Guinea pigs?? My kids have been asking for them and I’ve been doing my research on them and they seem like a lot of work?! Moms who have/had them is it worth it? They say they’ll help take care of them etc but we also know how kids can be. Any advice/suggestions thanks!
I got my 4 and 6 year old
Guinea pigs to teach them about the lessons of taking care of animals. It taught them a lot!! They lived to be older than 6 years old! We got them as babies and handled them a lot so they were well mannered. They recently passed, so it taught them the life lesson of a pet passing as well. They learned no animal is “easy” and each is a commitment.
I don’t regret the decision ever.
Depends on the age of the children. I got guinea pigs for myself and personally wouldn’t recommend for children. They were A LOT for me. I wouldn’t recommend any rodents really as they’re more nocturnal.
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It depends on the age and the child. If you think your child is willing to stick to the plan and follow through with helping with the care then it can be very rewarding. But don’t do it unless you’re ok with taking over everything if you know your child will opt out.
I bought my kids 2 when covid hit. We ended up with 7 total. Biggest mistake ever. I did everything for them. Cleaned the cage etc. Finally got rid of the last 2 before Christmas. Glad to be rid of them
I’ve had just about every rodent growing up as a kid, piggies are fun, but just like any animals, there are ‘faults’. The best pet I’ve had in the rodent family (for me anyways) was a rat. They are extremely smart, can be trained, and can be very affectionate. Both need/deserve love, attention, time, work etc. Just make sure you have the time for them and any of them make great pets
My oldest has 2 and she loves them. She’s also going to be entering 4h with one of them. But ultimately it depends on the maturity of the child and whether they can handle it. Be prepared to care for them alone. They do get stinky and their cage has to be cleaned often. They do best with other guinea pigs rather than alone and need their nails trimmed, hay changed daily and lots of love.
Guinea pigs need to be bought in pairs, and to prevent animal abuse, you need a pen ALOT larger than what your local pet store sells, so they have room to actually move around. They are a commitment so please THOROUGHLY research before you get them
I’ve had guinea pigs, hamsters, mice. I personally wouldn’t have rodents because the cage is a pain to clean. I prefer dogs. Cost more but you get so much from a dog.
My 11 and 15 year old have a guinea pig and they love him he’s not much work I don’t think anyways the 15 year old cleans his cage once a week. They take turns feeding him my 11 year old normally feeds him in the morning before school and my oldest feeds him his grain and greens at night and we give him hay everyday along with fresh water changes everyday. My husband deals with clipping the nails just because they are so small edited to add yes I know they do better In pairs but ours we can’t put with another one because he is a bully and will beat up any cage mates that he has that’s how we got him in the first place was because he was beating up his cage mates at my husband’s old job