Which is easier to look after a dwarf rabbit or a guinea pig ?

Question

if you saw my other question our dog has gone missing and a few days later the hamster died (he was nearly 3 ) my kids are devastated so i`ve said they can have a dwarf rabbit or a guinea pig .at first i said they could have both,but i`ve now heard it`s not a good idea ,
Which is easier to look after properly ?

Answer 1

rabbits and guinea pigs have sensitive ears depending on the rabbit it might bite or scratch the kids will have a better chance not dropping a guinea pig than a rabbit personally i like rabbits better but a guinea pig might be safe for your kids

Answer 2

Probably the rabbit. They don't need shavings, their food doesn't need to be fresh, and they don't need fresh veggies or vitamin C supplements like guinea pigs do. They also don't get human viruses like guinea pigs. Food and health-wise, the rabbit is the clear winner.
However, rabbits have very long teeth and extremely strong hind legs with sharp claws, and they love to use them when they're intimidated. Rabbits need careful handling if they're going to trust their owners, and your kids need to be careful and considerate of the rabbit's feelings. I've never owned a guinea pig, so I don't know how their temperaments are.
The big rabbit killer is heat stroke. It must live in the shade, somewhere the temperature never tops 100 degrees. Some rabbits tend to spray, but I raised meat rabbits, not dwarfs, and I don't know how much their behavior differs.

Answer 3

I think a bunny...b/c every kids like bunnies and they if raised gently they will tolerate being picked up and held without any fuss, but a guinea pig would rather stay in it's cage and be left alone. A rabbit would be a better replacement for you dog. It can be litter trained and rabbits can rome around the house with a little supervision, as long as you don't have too many cords hanging around. I would go with the rabbit....guinea pigs are noisy and don't like to be held

Answer 4

Get a dog!!!!! Lol, seriously though I've got two rabbits, I find them much easier to look after than when I had a guinea pig - but it's each to their own! Can't you volunteer at a shelter/rescue near you and get some experience first, find out which you prefer? Good luck!

Answer 5

both are cute & good choices. Maybe a Guinea pig would be easier for your kids to take care of tho

Answer 6

www.caveycages.com they are the best on g/p info. The only problem is, with gp's you need large wide cages so they can do "laps", they do love exercise and are VERY social so you need atleast 2 (same with rabbits), rabbits need to be spayed and neutered.

Just do your research, because all your doing when asking here is asking peoples personal opinion. Personally, neither is good for children. it hurts gp's to rub their hair the opposite direction it's growin in, both have sensitive ears, special diets, and large cage requirements, and time requirements, get another dog from a shelter, leave the caged critters be till you have more time to take care of them.

Answer 7

the rabbit would be a good idea they are cute and cuddly and so soft i have two Bunny's and i love them to bits ,and also children love them so much. when my 5 yr old cousin comes round he is always near them. you have to clean the cage out once a week oh and dont give a rabbit lettuce it poisons their stomach.

Answer 8

I would recommend a rabbit. They are sweet & easy to look after, their cages are really easy to clean. They would be a great childrens pet.

Answer 9

Either one is easily cared for. Guniea pigs are noisy- it's cute, but can be irritating. Bunnies don't make much noise unless threatened.

Answer 10

guinea pig definatly, they are very good with children they are very very tolerant rather than a rabbit when frightned will kick and scratch.