# thoughts on guinea pigs?



## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

I was just wondering if anyone here has guinea pigs? I am considering getting some but was not sure about how great of pets they were!


----------



## AnnabellasMomma (Oct 30, 2012)

I love skinny pigs which is just a hairless guinea pig


----------



## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

My former roommate has one. Sweet little animals and similar housing to hedgies. I probably wouldn't go for one because at that point I'd get a ferret lol. I've just been through so many rodents at this point :lol:

What sort of things are you looking for in a small pet? I don't think quineas are very cuddly (at least not the ones I've babysat) so if you're looking for cuddly they might not be it.



AnnabellasMomma said:


> I love skinny pigs which is just a hairless guinea pig


Skinnies are so cool :lol:


----------



## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

I was looking for something that's very affectionate and cuddly. Ollie is a lovely hedgie and loves to explore but isn't to fond of the cuddles :lol:


----------



## PrincessK (Oct 25, 2012)

Make sure you handle them before committing... I wanted one for a long time, but when I visited a neighbour's I found out that I'm very very allergic! But for that family it was a good pet, though not very cuddly


----------



## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

Have you considered a ferret? They're much more affectionate, but require training like a puppy might and need consistent cleaning to keep their odor down.


----------



## Kam (Nov 7, 2012)

I will admit that they are not my favorite pocket pet, I would get a rat or rabbit over a guinea pig any day, but that's me.
They are very vocal, which can be very cool.
They secret a grease from their rump, so regular bathing is needed.
They can have quite cool hair, in every length.
They eat a lot, it amazed me how much food a guinea pig can eat and waste they can produce, eat, poop, squeal.
Very social critter though.


----------



## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

My sister had a guinea pig when we were kids (I had a hamster). It reminds me smell wise of a ferret and it went wherever it felt like going and then rested in it. They are very vocal and can be quite good for a bonding pet, but in my experiances, they are quite messy and the smell is aquired. They also do best in pairs, for they are very social animals (unlike hedgehogs)


----------



## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

Ferrets seem cool but I don't think they are the best fit for me. they seem very playful and sweet but from my experience with my friends ferret, not right for me. but maybe that was just her ferrets personality :lol: I'm actually considering rats. My cousin has owned a few and has loved them. I'm not so sure about guinea pigs now. It seems like either you love guinea pigs or you don't. From what I have heard about rats everyone who gets one seems to fall in love with them. They are also very intelligent and can be taught tricks and what not. I also think it would be a bit easier to convince my mom of a rat or guinea pig over a ferret. I also have heard from a lot of people that ferrets smell? thank you everyone for your tips! they are all so helpful! have any of you had experience with rats?


----------



## jholstein11 (Dec 13, 2012)

we used to have one, but we had to rehome her... my son was allergic, like a cat.


----------



## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

between the piggy and the rat, go for the rat  So much more interactive. But they do need to be kept in multiples. I think g-pigs like to be kept in groups as well.
Yeah ferrets have a rep for bad smell; neutering and removal or scent glands as well as regular cage cleaning prevents smell problems.

I think people use fleece for most of these animals, which I can definitely appreciate.


----------



## Kam (Nov 7, 2012)

Rats can be fun, for a pet that you can get for under 10$ and house easily under 50$, they are super intelligent, sociable and friendly.
They don't have a long life span at 2-3 years but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
They do have strong smelling urine, I clean my rat cage out every 2-3 days, rats can keep themselves very clean if you keep their house clean.

One note, if you do get a rat DO NOT feed it junk food or meat, it can increase aggression.


----------



## aydree (Oct 19, 2012)

I agree with kam although I never had increased aggression due to meat or junk food. The life span thing is something I dealt with two times around and after that i decided i just couldn't do it again. You are most likely going to fall in love. At most pet stores you can hold the rats without intention to buy one if you want to try it out. I lived away from home when I had rats but when i went to visit my dad he noticed a smell. So definitely clean it often. Get a pair, and try handling some before committing. They can scratch when running around your neck and if they are running around your room for play time you might end up with some areas of chewed carpet. Definitely chewed wires, etc anything really so watch them carefully and rat proof. As for indescion i would research all of them extensively, see which one is right for your lifestyle and your parents, try and do some handling, if not at a pet store try posting a ad to see if you can hangout with someone's guinea pig or rat to make sure. As for convincing your parents I wouldn't push them too far unless you have a stable job and can afford vet bills


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------

