Guinea pig or hamster as a 7yrs old gift

Doom

Hi All,
can anyone advise me please which is the best for a 7yrs old kid...or which is easier to clean and low maintenance.

HigginsJ

I have had both and def think a guinea pig is a more responsive pet. Hamsters are nice but I would have preference for Guinea Pigs and the noises they make will offer great amusement.

They both require similar cleaning of cages (couple times a week) and their bedding be wood shavings. I felt the Hamster could be bit smellier, possibly because they bury food away. Both their droppings are dry pellets so no real mess as long as its done regularily.

The Guineas will require a bigger cage as you will have to get 2 where-as some hamsters are happier on their own (syrian hamster I think)

Both are great pets but as I say the fun with the Guineas when they start chirping and squeaking will amuse.

Also the Guineas have a much longer life span (5-8 years) than hamsters (1-3 years) which is probably something to bear in mind if the 7yr old gets attached

cena

I had a guinea pig when I was around that age. Loved the little man. Would love to get again some time. My man use to make funny noises when the fridge door was opened.

Zapperzy

I don't have any experience with guinea pigs but I do with hamsters.

They have a short lifespan (~2-4 years, occasionally a little longer), once they go downhill unfortunately most vets have little experience with treating hamsters so they often don't get better and it's hard watching them go. All the ones I'v had can be a little nippy despite good handling, the dwarf nips were like pinches (but may hurt 7 yr old fingers) but the bigger syrian bites or nips were deep and painful. Generally though they say the bigger syrians (the bog standard regular hamsters, not the tiny little dwarfs) are less nippy in temperment. You know the child yourself though would they be capable of handling any pet gently? Hamsters and guineas are quite fragile and could easily be hurt by rough handling and play.

Invest in the largest hamster cage you can find, put the money in now as there's no point saving a few quid now buying a tiny starter cage and having to spend more money in a few months buying a bigger cage. They are much happier in big cages. They need to be cleaned at least every week, if they toilet in the one spot you could just scoop out that spot twice or three times a week and just do a complete change in bedding every fortnight, but they do smell if you leave it any longer than a week without scooping out the pee spot. How easy to clean depends on the cage and the bedding, generally I used to just tip it in a black bag and put new stuff in, there's all sorts of different bedding you can get, I don't like the wood shavings as it can cause allergies, one of mine used to sneeze like goodo if I used wood shavings.

If your counting on a 7 year old doing all the work you know yourself it won't get done! Best to research all the different types of small pets yourself and decide which one you'd like yourself as it will be down to you to do most of the cleaning and supervise the handling. There are also rabbits, rats or gerbils to consider. A pair of house rabbits if you have the space might be a better option. They are like small dogs, easily toilet trained, a bit hardier than other smallies, they generally like petting and are easily tamed and have a longer lifespan. Maybe a slightly more interactive pet too. Also easier to find a vet who knows what to look out for in treating them.

Sigma Force

Guinea pigs shouldn't be housed alone and are a lot more maintinence 7 years is a bit young unless the parents agree to clean the animal out and supervise handling.

A hamster is a nocturnal animal and really isn't a suitable pet for kids cute and all as they are their housing needs to be large (those small cages with the bars on them are too small).

Guinea pigs are a lot more work than hamsters, hamsters need to be left alone during the day to sleep, they do wake during the day but shouldn't be disturbed if they are sleeping as they are an nocturnal animal.

I hate to be a killjoy but it's important that either animals needs are researched first and that the parents and kid are prepared for either animal.

Be very careful where you get them if you do go with either don't buy in a pet shop or they could end up with a sick or pregnant animal on their hands.

Doom

Thanks everyone, if I go with guinea pigs do I get male and female or two females etc, really don't want lots of baby guinea pigs about....also can you leave them out of the cage much?

HigginsJ

Doom wrote: »

Thanks everyone, if I go with guinea pigs do I get male and female or two females etc, really don't want lots of baby guinea pigs about....also can you leave them out of the cage much?

Def 2 of the same. I have 2 females and they get on great together.

Yes you can leave them out of the cage just make sure no wires loose around as they will chew through them.

DamagedTrax

definitly piggies. i had both as a kid and the piggies are much more of a child friendly pet. i like hamsters but the piggies personality is hilarious and kids love them.

just make sure to let your kid pet and stroke both before you buy as both can bring on allergic reactions, especially in asthmatics. better to know before hand.