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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider getting guinea pigs when I have the nose of a bloodhound

30 replies

Pleatedforehead · 03/03/2025 16:35

To consider getting my DD (10) guinea pigs?
The main thing that puts me off is they'd likely have to stay in her room and I'm worried about smell. I'm menopausal and have as a result annoyingly developed a Marvel superhero level sense of smell. There is plenty of room and she's very responsible and I know would look after them but imagine they are pretty stinky. We have a dog who I love but if I had had this sense when we were getting him we would never have ended up getting him as he absolutely stinks to me though others can't smell it (both in our family and others who don't live with us reassure me he doesn't smell horrendous so I am pretty certain it is my overactive sense of smell!)

Also what do people do with pets like this when they go on holiday? We have a dog who happily goes to a lovely small family run kennels if we go away and he can't come, but they don't take guinea pigs!

She started with a request for a hamster but after doing a bit of research has discovered a lot of them don't really like attention/handling and are prone to biting. Though I think she also just thought we would be more likely to say yes as it is a smaller cage.

OP posts:
Flamingoknees · 03/03/2025 16:39

Are you noise sensitive as well? They are very noisy. They squeal loudly at any unusual noise/ event. Obviously there will be a smell too.

BeaAndBen · 03/03/2025 16:45

They do smell, but how often their run is cleaned makes a massive difference. It’s definitely a rodent-y aroma. Boars smell more strongly than sows.

They also live a lot longer than hamsters and need far more space, which ought to be a consideration when choosing.

Personally I loved our guinea pigs (and rats, and even the gerbil. Hated the dambed hamster though). However, it’s best to be clear that it’s a big commitment of time and space.

Brassbumblebee · 03/03/2025 16:45

We have two and their cage is in our sitting room, as long as you clean it regularly (sweep around daily and deep clean once a week) it's not that bad.. I actually find the smell of the fresh hay more off putting, it smells really strongly indoors but its obviously essential for the pigs.

To consider getting guinea pigs when I have the nose of a bloodhound
To consider getting guinea pigs when I have the nose of a bloodhound
Mynewnameis · 03/03/2025 16:50

They smell, hay gets everywhere, they are noisy. The cages are huge.

ChateauMargaux · 03/03/2025 16:51

I have the nose of a bloodhound and can not stand the smell of any animal.... don't do it!

Brassbumblebee · 03/03/2025 16:52

Mynewnameis · 03/03/2025 16:50

They smell, hay gets everywhere, they are noisy. The cages are huge.

Idk why this made me laugh but yeah, this is it in a nutshell 😅

sierramiller · 03/03/2025 16:54

Wouldn't you keep them in a shed or outdoors? Not a bedroom surely

Libre2 · 03/03/2025 16:54

Can't you keep them outside? We had guineas for 6 years and they lived outside.

CheekyHobson · 03/03/2025 16:55

Ooh no u wouldn’t. My niece has one, it’s cleaned regularly and spends some of its time in an outside run but it still pongs. They don’t see to notice it as much as they live with the smell but it hits me like a tidal wave whenever I go over.

MissUltraViolet · 03/03/2025 16:56

Been there, done that. Never again!

They do smell. Paid a lot for some massive indoor cage and fancy cage liner fabric things and it was still a constant mess with hay and poop and stressed me out.

Guinea pigs can also be really nervous and timid, we had two sisters that were handled often by breeder and they both absolutely hated my DD (or anyone) going near them with a passion. They ran into their beds to hide if someone even entered the room.

Hamsters are also shit, did that too.

Daffiesmeanspring · 03/03/2025 17:03

They run away as they are prey animals.
When you lift one they are happy to be stroked and fed.

Crumpleton · 03/03/2025 17:06

My DC had many a pet while growing up but never one that I wasn't prepared to look after had they of lost interest.

MightyGoldBear · 03/03/2025 17:07

I also have the nose of a bloodhound. They all stink I'm afraid. If keeping them outside/shed isn't an option, I'd say you will unfortunately regret it.

I really love animals as well but as my sense of smell has become superhuman over the years we haven't rushed out to get more pets as they have passed. As well as the cost has just got too much.

You could borrow a guinea pig for a week offer to look after someone's whilst they are on holiday to see if you'd be able to cope with the smell.

RunningJo · 03/03/2025 17:12

When we had guinea pigs they lived outside in a hutch, they had a huge run, heated mats in the winter and an insulated cover.
The only time we got a cage for inside was when we were down to just one (they don’t do well living on their own, much better in pairs). He was noisy, hay on the floor outside his cage all of the time. Can’t say he smelt that bad tbh (I found gerbils and hamsters way worse!). They make great pets but can be quite vocal - which is sweet when they’re outside, not sure how that would work in a bedroom.

They do need a lot of space ideally, small cages aren’t great so I wouldn’t recommend them personally as an indoor animal

Original poster
Pleatedforehead · 03/03/2025 17:23

Great-thankyou for all the swift responses. This was my fear, I think it's not for us. We do have a shed at the bottom of the garden but she had her heart set on them being in her room, and I'd be wary of them being a bit out of sight out of mind if they were in there-along with the bloodhound nose issue I have the memory of a goldfish. I'm such a catch!

OP posts:
ZookeeperSE · 03/03/2025 17:29

I once hugely impressed an engineer from the emergency gas service when I called them out to a gas leak. He used his little meter thingy and declared he could not believe I had managed to smell it at the level it was, but there was indeed a leak. I’m telling you that to explain my own bloodhound tendencies. Anyway, me and the DDs have had many Guinea Pig house guests (as DDs work at the local rescue) and currently have two in DD1s bedroom. They do not smell at all. However, they are kept scrupulously clean (coroplast/newspaper/fleeces) and these current two are female. Males do smell more but when we have had them, we just cleaned more often 🤷‍♀️. The thing that smells the most is the hay, but that’s a fresh smell.

Oh and you’re right - if you did get them , please not outside, inside is always better for them unless you have a very special insulated/cooled set up which most people don’t obviously as it’s expensive.

JMSA · 03/03/2025 17:59

One pet I'll never get again.

A wee Syrian hamster would fit the bill.

Pigeonqueen · 03/03/2025 18:11

Guinea pigs aren’t for you if you don’t like noise and mess. I absolutely adore them and until very recently (when my last one died of old age) I had a herd of 6 living in a huge c and c cage 6ft by 7ft in my kitchen diner. They are timid and don’t like being picked up. If you’re lucky you’ll get some that come over for a stroke but they aren’t really the best pets for children. And - they’re expensive vet wise. They’re classed as exotic pets so actually cost more for a consultation than a cat / dog (around £85) and if they need treatment its very expensive- we paid £750 for one to have an eye removed due to a tumour. You can actually get Guinea pig pet insurance now £15 a month ish and if I had them again I’d definitely get it.

Pigeonqueen · 03/03/2025 18:15

Meant to add if you go on holiday you’d need a pet sitter type person to pop in once a day to give them fresh veggies and hay, water etc and give them a fuss. We used to have someone come in for £5 a visit.

user1494050295 · 03/03/2025 18:18

I have guineas and they don’t smell or maybe I am used to it. They are chatty though so I would not keep them in your daughter’s room. They also need outside space. Watch mason’s cavies on Facebook. She has 135 girls. For holidays they go to a gp hotel at £10 a day. Only buy in pairs as they are herd animals and need company. Good luck

Sunnydays25 · 03/03/2025 18:22

I had hamsters (one at a time) when my DS was younger - no biting from either of them! We took time to get them used to us, gave them treats, didn't pick them up till they were comfortable with us etc. The first one in particular was very friendly, with us and the dog, very happy to be carried around in the pocket of a hoody! Second one happy to be held, but didn't sit on DS head as the first had.

Each of ours lived for about 2 years, we have a little hamster graveyard in the garden.

I don't think they were especially smelly, as long as the cage was regularly cleaned. We could leave them for weekend with food and water, and my teenage nephew looked in on them when we went away for longer.

tollouse · 06/04/2025 13:36

Hamsters are less smelly but please do your research, commercial hamster cages largely aren't suitable. There's a good fb group called something like 'actual good hamster care uk' which has details about which cages are suitable, minimum space, what kind of sprays etc.

FiveWhatByFiveWhat · 06/04/2025 14:40

I love our 2 boy guinea pigs, but I must admit I won't be rushing out to get more after they've passed on.

They are very messy (I genuinely can never believe how much they poo!) and take a lot of looking after between spot cleans, deep cleans, feeding, ensuring they've got enough space, enough appropriate hides etc.

But that being said... I do absolutely adore them! Ours are both really friendly, they chat to eachother and come up when they hear the rustle of a salad bag or know it's feeding time. They'll both sit and be stroked and picked up, one prefers a quick fuss then a run around and the other will sit with my ds for ages having a little stroke and eating on his lap. It's given him a little bit of responsibility too - he's only 5 so obviously they are "family pets" and me and DH are responsible for them, but feeding them before school and doing their water at night is now a part of our son's routine which is really nice.

We had piggies outside when I was a kid but our boys are indoors and it's easier on many levels because they're more "in mind" and I'm not going out in the cold and wet to see to them. They love being indoors and having the extra interaction too.

FateReset · 06/04/2025 14:57

They will make your whole house reek, sorry. Even changing the bedding twice a day won't help as their urine and fur smells so strongly. They also have scratchy claws, many don't like being cuddled or held, and when they bite it really hurts. They're noisy too and will kick all the bedding through the bars, keep people awake at night.

Better to have them in a garden shed with a run if she really wants them. Rabbits smell even more, in case she starts wanting a house rabbit!

I think many people become noseblind to pets. My friend has a huge dog and said he smells lovely, like popcorn !? 😆 To me, he smells like sweaty, oily dog, as does anything he sits on. She can't understand why I have a pet-free home!

Gustavo77 · 06/04/2025 15:14

They do smell and take a lot of care. They're actually quite fragile health wise too so not the best idea if they've got to stay in her room.

Hamsters can be nippy and again fragile health wise.

Rats are fantastic wee creatures. They love being handled and are very sociable. Rats would always be my choice for a child's first pet, they're so loving and great company.