do guinea pigs make good pets for kids

shan · 06-27-2005, 09:13 AM

Im thinking of buying my 8 year old a guinea pig,she is good with animals,and gentle natured. Do they make good pets for kids.Overall are they friendly,do they like lots of attention,do they tend to bite? Oh, how smelly are they,lol?Im tossed between a guinea pig and a hamster. We had a hamster a few years ago,so Im familiar with them.

Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Shan

jennawing · 06-27-2005, 09:42 AM

Guinea pigs are usually recommended to be kept in same-sex pairs- as they get lonely easily. For a child, I would get sows, as males have some personal area cleaning isues a child would not be comfortable with. Guinea pigs need fresh veggies twice a day- so tht can get expensive. They need large and roomy cages (store bought cages no where near big enough- see cavycages.com) so she would need room for atleast a 60x30inch cage for two guinea pigs. They eat hay- and that can get all oer the place. Their cages need changing about twice a week or they DO get smelly. Regular bedding is expensive for such a large cage, and I use layer of towels and fleece fabric- which have to be washed after each use. They will need their nails trimmed about once a month- which is a two-person job. In other words, there is really no way a child could take care of guinea pigs on their own without adult help.

As far a behavior goes- guinea pigs tend to run and npt want to be picked up. Sometimes it can take months to teach them to come to you or to stand still to be lifted. They usually do not bite- their nature is to run not fight- but they can give little warning nips if they want down or don't like the way they are being handled, etc.

Guinea pigs make the cutest noises, they love brushing and petting and get so excited over the site of a carrot they start to whistle. They run around and do funny little jumps in the air we GP people call popcorns. They love to be snuggled and can be quite calm while held- unless they have to pee!

S0- there are all the ggod and bad and in between things about guinea pigs. It really would depend on how much you are willing to be a part of it and how gentle and patient you daughter is. I think she would get more enjoyment out of pigs than a hamster- but there will also be more work involved.

Mollymitten · 06-27-2005, 12:16 PM

Personally I prefer piggies to hamsters. They are all very cute, but hamsters just want out of their cage - the ones we have had were total escape artists, and it just broke my heart to see their desparate attempts to get out. My piggies seem quite content to sit in their cage and eat..and eat.... lol. For a young child I would also recommend a piggie or piggies - they do get lonely, so a couple would be better, as Jennawing says - they are slightly less active than hammies and are easier to pet.

shan · 06-27-2005, 12:42 PM

I did a bit more research, talked to a breeder,and went shopping. We now have a female(i think). She has long hair,mostly white with some black and brown.She seems to be very tame, and is letting us pick her up and pet her with no problems. One conecern that I have is that she sneezed 3 times. Should I be worried? Im sure my daughter will be fine with Winnie(is what i think she has named her). And both my hubby and I will be helping with her.
Thanks for your quick replies
Shan

jennawing · 06-27-2005, 02:49 PM

Sneezing could be a bedding allergy- what bedding are you using? It could also be stress. Have you got a scale? You will want to weigh her weekly at first to be sure she is putting on weight and growing. Losing weight is the clearest sign that something is wrong. How old is she? If you take a picture of her bottom, I could probably tell you the sex. It's usaully not hard- females look like a Y and males look like an i. Anything else you need to know, just ask. Here are some good links on piggies- stuff every piggy owner must know!

FOOD LIST (aka food bible!)
http://www.petwebsite.com/topic.asp?...gs+%2D+General

http://www.guinealynx.info/sexing.html
http://guinealynx.com/
http://www.kmshayloft.com/

http://www.oginet.com/pgurney/

http://www.petwebsite.com/article_re...0Guinea%20Pigs

If it turns out you have a boar, I will give you some more esential links for boar care.

katescritters · 06-27-2005, 03:42 PM

I highly recommend guinea pigs as children's pets (that and rats)

They very rarely bite, and are easy to hold and carry around. They also live two or three times longer than a hamster.

The bad things about them are: They do smell, moreso than a hamster, because they urinate a LOT. They tend to kick their back feet like a rabbit when being picked up and put back into their cage. The claws are fairly easy to avoid, but if a kid is scratched, their natural reaction is to drop the animal....and for a guinea pig, that will mean death.

Piggies are very easy to house, because they can't climb or jump. A large rubbermaid with the lid off makes a great single pig home. Pigs like to eat veggies from your hand while sitting on your lap, which is particulalry fun for children. When they see you coming, they squeek to you in greeting, which is a lot more than a hamster will do.

Lilia · 06-27-2005, 03:48 PM

I personally would never get my child a guinea pig as a pet until they are at least 12 years old, but you said your daughter was very into animals so if she understand how much work a guinea pig is and is willing to take on the responsibilty I say get her one (which you already did)I would love to see picture sof the Guinea Pig too!

jennawing · 06-27-2005, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katescritters

They do smell, ... A large rubbermaid with the lid off makes a great single pig home.

That's why they are smelling- not enough ventilation- and nowhere to go to escape stewing in their own pee. A single pig needs 7.5 sq ft of living space= not something you're going to find made by rubbermaid.

shan · 06-27-2005, 11:26 PM

Our first day has went well.My daughter is very good with Winnie. I appreciate all the helpful suggestions. I havent noticed anymore sneezing, however her fur is matted, so tonight I brushed some of the matts out,and had to cut some of the others out. Tomorrow I will try to get the rest. I have read alot about what they should have in there diet,except I dont think she was given any fruits and veggies by the looks of things at the pet store...she didnt even have hay...grrrr. So, I have only given her a small slice of an apple and a small slice of a carrot,along with her pellets and timothy hay.Im worried that to much at once will give her the runs. Any suggestions as to what I should be starting her off on, and how much. I also tried to post a pic of her, but it isnt working for me. She is very sweet looking... I love her long hair and baby blue eyes. I didnt realize that I would like gps this much,lol.
Shan

jennawing · 06-28-2005, 12:20 AM

Glad to hear things are going well. Unfortunately, most pet stores will not feed pigs or rabbits hay and veggies- and without any competition, it may be hard to get her to eat very much veggies. You want to concentrate on greens- romaine lettuce is a common favorite. You may have to chop things small, try shreddd carrots, that sort of thing to get her interested. You are wise to start them slowly- introduce one food at a time- especially when it comes to more acidic things like apples or gassy things like brocolli- as you want to be sure how it will effect ehr. The food list I gave you above has all the appropriate warning about which can cause gas and which may cause mouth sores, etc. Do you know how old Winnie is? If she is under six months, she will benefit from alfalfa hay- it will give her the added calcium to help her bones grow strong. They really are amazing and darling creatures- I am glad you and your daughter are falling in love with her so easily!