Guinea Pig or Rat?

[DogFish]

Which is the better pet for 10 year old? In terms of interaction, cuddleyness.
My kids want their own pet, I had mice, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils and hamsters as a kid, and from what I remember and have read guinea pigs and rats make the best first pets. I remember enjoying my rat more than the pig, but I was older when I had the rat.
If you have had both, which would you rather spend time with? Which will interact more with a human, a rat I think?
For those of you who worry, either pet will get a good home with us. We are caring people who are doing our research before we get a pet, and I know as a parent that I will ultimately be responsible for the pets welfare.

 

[Sorrell]

Having had both as a child and as an adult, I think it is truly a toss up. My parents bred guinea pigs when I was growing up and we never had less than 25, but we kept rats as pets as well. Both make excellent first pets I may lean more towards a rat as far as affection. Guinea pigs are also extremely affectionate, but rats are too in a different way. A rat will also sit on your shoulder and such where a guinea pig is more a sitting quietly pet. My only drawback going the other direction would be that rats have about half the lifespan of a guinea. Why not let your child interact with both and see how he/she feels about it?

 

[DogFish]

Thanks Sorrell
That is a really big point that the guinea pig lives longer, my daughter spent several months trying to decide if she wanted a pet that would die in a couple of years. I think we will take your suggestion and visit with both.
Thank you very much.

 

[Sorrell]

Happy to help, it is so good to have people taking time to consider what pet is best for their children and family. It only ensures that the animal will go to a loving home!

 

[appleblossom]

I prefer rats! They are easily trained to sit on your shoulders (and they like to burrow in your hair and climb on your head) so your kids can carry the rats around with them as they walk round the garden, and rats seem to be a lot more interactive with people and less timid than guinea pigs.

I would definitely say rats, but on the othet hand both my rats got cancer after 2 years and had to be put down so maybe that is something you would prefer to avoiud going through. Best of luck with whichever you decide to go for!

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Just wanted to add that guinea pigs need more room than rats and well as being louder.

I love guinea pig squeeks!! Mine are so loud, especially baby Monty. His used to be really quiet now he's the loudest!!

 

[lilmolly]

If you get a g-pig be prepared to get pooped on, ALOT!! You can't hold them without being pooped or peed on like crazy. The rat will do it to but to a far lesser extent. I'd also like to point out that the diet of a g-pig is far more complex than that of a rat. Like someone mentioned before they need a big cage, if they don't get a big enough cage, 2 square feel per cavy, you'll be cleaning that cage out literally everyday. Both rat and cavy make good pets but if you want something with far less maintence go for the rat.

 

[Pointy_kitty]

If you get a g-pig be prepared to get pooped on, ALOT!! You can't hold them without being pooped or peed on like crazy. The rat will do it to but to a far lesser extent. I'd also like to point out that the diet of a g-pig is far more complex than that of a rat. Like someone mentioned before they need a big cage, if they don't get a big enough cage, 2 square feel per cavy, you'll be cleaning that cage out literally everyday. Both rat and cavy make good pets but if you want something with far less maintence go for the rat.

i'd have to disagree with you!
rats, although i love them dearly, are more intelligent then guinea pigs therefore need alot more mental stimulus to keep them happy and healthy, where as guinea pigs are much simpler
as long as you give a guinea pig affection daily and feed them fresh pellets and water each day (and a small serving of fruits/veggi's especially oranges as they need the vitamin C and cannot produce it naturally)
their diet is not complicated
all it takes is a simple list of its diet, all (or most) of which can be found in any home
if they are given daily affection, they are not at all timid, and can actually be simular to a small dog

as for the "using YOU as a toilet"
any experienced guinea pig owner knows that if you pay attention to the guinea pigs body language, they have easy to read signs of when they have to "wee"
even a child can catch when it begins to tense and back up and lift its hiney
you'll find that if you lift it to your shoulder every time this happens and place it back in its cage, then it will quickly learn that jumping to your shoulder will make you take it to its washroom
i have been successfully "litter training" guinea pigs sinse i was 11 and completely new to guinea pigs
they do not need ALOT of space,
if you let them out for a run each day they can get plenty of exercise
this can be done under supervision with a leash, in a secure/grassy area where no large or harmful animals can be found
if that is not an option and you have no yard, then take him/her to a secure room, under supervision (baby proof any electrical cords or small objects/poisonous plants)
close the door and let your little piggy run free
nwe babies (like puppies or any other baby animals) should be expected to have the odd "accident" in the beggining
so don't be discouraged
you can protect your carpets with an old blankey

and lastly as stated abouve, a well cared for guinea pig lives on average 5 years, but can live as long as 8 (a higher average then a rat)

for a child, IMO, your best bet would be a guinea pig
they are very good at teaching children responsibility, and compation for mother earths creatures
they have made me into a good person ( caring, compationate, animal loving, spiritual and happy)


the only negative thing i can say about these little guys is, yes, they can be stinky
but it is worth it
and if their cage is changed every second day, they do not stink at all

 

[jams.alaskan]

A rat! They are wonderful

ALASKA

 

[lilmolly]

I still disagree, not all guinea pigs can be potty trained and they don't always do the backing up and pooing or peeing. Half the time mine will just out of nowhere and I do pay attention. I got my girl potty trained, but the boys won't have any part of it. They also go so much it's hard to be really cuddly with them without a blanket on to protect you. Mine go 2-3 times every 30 seconds. As far as the diet goes, it may not seem complex to you because you've been doing it for so long and it's habit at this point. However, from the stand point of a beginner, it is very complex. Most people don't even realize that they need the extra vitamin C through veges. They don't know about the Timothy or alfalfa hay that's needed at all times. And most don't know that their pellets need to be either alfalfa based or timothy based depending on the age. The average person that goes to get a guinea pig thinks that they can put them with water and food in a small cage and that's the end of it. So when they learn that there is all this stuff that needs to be done to keep them in good health they go into shoak. As far as cage cleaning the average person doesn't want to have to clean their cage out everyday when they could have just bought a bigger one for $30 anyway. C&C cages it's called. www.cavycages.com. It's unfar to the animal to keep them in anything less than 2 square feet per cavy. Even if you take them out of the cage 20 minutes a day, which should be done anyway, the pigs are so much happier when they can run around in a bigger cage during the day when you can't be with them.