GP + water bottle = mess!

Rogue is not my first GP. I've had four others, but I have never had the problem with the water bottles that he causes! He is making me nut. He has a quart bottle and if I fill it he has it emptied on the bottom of his cage by sundown, and he's wading. I've put a small plastic tray in there to catch at least some of the drips and weighted it, and put some paper towels in to soak it up but it still goes everywhere.

We've changed bottles to the Lixix leakproof and it's even worse. He loves that little metal bar thingy to play with!

I'm getting him some toys, but does anyone have suggestions before he drives me out of my gourd? I'm changing his cage twice a day as it is.:yuck:

it's not your guinea pig's fault, it's the bottle. They're crap!

My piggy's water bottle does the same. I think we went through at least 10. You have to close them in a certain way or they leak or no water comes out.:mad: So frustrating!!

and the metal ball in there he's supposed to play with or no water would come out. The ball is "supposed" to stop dripping:rolleyes: but it makes it worse.

Try moving the bottle more upright if the bottle is leaking on its own.Get a brick to put directly under the water bottle.The brick will absorb water and may help a little to keep your little buggers nails trimmer longer.Another male friend might help him with his boredom!Good luck.:crazy:

LOL I thought you were talking about a German Pointer until I saw the forum title. :laughing: (What's she doing with a GP in a cage with a water bottle? :D)


Yeah, the ones with the ball have to be sort of leaning forward, not backward so the ball is really pulled down into the opening thingy... But they're pretty crap. :o My rat's was tiny and he managed to get water everywhere or not get water at all....:rolleyes:

LOL @ the German Pointer!

Yeah my Rogue loves the water bottles with the ball... and those are junk. They leak so bad!

So I went out an invested in a Lixit leakproof bottle.
http://www.lixit.com/products/disp_prod.asp?id=351
It has an entirely different valve that has this little piece of metal sticking out, and he likes playing with it even more!:frustrated: It does stick upright. It has a different way to attach it to the cage.

The other bottle we had did leak some. The new one doesn't but he gets the water out even easier, so it's twice the mess! I end up putting just about a half cup in four times a day and still most of it ends up on the floor of the cage.

I have used a brick with my rats... and that is a nice way to keep their nails down and keep him out of the mess. I wonder if I put it in a dish of some sort, if that would keep the drip off the bedding? Good idea. Thanks, Rainy!

http://www.petsolutions.com/Critter+Canteen-I-45161951-I-C-40001982-C-.aspx

We have a "Critter Canteen" like the ones in the website above. It was cheap and does not leak at ALL no matter which way they are tilted. They are spring loaded so the rodent has to push a little bit harder on the ball but our rabbit has no trouble with the biggest one and I doubt a smaller rodent would have a problem with the smallest.

Thanks for the suggestion, but that is what the last one was that he had... and it is actually slightly better than the Lixit.

The bottle is not leaking.

He obsessively plays with either the ball or the little metal lever, whichever it is.... and lets the water just run down his neck and all over the floor while he's doing it, and it is a mess!

I am going on a hunt for a small waterproof tray or dish today to fill with stoned or tiles or something to keep him out of the water runoff so that he doesn't go around wet half the day.