Guinea Pig or Kitten?

[Paige]

I am hoping to talk DH into letting DS have a pet of his own for his birthday when he'll be 10. We have 2 dogs and a cat already but they do not care for children, mine included. They are not aggressive but are older, never liked kids even as babies, and they merely tolerate the kids when they can't run away. DS has been begging for a pet that "loves him" since he was about 3 and when he was about 4 or 5, I stupidly said, "maybe when you're 10." It seemed so far away and harmless at the time but he has remembered and really has his hopes up and has been dreaming about it for years.

 

DH is not enthusiastic but has not totally rejected the idea since I brought it up. I had been thinking of a small pet, like a hamster, turtle, frog, lizard, etc., but after reading about them, I've heard they aren't really the best pets for kids. DS is the oldest, so the pet would have to be able to withstand a lot of affection from the younger kids too. I read that guinea pigs, snakes, and geckos were good for kids. Snakes? No- I won't even consider that. I ruled out the gecko too because of the bug/live diet-ick, and it seems it may be tricky with the heat lamp to keep him healthy, and it just doesn't seem like a very cozy and lovable pet.

 

So, I was down to just a guinea pig. They seem affectionate, cute, and not much trouble. I got to thinking, however, that cats are actually pretty low maintenance, and maybe would be easier than the guinea pig since we already have one. I wouldn't have to worry as much about the dogs and cat we have now trying to eat it, we wouldn't have to buy a cage, bedding, special food and clean the cage, and DS says out of all our pets, my cat is his favorite. Is it nuts to think the kitten would be lower maintenance than a guinea pig? I was thinking I could even transfer my cat litter duties to DS if we let him have a kitten, and cats can be left alone for a day or so once they are mature. I'm not sure if a guinea pig would need a sitter or not.

 

Which would you go for- cat or guinea pig? DS says he would like either one, he just wants a pet.

[GardenGirl639]

I've never had a guinea pig, but we now have a rat and a bird. I've found it is harder to find someone who can care for them when we travel than it is to board our dog. It is especially difficult during the holidays.

[Ann.without.an.e]

We have had both. Our cat is totally indoor and the least maintance animal ever. They are so self sufficient. If we go out of town, no one has to care for him...just leave an extra litter box and extra food.

Our cat sleeps curled up on the kid's beds. He is super clean.

I liked the guinea pig and my kids loved him for the first few weeks, but a caged pet is only so much fun, kwim? It gets to be a cage cleaning hassle (very messy) with very little play time. Ours only lived a few months and then it got very sick. Few vets here will see a guinea pig and the one that would wanted to charge a lot of money for very little effort. Their nervous systems are sensitive and they can die fairly easy. We did everything we were supposed to - vit drops, good food, clean cage, fresh veggies, etc. It broke dd's heart.

 

I totally vote cat, all the way. I am not a cat person, but if you want an easy pet...they are a winner!!!

[bettyandbob]

I think a kitten would be better than a guinea pig. dd helps my neighbor with a guinea pig rescue program. The cage cleaning is time consuming and icky. And as another poster said, you have to find a vet who specializes in pocket pets. Dd also has a pet sitting business. Caring for cats and dogs is a lot easier than caged animals.

[TXMary2]

We have a Guinea Pig and a cat. The GP is sweeter, less of a diva and has more personality. The cat basically hates all of us and the dogs. She is a pest when she wants her food - which is never when we feed her. She is basically demanding. I vote Guinea Pig!

 

On my blog today we have a little "show and tell" video of our Guinea Pig. you can see how cute she is for yourself :)

[LidiyaDawn]

Get him a pair of male rats. :D (they do best when they have a buddy) .. they make fabulous pets - very bright, easily trained, social, friendly (they love the company of people) .. see if you can find a rat breeder though, rather than a pet store.

 

Guinea pigs are adorable, but they're high strung and not the best pets for kids…and introducing a new kitten to your current pet crew there is likely to be a LOT of work to have them get along and keep that kitten safe. Bit much for a ten year old boy, IMO.

 

I've had a lot of "small pets" over the years: gerbils, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats.. and of all of them, I'd pick out the rats for a boy of that age.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Get a male, neutered cat....I really think they have a better personality. Just my opinion. I know several people with female cats and they are sassy. We have had our cat for 5 years.

[LidiyaDawn]

but a caged pet is only so much fun, kwim?

 

Another awesome thing about rats is that they love spending time OUT of the cage with you… one of mine used to come visiting with me. The look on people's faces when a rat poked his nose out of my sweater was the best. :p

[mandymom]

We have a Ragdoll cat. That breed is very gentle and when it was a kitten, it let the kids carry her around like a ragdoll, as the breed name suggests. She's fairly easy to care for. The kids just feed her and change the litter box.

 

We also have a guinea pig. She's fun to play with and the kids like watching her swim in the tub. She is very messy though (gets stuff all over the floor around her cage), stinks up her cage really quickly, eats a ton, and requires a special diet. Another thing that we didn't realize before we got her is that guinea pigs can be LOUD. They make a squealing, pig like noise and, at times, it gets really annoying. She's a fun pet for the kids though.

 

I think, for me personally, I would choose a cat. I am all about less work for me :001_smile:

[Heather in WI]

Guinea pigs are loud, stinky, uncuddly, and evil. I hated mine after the first month when I was a child and secretly wished it would die. :ack2: It was the longest surviving guinea pig ever. :lol:

 

I vote for a kitten. :D

[AvasMom]

We LOVE guinea pigs!! My daughter has 3 females that are named after her three BFFs (we moved away from them...it's how she deals...lol!). I disagree that you can't play with them! DD plays with hers all the time. DS has a male one (separate cage of course). They have a blast making stuff for them to play in, letting them run up and down the hall, etc. They're just so sweet and cuddly and cute. We think the little squeaks are endearing. <3 <3

[Unicorn.]

Kitten. They live longer (assuming no accidents), and are easier to care for.

[LND1218]

A kitten!

[mom4him]

My oldest son had a guinea pig. It is one pet that I would never again consider.

We had several hamsters though and they were wonderful pets. Loved every one of them.

The kitten is ok if you are sure there are no allergies and are willing to box train it. I never had problems with training ours but my middle son and his wife have and 3 different ones and each time they simply would not train to a litter box. I discovered I was allergic to cats after about 3 yrs of constant sinus problems.

We now have dogs and parakeets and they have been great fun for my two. We don't have really small children here much but I don't think it would be a problem.

If you had a pole though I would probably vote for a hamster.:001_smile:

[3lilreds in NC]

I vote for a kitten. I love guinea pigs, but you already have a cat, and cats and guinea pigs don't make very good buddies.

 

Guinea pigs are nocturnal and messy. Do you have a place to keep it that it won't keep anyone awake? They can be a lot of fun, but you have to handle them a lot to make them friendly and if you get one that is already an adult you might be out of luck. Their cage is a big pita to clean, IMO. Of course, the last time I dealt with it I was pregnant - that could have had something to do with my impression of cleaning the cage. :D

 

We got a kitten in the fall (we had 4 other cats). She adores my girls and pretty much ignores me. She seems to like dh; she rubbed on his legs when he came home tonight. She is very sweet though. She never uses her claws and never bites me, even though she hollers a lot when I hold her.

 

I have stated that I will not have rodents, birds or reptiles in my house. I might be persuaded to get a small lizard sometime but NO SNAKES. Kittens are so much fun, and they purr. That's my vote!

[sparrow]

We have both and I vote kitten, preferably male and black and white. Tuxedo boys are the best :001_smile:.

[Belacqua]

I vote kitten. But I probably shouldn't even get voting rights, because I'm so dumb I thought from the title that you had an animal in hand and couldn't figure out what it was: guinea pig? kitten? I was really hoping for pictures.

[Jenny in Florida]

So, I was down to just a guinea pig. They seem affectionate, cute, and not much trouble.

 

We had guinea pigs for a few years, because my husband was trying to head off my begging for a dog. We loved the guinea pigs. However, a few words of caution:

 

- Not all piggies will love all people. They do have distinct personalities, and some enjoy spending time with humans more than others do.

 

- While they are inexpensive to obtain and relatively low maintenance, they are still considered "exotic" when it comes to vet care. Everything is more expensive, and not just any vet will know how to treat them. One of ours managed to poke herself in the eye with a bit of hay, which led to an infection. We took her immediately to our local vet, whom we had used and loved when we had cats. He dithered and tried various things for a few days, while the infection got worse. Finally, it appeared surgery to remove the eye was our only option. At that point, thankfully, he was honest enough to admit he didn't know what he was doing and said there was a good chance our beloved Coconut (my daughter's favorite) wouldn't make it through surgery. We took her home and did some research and found the one vet in town that has the best reputation with exotics. Our piggie did end up having an operation to remove the eye, but they did it in a much less invasive way. She recovered well and was with us another two years. I don't want to tell you how much that whole adventure cost us. It was worth it to us, because we take pet parenting seriously. But, had we known before we got those little darlings just how "exotic" they were, we might have made a different choice.

 

- I never felt good about leaving them home along overnight or longer. So, we boarded them whenever we went away. Not just every kennel has facilities or is willing to board piggies. So, that was another hassle.

 

- When all is said and done, they are not as interactive as a dog or a cat. They're sweet and can be cuddly. My daughter, in particular, used to sit and read for hours with Coconut on her lap. But they don't really do much.

 

- They don't live as long as dogs or cats, either. Our Bessie was with us for about five years, and Coconut (even after the eye surgery) held on for another year or so after that. When my daughter was deciding to go away to school, one of the hardest things for her was knowing that it was likely one or both piggies would likely die while she was gone. And, as it turned out, both did. Of course, that can be true with any pet, depending on how old your child is when you adopt the animal and its natural lifespan. But, one way or another, you're likely to have to cope with the death sooner than with a dog or cat.

 

Of course, the one caveat I would mention about the kitten is that there is no guarantee the cat will end up loving your son. Here's what happened with us: After we'd had the guinea pigs for a couple of years, I started getting antsy again to get a dog. (The piggies turned out to be the kids' pets much more than mine.) Once again trying to head off the dog thing (since he's not a big fan), my husband surprised me with a kitten. No matter what I did--being the only one to feed or play with him, etc.--that cat just never ended up liking me. He immediately and strongly preferred my husband, with my son an acceptable second choice.

 

A year later, we tried again. This time, my daughter and I fell in love with a little kitten at an adoption event. My daughter begged and begged, arguing that she and I needed a cat who would like us. I'm sure you can guess the punchline here? We talked my husband into the second cat and brought her home . . . at which point she immediately transferred her affection to my husband.

 

Two years after that, I finally got my dog. She likes me just fine.

Edited April 12, 2011 by Jenny in Florida

[Jennifer3141]

I think it depends upon the cage issue. Since you already have a cat, you've figured out what is involved there. How do you feel about cleaning a cage? And I think cavies are more comfortable with a cagemate, right? So how do you feel about 2??

 

We've got 4 cats, 2 dotgs, 2 rabbits, a turtle, hermit crabs, and a beta fish. They are all work. But they give back so much more!!! :001_smile:

Edited April 12, 2011 by Jennifer3141

[Jenny in Florida]

And I think cavies are more comfortable with a cagemate, right? So how do you feel about 2??

 

That's another good point that should have been on my list. Piggies really should have another one for company. We definitely saw that the remaining one was lonely when she lost her roommate. We even considered adopting an adult so that she would have company, but eventually decided against it.

[VeteranMom]

My 9 year old dd just purchased her first guinea pig last week. He's really sweet and doesn't mind being carried around all the time. He sits against her chest while she does her schoolwork and is perfectly content nibbling on a carrot. It drove my 2 dogs crazy for a couple of days, but they are leaving the guinea pig, Abraham (named after Abraham Lincoln), alone now. I've had guinea pigs at different times throughout my life. My last one lived for 6 years. They are nice pets that become a part of the family. I'm allergic to cats, so I can't comment on them.

[Jennifer3141]

That's another good point that should have been on my list. Piggies really should have another one for company. We definitely saw that the remaining one was lonely when she lost her roommate. We even considered adopting an adult so that she would have company, but eventually decided against it.

 

Thanks Jenny!! That's what I thought. I do like the noise cavies make - so cute. But I love our rabbits and that's pretty much it for my cage/coop cleaning desires at this point in time. :D

[Paige]

Thanks for all your opinions. Getting two piggies is not an option. I will be lucky to convince DH to get one! We may consider getting another for the younger kids when they are older but it would be several years before that would happen. 10 is the magic pet age, and they are well below it now. It sounds like the guinea pigs are more work on average than a cat would be and maybe not even that much less expensive if it gets sick. I'm leaning towards pushing for the kitten. If we get a cat, I was hoping to take DS to a shelter and let him play with a few to see which one he seems to connect with to help minimize the risk that the kitten won't like him. When we got my kitten, she had just been fixed and the entire litter was a little drugged and sleepy, so I had no idea of her real personality until she was home with us. I would try not to do it that way again even though I love my cat.

 

After reading lots, though, I'm worried that our cat would not accept a new kitten well at all. She is not a lovey dovey girl. What about birds? Are birds a pain? They seem like they could be messy but I don't think anyone would try to eat it, well, at least I think there's less risk that it would actually get attacked if it got loose than a rodent type creature. Or maybe I could just get him some hermit crabs. I forgot about those.

[Starr]

We got our kittens when we were planning on being home a lot for a few weeks. The kids carted them around with them and even now they are on top of the books when they study. :) Since they were constantly going after them and holding them they became very attached.

[jasar31629]

Rat or cat! Ratties are social and would need a buddy. Dd got 3 for her bday this last year and ADORES them...they've never bit and love to be carried around by her in her 'pouch' (just a little pocket thing that hangs around her neck). I never thought we'd be rat people, but we love them. Such personalities!

 

Cats are hard- their personalities vary greatly and you may not know for awhile what they would be like. We had 2 when we were first married (and lots growing up on the farm!). The 2 were like night and day...one was sociable and loved to be carried around, play fetch, etc. The other would hide and skulk around, although she was very loyal...if it was just us she would be out and wanting to be pet.

 

Have fun! :001_smile:

[sparrow]

DS has been begging for a pet that "loves him"

 

 

Or maybe I could just get him some hermit crabs. I forgot about those.

 

OK, that does not compute :D. Asking a hermit crab to love your son is like asking a spider to love your son.

 

Go on now, get him a kitten!

[Paige]

OK, that does not compute :D. Asking a hermit crab to love your son is like asking a spider to love your son.

 

Go on now, get him a kitten!

 

:lol: You're right. I could tell him that the crab loved him and he would believe it. ;)

[kolamum]

Guinea pigs are pretty high matinence believe it or not.. and if given the right care can live for up to 8 years. That said, you can make them low maintenance pets but their life expectancy is only 3 years then.

 

Piggies do better in pairs as well as they are social creatures. You'd have to be sure you had same likeness or you'd end up with babies and piggies can become preggers again within HOURS of giving birth!

 

Piggies need dry food, veggies, and hay daily to munch on. That can be costly to a budget, but around here they get veggie scraps most often.. ends of veggies, that which is slightly turning etc.

 

You'd also have to train your 10 year old on how to deal with cleaning the cage. You might also find that a standard cage is too small for two piggies and want to make your own which isn't hard at all. Downside is that most of the cool grid style cages have no top so if you're cats or dogs are likely to get into said cages that might not be a great option for you.

 

Piggies are, however very social and loveable creatures. We have several. It started with one for our son as a bday present. When we picked up the second one she was all ready pregnant :001_huh: Thankfully she only had two little ones, one of which was a female. So we had 4, but had to keep our mail separate.

 

The babies were even friendlier then the two adult piggies we had as we played with the babies ALL.THE.TIME. from the moment they were born. This made them VERY happy and friendly. We still have one of those babies and a second female to keep her company. The one we hand raised will even come running when we call her name. She will squeak and carry on if she can hear us but not see us. She will also go nuts if we walk past her cage without stopping to speak to her, give her a treat, or simply stroke her.

 

She's now 4 years old and I find myself warning my children every now and again that despite being tiny "she was quite the runt" that she is getting older. The child who owns her is heavily attached and will be utterly crushed when her time comes.

 

 

Kittens are also fun, but they need house training. If you get a male he'd possibly be a wanderer if he's not fixed, and a female could end up birthing you more kitties if she's not spayed. At the same time it's easier to go to a shelter and adopt a kitten and get a huge discount on such fees.. You could look into adopting a piggie too, but they aren't always up for such needs.

 

All that said, and I'd still probably go with a piggie ;) But them our dog would rather eat a cat then be friends with it.. which is a shame living in the country because I could use one.. you know if it weren't for the allergies and all. :D

[In The Great White North]

When we got my kitten, she had just been fixed and the entire litter was a little drugged and sleepy, so I had no idea of her real personality until she was home with us.

 

Fixed? As in, 6 months old?

 

I really recommend getting the kitten much younger than that, if you can.

[TheReader]

Kitten. By far lower maintenance than a guinea pig. We've had both, at the same time. Kitten, kitten, kitten.

[Elisabeth in IL]

We've had guinea pigs and we now have a kitten/cat. I'd say that the kitten/cat is so much easier to take care of then the guinea pigs were. Less expensive too!

[3lilreds in NC]

Fixed? As in, 6 months old?

 

I really recommend getting the kitten much younger than that, if you can.

 

Kittens can get fixed much younger than that now. I think the youngest age is maybe 12 weeks, but I'm not sure.

[Paige]

Kittens can get fixed much younger than that now. I think the youngest age is maybe 12 weeks, but I'm not sure.

 

Her litter was fixed much earlier than they should have been. I'm surprised now that anyone would have done it, but she couldn't have been more than 12 weeks. She was a teeny tiny fluff ball.

[LidiyaDawn]

What about birds? Are birds a pain? They seem like they could be messy but I don't think anyone would try to eat it, well, at least I think there's less risk that it would actually get attacked if it got loose than a rodent type creature.

 

I still vote for rats :D but as for birds: we currently have two pretty little finches… and while I think they're awesome, I think a ten year old boy would be pretty bored with them. He might enjoy a friendly, hand raised parrot… or maybe a cockatiel… something a bit more "hands on" than finches… but I don't know. As for messy? Not really… the floor needs dust-busting around the cage every day (seeds and stuff falling out) and the tray needs to be removed from the bottom every so often and cleaned (paper & gravel replaced) … the perches need cleaning off from time to time (bird poop doesn't just land on the bottom LOL) and the dishes as well.

 

Less risk of getting attacked? You have a cat. Guess what they just love to stalk, chase, and eat? ;) Now that's not to say you can't have bird and cats - we have several cats here ourselves. I wouldn't trust any of them if the birds got out though! It's instinctive for them to view the birds as prey.

[Elisabeth in IL]

Kittens can get fixed much younger than that now. I think the youngest age is maybe 12 weeks, but I'm not sure.

The kitten that my husband gave me for Christmas was fixed at 12 weeks or younger. This mom and pop pet store won't sell kitten's until they're fixed.

[kimnc]

We currently have 2 of each. The piggies are both male, and fairly sociable, and have bonded with each other. However, they are not fond of my 11 y.o., who tends to treat them as if they are stuffed animals. :ohmy: They don't squeak much, unless you walk by and don't acknowledge them. They have never woken us up -- the male cat does, however. Somehow he thinks that 5:30 a.m. is feeding/playtime and will meow loudly or walk on someone to get them up. We've taken to closing the bedroom doors, and he is starting to get the picture. ;)

 

That aside, overall I find the cats are lower-maintenance.

[Parrothead]

Kitten. I'm not a fan of pets that have to be kept in cages and tanks.

[celticmom]

If you are contemplating birds and it is practical in your area a chicken can be a very good pet. I used to raise a chicken every summer when I was a child. It stayed in a cardboard box when I was not packing it around. Mine went back to the farm when school started so you would need to plan for something larger than carboard box eventually. The hens were much friendlier than the rooster I ended up with one year. A hen would also eventually produce eggs.

[Jeannie in NJ]

I have 8 cats so here are my suggestions:

 

either get a young kitten (around 6-9 weeks) but then you have to pay for several shots and then to have it spayed or neutered. Or go to a shelter and get one that has already been fixed but let your son spend time with the kittens at the shelter and let him pick one that seems to be very friendly to him.

 

Once home, have your son feed the kitten while petting it and have him be the one that mostly loves, pets it ;and plays with it so hopefully the kitten will bond with your son..Maybe have the kitten sleep with him if you are ok with that. Make your son the number one person in that kittens life, in other words have it be your son that is the center of that kittens life. Have your son carry the kitten around with him, petting it and talking to it, just loving it and the kitten should intensly love your son. My first cat I did this with (got him at 6 weeks old) and it was obvious that that cat considered me his entire world for as long as he lived.

 

If your current cat is upset with the new kitten (which it probably will be) just keep them seperate rooms for a while and SLOWLY let the older cat get used to the kitten. Just make sure the other family members pay a lot of attention to the older cat and eventually the cat and kitten should be fine together, maybe best friends or maybe just content to share the same house.

[orangearrow]

a kitten - definitely!! :D