# Guinea pigs VS Rats



## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I have been thinking about guinea pigs for a long time... I just cant seem to get a few clear answers 

How does their overall health compare? 

What is the actual annual cost of owning a guinea pig? If I use fleece and do a kitchen Area 

How do the personalities compare? 

I will already have a cage if I do ( Just attach my two SCN and I will have a 12 sq ft cage) and I do plan on " fostering to adopt" to be SURE I don't plunge into anything I am not ready for. 


Its just so sad seeing the rats go through so much  I love them so much I cant handle all the health issues.

PS ... I am doing the research now but I know it will be at least a year before I can get them


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

OK I did the costs of everything except the hay.... I can't seem to find how much they eat monthly for 2-3 ...


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## SillydogTheGreat (Mar 27, 2012)

Well they need a handful of fresh hay every day if that helps. And don't forget that they need a lot of Vitamin C as well.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

All the research I have done has said unlimited hay and a vitamin fortified diet and half an orange daily if not


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## SillydogTheGreat (Mar 27, 2012)

Also they're not as fun as rats are, they're more likely to hide from you than anything.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Its been years since I've had a guinea pig, so my memory probably isn't that great of what its like to have one, but what I do remember is that it smelled, thought that could be because I didn't change the cage enough.. I can't remember. I was a kid at the time. I got it from my school teacher who didn't want it anymore. It was loud so my parents made me put it outside in my playhouse. From what I remember it wasn't a very "fun" pet. It would let me hold it, but I never felt like we had a bond like I do with my rats now.
This was a very long time ago. Ever since I had that guinea pig I disliked them and vowed to never get one again, but recently I've taken a slight liking to them and I might possibly get some again one day. Can't really judge an animal based on your members from childhood can you?


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

I currently have both in my home and guinea pigs are by far more expensive pets to own. You'd be surprised how much hay they go through, the need an assortment of fresh veg daily (oranges are a weekly at most goodie bc they cause mouth sores when given frequently), they can become friendly with you but they never habituate to things like loud noises, fast movements, etc the way a rat can. I love my piggie girls and respect their stand offish quality as well as the random moments of self initiated snuggles....but rats are significantly more responsive. I've gone through a URI with them when we first got them but other than that they've been very healthy. I am concerned about flu season as they can catch bacterial infections from humans and I have a 3 and 5 yr old who often bring things home from school. At the end of the day, the pigs are amazing. We added rats to the home a month ago, however, bc I missed the outgoing, laid back, social natured rodents!


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

I've always kept guinea-pigs til this last year when my last one passed away from old age. They may not be quite as bold as rats but they do all have different personalities and some can be pretty bold. I had one boy that got HUGE and he would come right out of the cage and wasn't scared of anything, he was very laid back and confident!
And with piggies they are very food orientated so as soon as they know your bringing food and not a predator they warm up to you very quickly...and from there you can work on handling etc.
I don't find them that much more expensive than rats...other than needing hay and you may go through bedding more frequent...they can smell really bad if not cleaned regular!
My oldest piggy lived to be 8...so they are hardy pets...one thing to watch for especially if you buy from a pet store would be mites...otherwise I think your going to love owning them!
There are also hairless piggies now, just like our nakie ratties...if your into that! Haha ;D


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

The plan was if I do I live not far from the country I can buy a full bale of hayI was planning on fleece with something underneath as is recommended with a kitchen area Ans daily cleaning out poos  Thanks guys  My girls are very food oriented as well so I am use to that lol.I will need a vet and such ... we actually have a gp rescue close by and after a few adoptions of pets that didn't suit me I want to Foster before a permanent decision. And I will need a job and to put aside a vet fund before I add anything to the family ... its been hard being unemployed I miss having money to do whatever I wanted with


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## Mrm911 (Jul 6, 2012)

Mine chewed a lot , if you looked at my cage you could easily see. Boars smell bad and I had to cut hair off mine because hair near his bottom did not stop growing. They are also a lot louder, the squeak a lot. There nails are easier to trim I actually used clippers on them. My boy live 5 years, I believed he died of over heating though, that is why my rats were living downstairs before. Snickers my guinea pig seemed to be the most happy when outside chewing on the grass, I used the wire top of his baby cage and put it over a spot of grass when I had to clean his cage. Mine seemed to shed a lot. I like my rats more they seem to have more of a personality and bond with you.













first one is when he was full grown and the second one is when he was a baby and still growing. Not sure the age when I got him because he was from a petstore.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Yeah I do love my rats very much but I figure there is no harm in doing research ... even if I don't get them I can still spread correct information


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## Jaysgirl71 (Sep 5, 2012)

Hi,

I hope I am not breaking any rules here, but here is a link to a guinea pig forum. I figure it is okay to post since it is not a rat forum. If I am wrong, please forgive me, but there is a lot of information here to include building a c&c cage. Gp's need a lot more room than the average petstore guinea pig cage offers. Here is the link http://www.guineapigcages.com/

I had a guinea pig up until 2 years ago when she passed away. I can say that she was very skittish, but once I was able to scoop her up out of the cage and put her on my chest, she relaxed and let me hold her as long as I wanted to. Yes, they do stink, and shed a lot, but they are fun to watch, especially when they "popcorn" around their cage. 

Good luck! Let us know how the fostering goes!


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I think I had mentioned I am registered on that forum  its very goodMy yuki was a horrible shedder so that doesn't bother me at all


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## Jaysgirl71 (Sep 5, 2012)

Oh good! I loved all the info I got from that forum when I had a guinea pig! It sounds like you have your heart set on a piggie (or two), and I say good for you! There are so many who need a good home! Post pics when you get one!


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Well my heart isn't set on them I am researching and I know I need to learn a bit more. If/when I do get them I will certainly post pictures. I may just Foster for a while once I have things together. It's a great way to help and get a feel for it

My rats have my critter nations currently anyway ... I am limiting myself to two cages so I have to think long and hard before making any choices


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