[Gpdd] CARE: toys!!!

[Michelle Melaragno]

	I have tried many things for toys for my piggies!  Of course, I
went the expensive route and bought piggie specific toys...they were
largely ignored!  Then I bought some bird specific toys...the ones made
of the very hard plastic and no parts that can be dangerous.  So far,
the favorites are the little hanging mirrors with the bell, the links of
plastic chain that are flavored, and any other hanging plastic links.
The chain is especially fun for them...several times a day, I see one
pig grab one set of links and another pig grab the other.  Each of them
whips their head around (imagine the rope wave action here) and the
links bang together!  What fun they have!  A MUCH cheaper alternative to
the hanging links at a pet store are something very similar at a store
like Babies-R-Us!  Pet store = $5.99 for a string of 6 links...baby
store = $4.99 for 36 links!!! I have also used plastic cat toys with the
bells in them.  I have decided that I should frequent many yard sales
this spring to find discarded childrens toys (safety first, of course!)
When the boys I work with get rid of their old toys, they ask me if I
want any for guinea pig toys!  Any of the hard plastic toys (without the
little screws) are great, and they are easy to clean...I just throw them
into the dishwasher!  Paper bags are always a hit...the ones that are
used for ice cream work really well!  Of course, the best and cheapest
toys are the TP tubes cut lengthwise and in half, balls of crumpled up
heavy paper...grocery bags work well.  A recent "find" was at Wal-mart.
In the aisle where there are lots of storage ideas like stacking &
hanging shelves, I found some plastic trays that can be stacked.  They
are lower on one of the long sides and have "air-holes" all around the
other sides.  Placed upside down it makes a great little cave AND shelf
to jump on to ambush ones cage-mate!!  Some furniture making stores have
barrels full of discarded wooden doorknobs...just string together a
bunch of different shaped pieces and hang to make a great toy that my
GP's love to head-but!  I think they like the sound it makes!  Home
Depot has the wide PVC pipe pieces...the elbow is a favorite to race
through.  A few of mine like popsicle sticks because they still have
some flavoring!  (Actually, 3 of my pigs LOVE the popsicles, though I
only give them a small taste!)  I think toys can only be limited by our
own imagination (and our piggies, because they all have different ideas
of what it fun for them!)  Just walking around stores like the ones I
mentioned gave me several ideas.  Does anyone else have any unusual
finds???  It amazes me when people come in to see my rescue pigs and are
surprised to find so many toys available for the piggies.  They really
have no idea how playful these guys are.  Sorry so long, but this IS a
VERY important topic!!!  
~Michelle and the Elite Eighteen, plus the 6 cats, 1 horse, 8 sheep and
my pregnant Portuguese Water Dog!!