Guinea Pig

[illini]

That's what my son want from Santa for Christmas!! Please talk me into it or out of it. We have 2 Shih tsu's and they are plenty of work themselves. The guinea pig is really the only thing he asked for and he is a really good boy. He is 7 so he could do some of the care for it himself. Help! I am really torn!

 

[Micca]

There have been threads about guinea pigs here before and most people seemed to think they were great pets and a lot of fun.

If you think you can keep a guinea pig safe from the dogs, I think you'd be fine.

 

[MrsPete]

Having owned both types of animals, I'd suggest a hamster instead. They're smaller; thus they live in smaller cages, require less frequent cage cleanings, eat less, and are generally less trouble -- a consideration for a child who's going to learn to care for an animal for the first time. My guinea pigs needed their cage cleaned 2 Xs a week . . . my hamster always "goes" in one spot in a removable portion of the cage; so the main portion of her cage can be cleaned every 2-3 weeks, and the little removable spot is changed about once a week. Big difference in cleaning effort.

Hamsters also move around and "do stuff" more than guinea pigs. They run on their wheels and exercise balls, etc.

If you decide to get a hamster, consider a Teddy Bear hamster (or one of the variations: Black Bear, Panda Bear, Honey Bear -- they're also called Syrian hamsters). They're larger hamsters (easier for kids to hold), and they like people, whereas the dwarves like each other. Dwarf hamsters should be housed in pairs; Teddy Bears are territorial and should be housed individually.

Don't get me wrong: I think guniea pigs are great. I just like the hamsters better!

 

[mominwestlake]

My dd starting asking for a guinea pig when she was about 11. Our home had no pets- only 5 kids. Finally, for her 13th birthday a few Decembers ago, we caved in and bought her a guinea pig and all the necessary items to house a guinea pig from a local pet shop. The piggie was loved and got a lot of attention for about a week. It became my responsibility to clean the cage (must be a larger cage for a g.p.) and make sure dd gave the pig water and food. The pig also required daily fresh veggies. About 2 months later I was walking by the g.p. cage and thought I saw another pair of eyes looking out at me. I stopped and went back to the cage. Lo and behold our piggie had given birth to 2 more little piggies She was purchased pregnant from the pet shop so we got 3 for the price of one. The baby pigs were adorable (born with fur and ready to go) and dd wouldn't let anyone else touch them. Dh wanted to take babies to the pet store but of course the kids HAD to keep them. We needed to go out and buy another cage to separate the mother from her 2 male offspring.

The mother g.p. is now turning 3 years old. She is very sweet and loves to be petted and held. Green beans are her favorite food. I am always yelling at the kids to make sure the pigs have water. I am always heading to the grocery to buy fresh veggies. We seem to go through food and shavings very quickly. The piggies need to go to the pet shop to get their nails trimmed every couple of months.

Would I buy a gp again if I had it to do all over? No!

 

[jrmasm]

We have 2 and I almost bought a third the other night. Luckily he was boy so he didn't come home with us.

Does that tell you anything?

Honestly, they are a little more work that hamsters but I think they're more fun. Our fatties have tons of personality.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Another vote for hamsters. They are so cute and entertaining. But, personally, even though they do tend to do their business in one place, I like to do a complete change every week. If you handle your hamster, they will smell alot fresher.

TC

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We had a guinea pig too. I think their life expectancy is about 4 years average.

I wound up giving the pig most of the care and the cage really does need to be cleaned frequently. The odor is terrible.

Also these are very social animals so they like alot of attention.

Also their teeth are really sharp and my dh used to cut his nails. That was an experience in itself.

Overall it was a good experience but required some time,effort and work. So if you are not up to adding that into your daily routine you might want to consider another type of animal etc.

 

[hiwaygal]

I might be alone in my opinion but a guinea pig is MUCH better than a hamster...especially for a younger child.

Hamsters will bite unless you are conscientious and persistent in training them to be hand held. If a child gets bit once, they will not be too quick to want to handle the hamster again anytime soon. Hamsters WILL try to escape their cages.

Guinea pigs don't bite. I have had a few that would nibble a little...but not bite. They will "sing" and "whistle" and don't try to escape their cages. You can buy little leashes for them so you can take them for "walks" outside. And they are all around more cuddly than a hamster.

As for cleaning...they both were about the same for me. My piggie had a 20 gal aquarium for a home and she liked it just fine. It was easy to clean and keep an eye on her while the cage was being cleaned. With a hamster, you may need a "back-up" cage or ball to keep him in while you are cleaning the cage.

Personally, I think the guinea pig is the much better choice.

 

[mominwestlake]

While I don't like the added work and added expense of the guinea pigs, I also agree they are a better choice than a hamster. We can let our guinea pig out to walk around the floor. If we did that with a hamster, it would be lost in no time. Our piggies love attention and love to be brushed. Our piggies don't bite. The sounds they make are pretty cute. They also have learned the sound of my dd10's voice and they get so excited when she talks to them.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I never thought I'd like a Guinea Pig, until I worked with a bunch of them (I was a lab assistant for a year). Theyr're affectionate and responsive. They're generally clean (most litter in one corner of their cage without needing to be taught to do so). They aren't that expensive or difficult to care for. I personally think it would make an excellent "starter pet" for kids. Mind you, it's really going to be your pet and your responsibility no matter what, so that's one thing that must be kept in mind.

 

[Creativebeth]

I love my piggies. We have 3 boys and my sons love them. I have 2 sons ages 10 and 12. Piggies make great pets, but they like to be together. They are very social animals and it's said they do better if there is at least 2 of them. They need a big area to live and we built and custom pen with signage material and buildable crate wire.

We also have a hamster, who is very loved. She is very entertaining! But, she of course is nocturnal so we only hold her in the evening after she wakes up. If you wake them early, they are not very happy and can bite.

My vote would be for a guinea pig. I have to clean their pen 1 X a week, and they don't smell in that weeks time.

Beth