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Office of Animal Welfare

Environmental Enrichment for Guinea Pigs

​​I. Introduction/Purpose

The goal of environmental enrichment for guinea pigs is to maximize activity while increasing species-specific positive behavior and enhancing the animals’ well-being. The components of environmental enrichment for guinea pigs include social housing, hiding areas, and food treats.

II. Procedures

A. All guinea pigs will be provided with environmental enrichment unless:

  1. The investigator provides scientific justification to the IACUC as to why enrichment is not compatible with the goals of the study and the IACUC approves the variance.
    OR
  2. If, in the opinion of the Attending Veterinarian or designee, environmental enrichment will adversely affect the health or well-being of the animals. ​

A Husbandry Special Services Request form must be completed and turned in by the responsible party (Investigator group or Vet Services) to the facility supervisor if environmental enrichment is to be restricted or absent.

B. Social housing

  1. Adolescents are to be housed in same sex groups.
  2. Adult males are to be housed in breeding groups or with other familiar adult males if breeding is not intended. If there is no familiar adult male available, then adult male guinea pigs must be housed singly to avoid fighting.
  3. Adult females are to be housed in same sex groups, unless pregnant or housed in breeding groups.
  4. Single housed animals will receive extra environmental enrichment in the form of a food puzzle at least once a week.
  5. If fighting occurs between cage mates causing injury, the aggressor should be removed from the group immediately and singly housed. Report injuries to Vet Services.

​C. Hiding areas – Guinea pigs must be provided with hiding areas such as polycarbonate or cardboard huts or tubes.

  1. ​​​​​The cardboard tubes need to be changed with each cage change or more often as needed if tubes are chewed beyond use. The polycarbonate and cardboard tubes/huts need to be changed every 2 weeks or more often if excessively soiled or chewed beyond use.​

D. Food treats

  1. Food treats to be provided 3 times weekly.
  2. Food treats will consist of fresh produce such as apples, carrots, celery and lettuce leaves, as well as hay. Seeds must be removed from apples before being given to guinea pigs.
  3. Once weekly, mouse size paper tubes, hay balls or other approved device filled with hay may also be used as food treats.

E. Implementation of enrichment must be recorded on the daily room log and the environmental enrichment log in the animal housing room.

F. New environmental enrichment items can be added with the approval of the Chair of the Environmental Enrichment Committee and the Attending Veterinarian.

III. References

A. Gresham, V.C. and V.L. Haines. (2012). Management, Husbandry, and Colony Health. In: Suckow, M.A., Stevens, K.A., and R.P. Wilson (Eds). The Laboratory Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Hamster, and Other Rodents, Academic Press, Waltham, pp. 607-608.
B. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., et al. (Eds.) (2007). Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs; Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum, Environmental Enrichment for Guinea Pigs. Washington, DC, Animal Welfare Institute, pp. 87-88
C. https://oacu.oir.nih.gov/system/files/media/file/2023-06/d4_general_species_environmental_enrichment.pdf

IV. Approval/Review Dates

SOP Created: 01/15/2008
Last Reviewed/Revised by the IACUC: ​02/16/2023

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