about a week and a half ago. He came with a very small cage so as soon as I get paid this coming Friday I am going to make him a large cage. He pees and poops in his food dishes every day! The concentration of his poop is typically in the dish, though he drops pellets randomly. I've had the food dishes in different places to see if I was just placing his dish in his preferred potty place but he still goes in them. Once I have a larger cage I'm going to try potty training. Because of this behavior, I suspect maybe having a designated box would be something he would take to and appreciate. What do you think and do you have any suggestions? Also, is it safe to let him chew on a wicker type tunnel that I bought for him from PetSmart? I'm afraid it will hurt him but I can't stop him. Thanks so much!! Kasey

[3piggles]

Hello and welcome. We are a forum of guinea pig lovers and owners, who try to help people give their guinea pigs the best possible life. Between us, we've pretty much experienced everything they will do, though not always. We just pool our knowledge and experience, and hope it's helpful!

Guinea pigs poo and pee where ever they are at the time, and most where they spend the most time. In tiny cages, he doesn't have many options, and may have come from another tiny cage situation, so that's all he knows. Pigs cannot be potty trained. They aren't dogs, cats or rabbits. At best, you can put extra bedding or something where they poo the most.

Also, since pigs eat their poos to ingest the nutrients that were passed out too quickly to be digested, what we call Vitapoos (bigger, moist, darker poos) they don't consider poos in their pellets as a bad thing. Sleeping in a house full of poos is also fine with them. They aren't neat animals.

First thing is to build him the biggest cage you possibly can. It doesn't have to be a specific size to be right, just the biggest set up you can manage. If you have a limited footprint, make it two levels with a ramp or add lofts, but make it big enough to separate his living areas into sleeping, kitchen and play. Only areas raised 6" or more off the main level need ramps, so it's fairly easy to create a raised eating level with the sleeping level underneath, and have the rest of the cage for play. We have a housing thread in our Wheekerpedia section, with pictures of a lot of members cages. Lots of different ideas. Lots of different options.

Next, try putting extra bedding, padding or something where he spends the most time (eating and sleeping) for easier cleaning. If he has been trained to poo in his dish, try elevating the dish, so it's not convenient for him to do that.Just putting it up on a paver brick or cutting a bowl hole in the top of a low cardboard box/putting the bowl in that, will keep his butt below the dish.

If you have the space, put the water away from the pellet bowl a bit, so they dribble the water onto the bedding before getting back to the pellet bowl. Pigs eat more hay than pellets, so he will probably poo more while he's eating hay than while he's eating pellets.

I think he simply has a tiny cage mentality, and needs to experience life in a big cage, with lots of options, lots of things to do, etc. Also, since guinea pigs are very social, herd animals, he needs a cage mate/piggy pal. The other pig will help teach him, and change his training.

[jolovespiggies]

Hello and welcome love, we look forward to hearing more about your little piggy.

Hugs

JO xx

[yodelpig]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Up to 80% of the daily food intake should be hay to keep the guts, the crucial back teeth and therefore the piggy happy and healthy. Hay is nutritionally quite poor, so piggies need to eat lots compared to their size - and it all has to come out the other end. Some piggies are more scatty than others, but you will always get poos all over the place.

However, most piggies have their pee corners - for some reason, they love to much on hay while doing their business, so a litter tray under the hay rack comes in handy.

Please consider getting him a friend; guinea pigs are group animals and not really wired to be on their own. www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html

I am looking forward to pictures!