How to Potty Train a Guinea Pig

Last Updated: March 24, 2023 Approved

Guinea pigs are adorable, fun animals that enjoy time inside and outside their cages. To help keep your pet's cage and play areas more hygienic, you may want to potty train her. Like many animals, guinea pigs can be potty trained with patience and attentiveness. If you follow a few simple steps, you can potty train your guinea pig at any age.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Training Your Guinea Pig in Her Cage

1
Observe your guinea pig. Before you put a litter box in your guinea pig's cage, you need to watch her to see where she normally goes to the bathroom. Guinea pigs like to scent mark their territory, so your guinea pig will likely scope out a corner of her cage to pee and poop in regularly.
- Although there is one corner where she will go most often, this does not mean she will always go in this corner. Just pick the place she frequents the most.
2
Buy a litter tray. Once you have figured out the best location for your guinea pig's litter box, you need to buy a tray that will fit nicely in that corner. Pick one that is the right size for the cage as well as one that will be comfortable for your guinea pig. You don't want it to be too small because then she won't have enough room to sit and go to the potty.
- You can buy small litter trays at your local pet store that are for small rodents.
- You also need to put in brand new bedding. Otherwise, she will smell her old pee and might want to go there.^{[1]
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3
Prepare the litter tray. The litter tray needs to be filled with the same kind of bedding that you keep in your guinea pig cage. Although it is called a litter tray, the substance used for the tray is not what is typically considered litter but is just the same hay or straw that you keep in your guinea pig cage. You should take a handful or two from the cage where she has already pooped and peed and lay that in the litter tray at first. Then you should set the tray in the cage that you picked earlier.
- Using hay at first that has already been soiled will lead her to the tray because her scent will be all over it.
- The kinds of bedding that work great for guinea pigs are aspen, wood pulp, hay, and straw. There are also different varieties of litter pellets and bedding that have been vet recommended as well. Never buy cedar or corn cob for your guinea pig because they are toxic.
- Don't put her food and water near or in the litter box. She will not like to potty where she eats.
- You can also put a little bit of eating straw in her litter tray as well so she will feel comfortable in there and might be able to munch a little while she goes to the bathroom.^{[2]
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4
Watch her behavior. Once you place the tray in her cage, watch to see if she uses it. Since it smells like her and is in a familiar location, she should use it most of the time. If you find that she doesn't use it, you might have to take it out and try again. There might be something wrong with the tray that is deterring her from using it.
- When you see her using her litter box, give her a treat. This will encourage her behavior and make her want to use it more so you will give her more treats.^{[3]
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- If the sides on the litter tray look too big for her, you should use sharp scissors or a small saw or knife and cut the excess edge off. This will make it short enough for her to get into the tray.
5
Keep up the litter tray. You should only clean out the litter tray every three days or so. You can dump out what is in the litter tray and replenish it with new litter. You should only wash the tray every other week. This will make sure that her smell will remain on the tray and she will likely go back to it.
- You should use a litter that is best for guinea pigs. If you aren't sure what to use, ask at your local pet store or vet's office.
6
Be patient. Although most guinea pigs will learn to use a litter tray most or all of the time, some guinea pigs might never learn to use it. Keep trying to get your guinea pig to use the tray, but even if she only uses it half the time, that is that much less you have to clean up out of her cage.
- Never punish your guinea pig or yell at her. She doesn't understand why she needs to go to the potty in the same place all the time. Encourage good behavior, but don't try punishment. It doesn't work on guinea pigs.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Training Your Guinea Pig in the House

1
Start small. Once you have trained your guinea pig in her cage, you may want to train your guinea pig outside of her cage during playtime. Start somewhere small. It needs to be an area that you can control easily and where you can keep an eye on her. You should make sure there aren't any small vents that she can run into without getting out.
- A bathroom or hallway is a great place to start. They are small, have few wires that are close to the ground, and have very few places for your guinea pig to hide. This will help keep her safe and help you keep track of her while still allowing her to exercise.^{[5]
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2
Lay out her litter tray. You need to pick a dark, out of the way corner of the room to place her litter tray. This will encourage her to seek that corner out and use it to potty. Since this will be the only thing that has her smell on it, she will be able to find it, no matter which corner you put it in.
- Try to leave some litter in it that has already been used. This way it will feel like her territory.
- If you want, you can let her loose for a little while first to see which corner she prefers to go to the potty and then place her litter tray there.^{[6]
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3
Cover up the remaining corners. Guinea pigs like to use the potty in dark corners away from other things, just like they do in their cages. To help persuade your guinea pig to use the corner where you placed her tray, you need to cover up the remaining corners so she cannot run there to potty.
- If she has no other dark corner to pee or poop in, she will be more likely to use her litter tray in the other corner.
- If you want to, you can also place a newspaper around the room in case she has an accident. This will make it easier to clean up.^{[7]
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4
Expand the area. Once your guinea pig gets used to the area, you can expand it a little at a time. Since she should already know where her litter tray is, she should use it even though her play area is bigger. Just make sure you keep wires off the floor and hard to reach hiding spaces covered so you don't injure or lose your guinea pig.
- Just like with training in the cage, do not scold her if she uses the bathroom somewhere else. You can reward her when she goes in her litter tray, which will be a positive reminder to use the area.^{[8]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

My guinea pig doesn't like his litter. He will sit in it and then use his bed. What am I doing wrong?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

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It sounds as if the guinea pig doesn't realize what the litter pan is for. If he is patterned on toileting in a particular location (his bed) try moving the litter tray there. Alternatively, put some of the soiled bedding in the litter box to give him the idea this is a toilet area after all.
Question

How often should I clean my guinea pig's cage?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

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It's essential that bedding is dry under foot at all times. Spot-clean daily, scooping out soiled bedding and replenishing with dry, fresh material. Do the same for the litter box. In addition, clean the entire hutch once a week, removing everything, wiping down and disinfecting the surfaces and replenishing the bedding with fresh.
Question

Should I remove clean bedding from the cage while litter training a guinea pig?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

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No. Leave the rest of the cage as it is normally. Most guinea pigs chose a toilet corner, so you can encourage use of the tray by siting it there. If, despite attracting her to that spot by seeding it with pee and poop, training isn't going well, then consider using a litter substrate that is different from their regular bedding so that they understand this spot is 'different.'