The HappyCavy webcams make their final broadcast on April 7, 2024
For details: Goodbye, HappyCavy Guinea Pig Webcams.
Categories: Tips for a Happy Cavy Tags: Cage Ideas |
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Before our Humans became guinea pig care-takers, they read every kind of guinea pig book they could find.
From blogs to textbooks, Human #1 and #2 did everything they could to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to make a cavy truly happy when it comes to guinea pig health, cage construction, behavior, and even play toys. But, they soon found out that until you first welcome a little cavy into your home, you really never know what to expect.
Each guinea pig has its own, unique personality and they seem to come to their Forever Humans as little furr-balls that are pre-loaded with his or her own distinct likes, dislikes, and personality quirks.
One of the first things our Humans realized after welcoming home the first HappyCavy (Piglet) was that the cage they constructed was ill-conceived, poorly executed, and in desperate need of a make-over.
Plus, the first version of the cage was drab, dull, and boring!
The Humans were using fleece bedding, which Piglet loved (soft and comfy)! But the fleece was a terribly ugly shade of bluish-gray…not exciting. At all. The ugly fleece created an environment that seemed sterile and institutional, like some kind of crazy mental hospital or depressing waiting room. Ugh!
But The Humans paid no mind to their seemingly inconsequential guinea pig cage design folly. They thought everything was great — Piglet was happy and in a good home.
After the second guinea pig came home (Hammy), The Humans knew that this Boring Guinea Pig Cage wasn’t going to be enough to keep the HappyCavies excited and interested in their new Forever Home environment.
So, slowly and carefully, Human #1 began adding a few “cage accessories” like a disco ball (visible on Guinea Pig Cam #1 and #2) and little toys like alphabet blocks and used toilet paper rolls.
But the most obvious improvement to the old, boring, who-want’s-it cage was the use of bright- and bold-colored towels with fun, cute patterns our Humans used as accent areas.
After the introduction of the fun towels and fleece, the HappyCavies immediately became curious and started wheeking, chutting, and happily exploring their new cage design. In fact, Hammy was so excited that she was seen popcorning several times in a row!
Currently, The Humans have an entire stockpile of colorful, patterned towels, most of them were purchased at Target Department Store. The kids bath section at Target has some really cute and colorful hand-towels and beach towels to choose from.
The Humans also try to balance their guinea pig cage designs between fun/cute and tacky/ugly.
As of the writing of this post, The HappyCavies have a large beach towel covering most of the bottom level of the cage (plus, the towel is reversible so the design can be changed easily without spending more money).
There is also an absorbent lap pad covering the back right corner of the cage, just opposite the Kitchen Area. This fabric helps not only to absorb wee and stinky smells, but the colors are really bright and fun (especially the lime green pad)!
But can guinea pigs really see in color?
Guinea pigs actually can see in color. Guinea pigs have dichromatic sight, meaning that they can probably see most colors as Humans see, but textures and exact colors may be a bit off. So “visual stimulation” — the excitement one might feel when viewing the color red, and the calm they may feel with blue — can possibly help your guinea pig stay interested and active in their home environments.
And who knows, your little piggie may just give you a kiss for turning a dull, boring cage into a new and exciting place to run and explore.
Share Your Thoughts
What do you use to keep your guinea pigs interested in their environment? Do you have a favorite cage accessory? Or perhaps you have a tip to share on how guinea pig owners can add functional and fun elements to their piggie’s environment.
Please share your thoughts below in the comments section!