We know what you’re thinking. No, you can’t. But believe it or not, guinea pigs are intelligent little animals that can actually be trained to do some basic actions.

They’re not very flexible, so don’t expect your guinea pig to be able to do any tricks like cats and dogs, but they can often come when called and even be trained to use a litter box.

This blog includes some help and advice for those who want to try training their pet to use the litter box.

Guinea pigs can be trained to do things such as use a litter box

Training your guinea pigs requires a lot of patience, but it’s also a lot of fun! Collect some of your guinea pigs’ favourite treats to give them a strong incentive to learn and keep repeating the training for a few weeks to give your pets plenty of practice.

If you want to give it a try, buy a small mammal litter box and put in some bedding into it. Avoid anything like cat litter, as this could be harmful to your pet. Instead, we suggest trying some fresh bedding or putting in some used bedding to make the area smell familiar to your guinea pigs. If you’re training using old bedding, make sure the litter box isn’t so dirty that they won’t want to sit in it. Another tip is that if you’ve noticed your guinea pig likes to do their business in a particular place, then that area may be an excellent spot for your litter box. Less mess and better chances of training!

If you keep an eye on your guinea pig and notice it going in the litter box, then immediately reward it with a treat. This will create an association between using the litter box and being rewarded, which will increase the likelihood that your guinea pig will perform that action again. But bear in mind that some guinea pigs will be smarter than others, so don’t be cross with your pet if it never quite manages the trick.

If you are successful, make sure you tag us in your social posts!