What are some advantages and disadvantages of owning a guinea pig???

Question

most and acceptable answers will get chosen.........

Answer 1

Guinea pigs should not stink. If they do you're not cleaning enough or you have too small a cage. I have two guinea pigs, and they never smell.

The advantages:
They are cute, they have personality, they're relatively easy to take care of, they don't usually bite (the occasional pig will be a biter, but it's very unusual)

The disadvantages:
They do require more work than most people realize, they have pretty demanding diets, they are prone to some illnesses, especially if not taken care of properly, and it's very hard to find a vet who really knows how to take care of them, you have to monitor they're weight weekly to make sure they aren't getting sick, you have to make sure they have a sufficient amount of vitamin C in their diet, and they require constant timothy hay (which is only a problem if you have hay allergies), and you do have to spot clean their cage daily and do a full clean once a week.

All that said, I love my guinea pigs and wouldn't trade them for anything. It's great fun to see them jumping and running all over the cage when they're happy.
I will say, if you get a guinea pig check your local area for a guinea pig rescue. A good place to look is petfinder.com. Pet store guinea pigs are often missexed, sick, or pregnant, and there are so many healthy pigs out there that need a home. Another thing to check on before you get a guinea pig is a cage. Pet store cages are also way to small, and it's way cheaper to make your own cage using the specifications on www.guineapigcages.com. I made a cage that is 2' 4" by 4' 8" for less than $40, after having spent $60 on one less than half the size in a petstore. Also check out the website guinealynx.com. It has all the information you need to see about guinea pig care and health.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

The biggest advantage of owning a guinea pig is health, and security.
Yea...you're wondering about that one aren't you?
Rats are scared witless of these funny little rodents "guinea pigs". So are mice, one whiff of the creature and the rats, and mice run. That's the health reason, your home would be secure against rats. Big advantage. They are low maintenance. They are cheap to keep as a pet.
But....they die quickly, I think they only live a few years, you have to constantly clean the pen or the smell will increase the longer you leave it. You cannot build a real relationship with a guinea pig!You do have to build a large area for them to live in,and create a series of small mazes to keep the wee thing from going nuts! Small as they are SUp the darlin little things do need some stimulation. Mental stimulation that is. They can breed like rats so be careful in that area.
Another pro would be..they are cute little buggers aren't they?

Answer 3

Advantages:
They are adorable
It is rare to see one bite
They are social
They can do tricks
Fun to play with
They live long for small pets typically 7-9 years
Disadvantages:
Cages with need cleaning often (full cleaning once a week, and spot cleaning between)
Require exercise daily
Have a specific diet

Answer 4

The advantage of having and guinea pig is that they are fun to have and when they get to know you they will make happy sqeels when you are there and the disadvantage is that they are small animals and small animals like that get tumors and they get sick very fast. I hace had two guinea pigs at two different times and the first one had a tumor and it was put to sleep because I could not handle that every time i would pet the guinea pig around the top of his head he would go into convulsions and my vet told me that small animals are susceptable to tumors. The second guinea pig I had got pneumonia and he died and I called the vet and they told me that most small animals like rats,mice and guinea pigs get tumors and they get sick very easy. If you get a guinea pig make sure you keep the room at a comfortable temp. so the guinea pig does not get sick and the first sign of the guinea pig getting sick take it to the vet because they are very susceptable to getting sick.

Answer 5

They're cute, endearing, and love to play with humans. They get along well with rabbits and other animals. The main drawback is they must have a special Cavy diet which contains Vitamin C. Guinea pigs can't synthesize their own Vitamin C.

Answer 6

They are friendly, very rarely bite, and can be trained easily. They are easy to look after, and great fun, especially if you get more than one. However, they can be smelly (especially if housed in a small cage), and they need at least an hour of exercise everyday, along with lots of vegetables, which can get expensive. They also can be very skittish, and need regular handling to make them tame.

Answer 7

Well I can tell you the disadvantages are.....they really shed their hair...and of course IF you dont clean their cage they can stink up a room!! Advantages.....well...we had one that was soo loveable, when you walked into the room she'd talk to you, with her sqeeking....makes ya feel good!!...she was a good pet....had her for about 3 years!!

Answer 8

advatages: only one in four hundred will bite. they love attention. can learn tricks.

disadvantages: they may squeal all night. cages need to be changed every couple of days.

Answer 9

They make cute little squealing noises.
They are cute.
They are friendly.
They are greedy.
They are messy.
Their urine smells.

Answer 10

There Cute/ they stink