Is a Guinea Pig the Right Pet for Your Family?

So, you are looking for a pet and think a guinea pig may be the perfect pet for you. Well, you have quite a bit of research ahead of you, but this article should point you in the right directions!

Guinea pigs make excellent pets for the right family. Everyone in the family can get involved in their care. Children can help their parents with picking out cage materials and building the cage. Dad and mom can do the weekly weighing and health exam. The kids can pass out the daily veggie rations. Everyone can get involved and have fun with piggie floortime!

Do you have enough space for guinea pigs? Contrary to what you see in the pet stores, guinea pigs do not thrive in those tiny store bought cages. You want a cage at least 7.5 square feet for a pair. There are several websites which will help you with different styles of cage building. The boys and dads usually absolutely love this part!

Do you have enough time? Guinea pigs don't need long walks around the block or obedience training, but they do require the time to clean cages twice a week and interact with them (although two easily keep each other entertained).

Do you have enough money? Initially, guinea pigs don't cost much. You can build a cage for under $50 easily and the guinea pigs themselves do not cost much either. But the sad fact is, pet decisions have to be considered financially. Your family may have all the love in the world, but if it is simply not feasible to keep a $300 emergency vet fund, maybe now is not the time for you to adopt some guinea pigs.

Do you have allergies? Some people will take any measure to control their allergies so that they may still have pets, others may not. Keep in mind that if you have children with allergies, your views may change when they are suffering. Make sure no one in your family is allergic to guinea pigs or hay before adopting. Hay is the most important part of the guinea pig's diet.

What if the kids get bored? Ultimately, the guinea pigs must be family pets. Most kids will get bored eventually and they cannot be expected to do all of the care tasks. Even if your child is begging daily for a guinea pig, if you are not interested, do not adopt guinea pigs. Instead, allow your child to volunteer with a local guinea pig rescue so they may have time with guinea pigs without all the responsibility of actually owning a pair.

If you are expecting to teach your 6 year old responsibility by making them the primary caregiver, think again. 3 pound animals know nothing about teaching responsibility, that is your job. But if you want entertaining family pets that will be around for 5 to 8 years, guinea pigs may be the perfect pets for you!