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Why do Guinea Pigs Flip Their House?

Why do Guinea Pigs Flip Their House

If you have a guinea pig, you are probably used to some of their strange behavior. From sleeping with their eyes open, to constantly having to chew something, you are probably wondering what causes a guinea pig to do these kinds of behavior. The topic of today’s discussion will be focusing on why guinea pigs flip their houses over. We hope you enjoy, and let us know down in the comments if you have any questions about other stranger guinea pig behavior.

Why do guinea pigs flip their house?

Whether a hut, pigloos, or shack, guinea pigs commonly flip their house. The main reason guinea pigs flip their houses is because they are interior decorators, evolution, and boredom. 

Interior Decorators

It sounds funny, but guinea pigs are actually committed interior decorators. They will commonly push around objects in the cage in order to make a new look. Guinea pigs will also move around toys, beds, and flip their houses to better fit their style. They may be trying to move the house to a more convenient spot, such as near the water bottle or near food. If you are looking for someone to help spice up your own room, you should maybe reach out to your guinea pig for some ideas.

Evolution

Another reason guinea pigs flip their houses is because of evolution. Although guinea pigs are safe in their house while in their cage, this was not the case when they lived in the wild. Since guinea pigs are prey animals, they were constantly having to hide from predators such as cats or other rodent hunters. This meant that they couldn’t stay in one spot too long, because their scent might give them away. Therefore, guinea pigs would often move their houses around in order to stay hidden from their predators. 

Boredom

Lastly, guinea pigs will flip their house when they are bored. As you might expect, life can get pretty boring for a guinea pig, and sometimes the only thing to do for stimulation is to flip their house. For this reason, we recommend taking your guinea pig out of the cage frequently to play with it. The more you play with your guinea pig, the less bored they will be in the cage. This will most likely deter them from flipping their house. Boredom is another common reason guinea pigs chew cardboard.

Best guinea pig houses ever

Below are some of our favorite guinea pig houses. Our personal favorite is the guinea pig castle house.

Guinea pig castle house

Niteangel Wood House with Window

Piggies Choice The Space House All Natural Large Wooden Corner Hideout

Should I be worried if my guinea pig is flipping their house?

No, there is no reason to be worried if your guinea pig is flipping their house. As we explained above, this is natural behavior for guinea pigs. The only time where it can be dangerous is if your have a plastic house, and they flip it over in order to chew on it. Plastic can be very dangerous if consumed by your guinea pig. If you notice your guinea pig chewing on their house, you should try to put food in the opposite corner of the cage to distract them. Another option is to try and pin down the house to the cage so that it can’t be flipped.