Any of you familiar with or have a guinea pig? Are guinea pigs safe for kids to have as pets? My daughter's NaNa has gotten her one and I am not too sure about it. Thanks!
They are great little pets. Here is some info on them. http://www.raleighrodentrescue.org/guineapig-care.html How old is your daughter? If she is young, the piggy will probably be yours to take care of.
I hope your conure is quieter than the two we fostered for a while, they came close to becoming "nuggets". Years ago my wife worked in a pet store and we inherited all the animals no one would buy! :shock:
Those little buggers BITE, Harley's right! Hampsters tend to bite more often, but if you scare a GP or if it's unsure, it'll bite. They stink. The owner must be very on-top-of-things to keep its living quarters clean and "sweet" smelling. Honestly? I'd own a rat. They're very clean and loving. They aren't as smelly and won't bite if you're respectful and handle them right. Frogger
We've accidentally had 2 pet rats... they were supposed to be "feeders" for our red-tail boa, who at the time was a baby. So we were feeding her rat pups (very young rats- still small), well she would decide she wasn't hungry and not want to eat, so we would end up keeping them and in a few weeks time, they grew to where I felt they were too big for her to eat. So.. they became pets They were super friendly, very intelligent and learned tricks... I can't recall that I was ever bit by either one. I would choose a rat over a GP anyday. IMHO.. GP's are moody and unsociable and unpredictable, they like to have a mate, and then they procreate faster then you'll ever be able to give them away!!
We have two now. Had one previously. All together have had them for about 5 years. We have never had a problem with any of them. My son is now 11 and hase never been bitten. It is all in how you handle them. Yes, if they are scared or threatened, just like any animal they will bite. The do have the potential to smell, but if you clean the cages regularly, you shouldn't have a problem.
I had two gunea pigs growing up - neither one ever bit me or my sisters, but then again, we always handled them gently. I also had mice and hamsters....none of them bit any of us either. Rodents need to chew on wood or wood type chewies...for their teeth...read up about it and teach your daughter to be gentle (if she's really young, don't allow her to pick up the pet when alone - these are living things, not toys and by learning this, she will be spared any bites or the trauma of accidently harming the little thing.)
One of my friends had them growing up. They can be noisy but they are very sweet. You have to stay on top of cleaning the cages because if you don't it will stink. That is more of owner care though. They will nibble so keep them occupied with lettuce and carrots and whatever stuff they offer at pet stores. Oh, and whatever you do, don't put a male and female together! The reproduce like rabbits. lol My friend had her guinea pig for I think 11 years! That is not the norm though usually 6-8 years.
I think guinea pigs make great pets for kids. They do need to be treated gently and handled often to be ggod pets. I wouldn't give one to a child who is under 8 (if they are responsible and gentle-otherwise older or not at all). They do not smell if their house is kept clean. Use a well-ventalated cage with a solid bottom (not an aquarium or cage with holes on the bottom). Do not use cedar chips for bedding-bad for the respitory systems. Two females usually get along well. Two males will probably fight. One guinea pig can be kept alone but will need daily attention from someone to be happy. As a child, I spent many hours playing outside with my guinea pigs. i also used to hold them on my lap while watching TV or reading. I started by putting them on a towel in case of accidents, but all of the gp's I had (and my siblings) came up with a way of "warning" me if they had to go to the bathroom. Sometimes it was by suddenly getting restless; other times it was my tugging at my clothes. My guinea pigs were very affectionate. They would squeak quietly as long as I would pet them and when I stopped, they would often push their noses under my hand to get more petting. I will probably get one or two for my kids when they are older. They do enjoy fresh green and carrots, but not too much-they get fat easily. Many often squeal for food when they hear the refrigerator opening Also, be sure to keep them indoors away from drafts.
