# What are guinea pigs like?



## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

I'm just curious. My grandma had lots of pets when she was little. She had dogs, cats, budgies, rabbits, lovebirds, fish, hamsters, but her favorite besides the cats and dogs were guinea pigs. She said they were really sweet. Some people say they are boring and skittish. But they seem really cute and I may get one in a few years. What experience do you have with them and are they lap pets?


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## MaryLiz (Jun 15, 2014)

I really don't have too much experience with them but I've researched a lot because eventually I'd like to have a pair. My boyfriend's son also got one a couple of months ago (unfortunately they only got one, not a pair or more. They are better off in pairs or groups, much like rats in that sense. If you do end up getting one, you really need to get two, and an enclosure big enough for both.) My boyfriend's family got lucky with the one they picked for his son, she actually seems to enjoy being picked up and held as long as she feels secure against your body, but from what I've read guinea pigs in general are not really lap pets. They are social, so I would imagine they do form attachments to you, but they are by nature very close to the ground, they don't climb on stuff and they are also prey animals so it scares a lot of them to be picked up off the ground. Just because something doesn't like being picked up though doesn't mean it can't be friendly  I absolutely adore all the noises they make. I think my favorite will always be rats but once I'm in a situation where I can, I would like to try guinea pigs too.


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## beaner (Jul 21, 2014)

I have had two guinea pigs that have had completely different personalities, My male was very social and wanted attention all the time, where as my current pig Esther, while she likes getting treats and will chirp if she hears you cutting vegetables, she does NOT like being picked up, and will nip your fingers if you are not careful. Piggies are a lot of fun though, but would probably prefer running around on the ground versus being held in a lap. However that is only my experiences.


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Growing up, I was never allowed to have small animal pets. But one of my cousins had a guinea pig. She was sweet but didn't do much. Then again, she was alone and kept in a typical guinea pig cage from the pet store, although my cousin did take her out often. I was never really interested in them that much, but they are kinda cute. 

My girlfriend had 2 guinea pigs when she was younger. One was her favorite and definitely a lap guinea pig. Apparently he used to sit on her chest for hours. 

A little while ago, my girlfriend fell in love with a lone guinea pig in the "adoption" section in Petco which probably meant someone bought her and returned her once she was an adult. The Petco employees couldn't even tell us how old she was. When we asked the manager, she shrugged and said "she's been here a few weeks". So, not being able to turn down my teary-eyed girlfriend, we brought Mona home. We weren't really financially stable enough for another pet and I was hoping we would rehome her but we've had her for almost a year now. 

Personally, I feel no attachment to them like I do my rats. I don't know enough about guinea pigs to establish a connection. She makes cute noises when she wants food or attention but thats kinda all she does. Oh, and she does not give a care about the cats, which is amusing. 

But, given the choice, I much prefer rats.


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## Marie5656 (Jun 1, 2014)

I had a guinea pig names Scooter a few years back. He was not as active as, say rats or chinchillas, and he was just as happy staying in his cage. But if you want a loveable lap pet, a cavy is for you. Scooter used to like to climb up to the crook of my neck, or under my chin and just nap. I would put her out on the bed and floor and she would explore around a bit. But you have to watch with free ranging, as they like to chew things, especially electrical cords. 
I have a friend who is in a wheelchair, and has had guinea pigs for years, for just the reasons I have stated. She is not able to get down on the floor from her chair, so a lap pet, or one who whill play on the bed is perfect. A one level cage is ideal.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

Thanks for all the info! I guess my grandma had a nice one  I look into the cavies. The reason I was wanting a lap pets was because my girls are nice and all but are not very cuddley and are always on the mood. There good to play with though.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

When I said cavies I meant guinea pigs


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## EmilyGPK (Jul 7, 2014)

I think of guinea pigs as nice but dim. They are pleasant little animals if kept in a low stress manner and make the cutest noises.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

My sisters want a rabbit for our next pet and I think I guinea pig would be better. I Like their ears, the remind me of rat ears. I've done some research and I think I'll get 2-3 guinea pigs next year. (Maybe Christmas) but right now I'm determined to get this agouti rat at the petstore. She's really sweet.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

We have six guinea pigs, all male. They are great but they are a lot of work and require a lot of reading up. I refrence a guinea pig forum for a lot of my info. There are very few cages avalible from a store that are ok for them, and if you can't give them a lot of floor time you need a bigger cage. Smaller then what buns need but lots more then typical pet store cages. In fact a lot of things marketed as guinea pig products are not guinea pig safe. Usually to get the good healthy stuff you have to order online. Unless you have a special case (like our Roosie who is blind and fear aggressive towards everything) you need a pair at least. I would recomend adopting an adult (1 or 2 yrs old) pair instead of babies, especially if you get boys. Boys can have big issues when they go through puberty and while it doesn't nessisarily mean they will hurt each other it can. They are also expensive, needing fresh veg every day, chew toys, hideys, timothy or other suh grass hay (no alfalfa) and if they get sick or injured vets can suck. Similar to rats you have to have a vet who knows about guinea pigs or else you will be in trouble. Two of my boys got into some biiiig issues when they hit 5months and one ended up with a 1inch gash in his neck. Cost about $400 in emergency vet bills and normal vet bills before he was able to move back in. They are best friends now, but it was rough for a while. They live in a 12sq ft cage which is pretty ideal for two males. We have a trio as well, a grown cornet male and two baby skinny pigs, and we may have to modify their cage as they grow if they dont stay bffs. They can live upwards of 8yrs to so its a lot of time and they really need social interaction to be happy. Also they can be LOUD! Our boys know exactly when dinner time is, even the babies, and the moment it hits they start to wheek reallly really loudly. You can hear it from downstairs. They are hilarious, adorable, friendly and cute for sure though. I love our boys and I cannot imagine not having them. Early this year i actually lost one of my first and I did not go to work i was so upset. I will still cry if I talk about him, and he had some major mental problems. One major thing though, with guinea pigs you really do want to adopt and not purchase from a store. Guinea pigs are rather delicate health wise (no drafts, no extreme temp changes and no temp above 80 degrees F) and pet store pigs kept in those aquariums can often be very sick and you wont realize it till a week later when you notice your pig has a runny nose and can't breathe. They are great at hiding illness. My Porcupine, the little snot, hid a uri from me for a weekend and by the time I realized he was sick he was wheezing and the vet gave him a huge dose of baytril, the largest i have ever given to a guinea pig. A lot of places list them as beginner pets and while they are easier then say a chinchilla or ferret, I would recomend reading a lot. Also, in case your sisters try to compromise, guinea pigs and rabbits do not make good friends! Some people do this but its dangerous, especially for the pig. They have delicate backs and can get sick from things that dont bother the rabbits. XD and sorry if i sound like a crazy person. I really love guinea pigs and can get a bit fanatical at times.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

Don't worry you aren't crazy, I understand how you love your pets.  I know some of the basic guinea pig info like how they need large cages, vitamin C, constant hay, but I haven't researched them that much.


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