

They can learn a lot, despite the misconception that they are simple creatures. Image Credit: Bad_Bear_Pictures, PixabayĪs new studies are published, researchers continue to learn more about how smart guinea pigs are. Given the high intelligence of guinea pigs, it is important to promote variety in their daily activities and create an enriching environment.

They can also be trained to use a litter box which is great news for a guinea pig owner. Guinea pigs have a high level of emotional intelligence and empathy, they can learn their own names, and can do tricks. Yes! Guinea pigs are exceptionally smart and sensitive creatures. Scientists are always discovering new facts about the intelligence of animals, including how intelligent our pet guinea pigs are.

While guinea pigs may not be as smart as your cat or dog, they recognize their names and can learn to perform tricks, so yes, they may be smarter than you believe! Therefore, you might be wondering how smart guinea pigs are.īecause it is challenging to assess guinea pigs’ intelligence, we need to look for traits and behaviors that reveal how smart they are, such as learning tricks, recognizing their owners, and their memory level. But did you know that guinea pigs are intelligent as well? You may have noticed particular characteristics and behaviors that point to your guinea pig’s intelligence. There are so many options for your exotic pet to enjoy this easy DIY cardboard maze.Guinea pigs are entertaining, loving, and inquisitive creatures. Hide treats inside for extra fun.īecause none of the walls are affixed, you can easily “change up” your maze by moving around the walls inside. Reassemble your maze and flip it back over. Make sure the doorways are large enough for your pet to pass through.ġ0. Take the maze apart and cut doorways for each of the holes you marked. Looking at your assembled maze, mark where you want to cut holes with a sharpie or pen.ĩ. You can also put doors on the top of the maze as well.Ĩ. Don’t forget to put doors on the outside edges. On a piece of paper sketch out the grid shape of the maze and mark where you would like to cut doorways. Make additional cuts as needed so the flaps fit evenly.ħ. Assemble the pieces to form a shape like a pound sign or hash tag.

You should make sure your notches align on the same size flaps. Cut a notch along that line to create two notches in each flap to the halfway point. On each mark, use your ruler to measure half the height of the flap and draw a line.Ħ. (Example: if your flap is 30 inches long, you will make a mark at 10 inches and 30 inches, creating three 10″ sections). Make marks on each dividing it into thirds. Measure the length of your long flap and your short flap. You may have to cut a little off the length of the flap so it can fit inside the box easily.ĥ. The flaps should be flush against the edge of the box when placed inside. Measure the flaps against the size of the box and cut off any excess height. Cut the flaps off the top of the box with a box cutter or scissors (a box cutter is usually easier for this step).Ĥ. You should leave the tape that secures the bottom of the box.ģ. Remove any shipping labels, excess tape, and other non-cardboard materials. You can also create multiple floor level mazes that are connected to each other by tunnels or long boxes. Depending on the weight of your pet, you may need to reinforce the levels. Try to avoid boxes with lots of logos or ink that could be toxic to your pet.īonus: If you have multiple boxes that are the same size and a pet that likes to jump or climb (like chinchillas, rabbits, or rats), you can build a multi-level maze. The box should be brown cardboard with no slick printing on it. The flaps will be the walls inside your maze. An ideal box will be at least 2-3 inches taller than your pet and have flaps that are equal to or larger than the height of the box. Find a box that is short (shallow) in a rectangular or square shape. Short square or rectangular box at least 2-3 inches taller than your petġ.
HOMEMADE HAMSTER MAZE HOW TO
How to Build a Cardboard Maze for Small Pets Supplies Needed Once you have the right sized box, it just takes a little bit of time to assemble the maze. This tutorial covers all the steps you need to build a simple and cheap cardboard maze out of found materials. The types of exotic pets that enjoy cardboard mazes include rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and ferrets. Once you’ve built the maze, you’ll enjoy watching your pet run through this DIY cardboard maze as they exercise and play. This is a fun project for kids and adults to do together and it’s extremely affordable as you should have most of the supplies in your home already. Mazes are a fun way to give your exotic and small pets a way to exercise and stimulate their curiosity and their problem-solving skills.
