Small Furry Advice

Ah_Yeah

Myself and my OH are interested in getting a pet - dog is out of the question as we cannot commit to the time needed for a dog right now, and we live in an apartment. We're now looking at the 'small furry' pets, as it will be allowed in our apartment and (based on our research) will suit our lifestyle better. I'd appreciate some advice from the good boardsies on the right choice for us, and if we're on the right track!

We both work full time, and are gone from 8.30am to 6.30pm every day - our apartment is bright and airy, with the area where our potential furry would be kept facing our double patio doors (with blinds). In the evenings we'd be hoping to let them out for as long as possible while we watch TV, have dinner or do whatever else. There would be days where we would have an event straight after work meaning we wouldn't get home until late that night.

I would travel home at Christmas and need to bring the furry in the car with me (2 hour drive), and would need to ensure that any little pet we have can be easily taken care of by a friend or family member that would drop in each day to give them fresh food, water and veggies, should we go on hols or away for a weekend.

Financially I have accounted for everything from initial outlays to pet insurance and unexpected vet bills, so I am not worried from that perspective.

We want a pet that will be entertaining as they will be sociable, so we have ruled out hamsters as I would like to be able to pick them up and rub/cuddle them. We have narrowed it down to Guinea Pigs or Rabbits, and I am leaning toward Guinea Pigs as I had them for most of my childhood and they were just fab little pets to have. I saw some beautiful LionheadxLop Rabbits today though and just fell in love with them, so am torn!

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated - on whether we should be getting a pet given our situation, what we should get and any other advice.

Thanks in advance!

Smur

I've had both a rabbit and guinea pigs in an apartment and in my experience the rabbit (although cute and cuddly) was a bit of a nightmare. Depending on the breed, their fur can get EVERYWHERE, to the point where even a daily vacuuming won't get rid of it all. Also, even though we felt like we had a good set up for the rabbit (large-ish indoor hutch for night time, two story outdoor hutch for daytime) we still felt the space in the apartment was not big enough for him. He also used to stamp frequently which was surprisingly loud and I'm sure our neighbours could hear it.

The guinea pigs however made for perfect apartment pets. They didn't need as much space as the rabbit and we were able to set up a run for them on the balcony which didn't have to be covered over (as long as we watched for cats!) as guinea pigs can't jump too high. Just make sure to get two guinea pigs together as they can get lonely on their own and I highly recommend having them neutered as they (especially males) can become quite aggressive with each other when they get older.

Knine

A pair of same sex Guinea Pigs would be ideal. However in my experience Guinea pigs regularly don't survive neutering ops & those that do often end up with incontinence issues. Even with experienced small animal vets.

You can keep same sex bonded pairs especially if together from very young. There is an Irish Rabbit & Guinea Pig page where reputable breeders often sell such bonded pairs. Some breeds such as Abysinian 's can be more lively & harder to bond.

abutler101

Rabbits need a lot of space, I would go with guinea pigs. A same sex pair is the best option. The cage needs to be about 8sq feet for a pair and add 2sq feet for each extra one after that. Look up c&c cages, they are very good. You can also use fleece bedding if you want, which would look nicer in a house. Have a look at guineapigcages.com it is full of great info.

Ah_Yeah

Thanks all. We have decided to go with Abyssinian Guinea Pigs, ideally looking to get two females. We have been to pet shops to see guinea pigs but would definitely go down the route of a decent breeder. Could anyone recommend a decent breeder in the Dublin region? We'd travel as far as Wicklow, Kildare or Meath maybe but Dublin would be preferable. Willing to wait for the right ones!

Also, any other tips you have based on the above info I've provided would be great!

Knine

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

Thanks all. We have decided to go with Abyssinian Guinea Pigs, ideally looking to get two females. We have been to pet shops to see guinea pigs but would definitely go down the route of a decent breeder. Could anyone recommend a decent breeder in the Dublin region? We'd travel as far as Wicklow, Kildare or Meath maybe but Dublin would be preferable. Willing to wait for the right ones!

Also, any other tips you have based on the above info I've provided would be great!

I have this breed & they are a very lively compared to other piggies. They are very active & friendly although harder to catch. Adorable though.

There was a lovely pair of young females available on the Irish Rabbit & Guinea Pig page recently.

Ah_Yeah

Knine wrote: »

I have this breed & they are a very lively compared to other piggies. They are very active & friendly although harder to catch. Adorable though.

There was a lovely pair of young females available on the Irish Rabbit & Guinea Pig page recently.

Do you happen to have a link to that please Knine? Lively is not an issue for me, I'd love some active piggies running around in the evenings

Knine

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

Do you happen to have a link to that please Knine? Lively is not an issue for me, I'd love some active piggies running around in the evenings

Will do when I go onto my laptop later

Knine

Link below. I find it a great group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/243930592370115/

Ah_Yeah

Thanks Knine!

Finally got approval from my landlord to keep guinea pigs in our apartment - he was worried in case they would get into someone else's house and someone thought they were a rat!!

Fantasy_Suicide

Awww brilliant!

Just wanted to suggest rabbits, but I see you ruled that out. I have two house bunnies that are my whole world. There a good bit of work to keep clean etc, but they're a lot if fun.

Hope you enjoy your piggies!

Ah_Yeah

Fantasy_Suicide wrote: »

Awww brilliant!

Just wanted to suggest rabbits, but I see you ruled that out. I have two house bunnies that are my whole world. There a good bit of work to keep clean etc, but they're a lot if fun.

Hope you enjoy your piggies!

Thanks, landlord was more comfortable with piggies than a rabbit, and I had piggies when I was a child, so that was a clear winner!

I'll post pics when we find our furries - if anyone can recommend good breeders then it would be great. Female Abyssinians ideally!