Having pets that can be litter box trained is a relief for every pet owner. It’s common to see people potty training their cats and dogs.
Since guinea pigs pee and poop quite a lot, you might be wondering, can guinea pigs be litter box trained?
Here’s a quick answer – YES. Interestingly, guinea pigs are smart pets, and they can be litter box trained. Nonetheless, it’s not a quick process.
It needs time and patience to litter box train your guinea pigs.
Now that you know guinea pigs can be potty trained, you might want to know how long it takes to train a guinea pig?
Let’s find out!
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How Long Does It Take to Potty Train Guinea Pigs?
Training guinea pigs is a long process and might take a couple of days or weeks. On average, you need to be consistent with their litter box training for 1-2 weeks to see them responding to it.
Nonetheless, the potty training time for a guinea pig can be different from others.
The reason is the different learning capabilities of guinea pigs. While some guinea pigs are quick learners, others may take time and effort to learn a new skill.
Therefore, some guinea pigs can show positive results in just a couple of days of training.
Now that you know how long it takes to litter train guinea pigs, it’s important to know how to litter box train them.
How to Litter Box Train a Guinea Pig?
Training your guinea pigs can be challenging. But don’t worry, here are 7 simple steps to litter-box train your guinea pig:
Step 1: Find Out Where Your Cavy Likes to Pee or Poop
The first step is to observe your guinea pig carefully for a few days. It will help you learn about its peeing and pooping schedule.
You will also get to know your pet’s preferred area for eliminating by keeping an eye on it.
Most guinea pigs have a fixed place inside their cage or enclosure where they relieve themselves. Some may even eliminate at 2-3 different spots or corners of their cage.
Therefore, it’s important to get familiar with your pet’s pooping behavior to litter box train it.
Pro Tip: You can get an idea of your pet’s eliminating spot while cleaning the cage.
Usually, the corner or spot where there are more droppings is the place where your pet is likely to poop and urinate almost every time.
Step 2: Place a Litter Box Inside the Cage
The next step is to set up a litter box inside your pet’s cage. Once you know the spot your pet likes to eliminate, you can easily place a litter box there to train your pet to use it.
If your pet eliminates at more than one place, you can place a litter box in all the corners.
Make sure the litter box is of the perfect size. It should have enough space for your pet to fit inside it. Also, the sides of the box should be low for your pet to get in and out without any problem.
Step 3: Put Litter in the Litter Box
Now you need to put high-quality litter in the litter box. You can get an organic litter from a nearby pet store and fill it inside the litter box.
Please make sure the litter material is different from the bedding of the cage. This will help your pet to differentiate between the litter box from the rest of the area.
Step 4: Encourage Your Pet to Use the Litter Box
Now, it’s time to encourage your little pet to use it. You can place a hay bowl near the litter box to attract your guinea pig to climb in the box.
Place some toys inside the cage and leave your pet with hay for some hours inside the cage.
Some guinea pigs might use the box right away, but some may take time to get familiar with the whole setup.
In case your pet poops or urinates outside the box, put some urine-soaked straw or droppings in the litter box. It will help guinea pigs get to the box the next time by smelling the waste.
Moreover, your pet will likely use the box this time because of the smell.
Take Note: Do not clean up the litter box immediately during the training phase. It would help if you left the box as it is for at least 24 hours.
The smell of the unclean box will help your pet to identify and reach the same spot for relieving itself.
Step 5: Reward Your Pet On Using the Litter Box
It’s always an excellent decision to reward your pet if it starts using the box. Rewarding your pet will motivate it to repeat the same behavior.
Step 6: Never Scold Your Guinea Pig
Avoid scolding your guinea pig if it doesn’t use the litter box. It can scare your pet for life to use the litter box.
As a result, you will be unable to potty train your furry pet for the rest of its life.
Step 7: Repeat the Steps
Being consistent is an important part of potty training guinea pigs. You need to keep repeating the given steps until your pet masters the skill of peeing and pooping inside the litter box.
Don’t be impatient and leave the training in between.
Here are some steps you need to follow once your pet gets potty trained…
Step 1: Clean the Litter Box Regularly
Guinea pigs are naturally clean pets, and they will not poop in a dirty litter box. Therefore, you should clean the litter box regularly once your guinea pig learns to use it.
It’s advisable to change the litter daily or once every three days.
Step 2: Don’t Get Angry If Your Pet Miss To Use the Litter Box At Times
Accept that your guinea pig might not always use the litter box to eliminate. It’s completely fine as long as your pet makes use of the box often.
You shouldn’t get angry with your pet if he dirties the cage at times.
Now that you know how to potty train your pet, you might want to know the benefits of litter training your pet. Let’s find out in the next section.
Benefits of Litter Box Training Your Guinea Pigs
Below are the 2 most important benefits of litter box training your guinea pigs:
Makes Cage Cleaning Easier
On average, guinea pigs pee 15 times a day and poop around 100 times a day. Since guinea pigs eliminate this often, it’s likely for the cage to get dirty every now and then.
However, litter training your pets will not only keep the cage clean but will also save your time and effort to clean it by making cleaning easier.
Clean Cage Is Hygenic
As mentioned earlier, potty training your pets will keep the cage a lot cleaner than before. In fact, a clean cage is more hygienic and safe for your pet’s health and wellbeing.
As you noticed, there are quite a few benefits of potty training your pets. Given all the benefits, you might be excited to know how to make a litter box for guinea pigs?
How to Make a Guinea Pig Litter Box?
You can save quite a few dollars by learning to make a DIY litter box. It’s pretty easy to make a litter box for your guinea pigs at home.
Let’s learn the two-step process to make a litter box for your pet!
Step 1: Find a Tray
The first step is to take an old tray from your kitchen. Make sure the tray is big enough for your pet. Always choose a plastic tray as it will not flip.
Also, ensure that the sides of the tray are smooth and not too high for your pet to climb.
Step 2: Put Litter in the Tray
The last step is to cover the tray with litter. You can use paper-based or organic litter as it is eco-friendly and easy to dispose of. And that’s all! Isn’t it simple?
Related Questions on Potty Training
Can Guinea Pigs Be Litter Box Trained in their Cage?
Yes, guinea pigs can be litter box trained in their cage. It’s always good to potty train your guinea pigs in their cage.
Litter box training your guinea pigs can help in keeping your cage clean. In addition, it will keep your pet stay healthy!
Can Older Guinea Pigs be Litter Trained?
Although older guinea pigs can be litter trained, it will take it longer to potty train them. Just like humans, animals too pick up new skills quickly when they are young.
The older your pet gets, the more it develops the habit of relieving itself wherever it feels like. Hence, it will take time to make your pet get rid of its old habit.
What Do You Put in a Guinea Pig Litter Box?
Your pet’s litter box should contain high-quality and pet-friendly litter that is not only easy to dispose of but also absorbs nasty smells.
Besides litter, it’s always a good idea to keep a pile of hay in your pet’s litter box to make it keep coming back to the box whenever required.
In addition, you can put a water bowl, pellets, and fleece in the box.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we have learned the steps to litter box train a guinea pig. Litter box training a guinea pig is a long process and requires effort and patience.
It usually takes a couple of days or weeks to potty train your guinea pig. However, the time taken to litter box train your pet can change from guinea pig to guinea pig.
This article is a great place to start if you are looking to potty train your pet or learn to make a DIY litter box.
Feel free to share this article if you find it helpful!