Rabbits or Guinea pigs

[Sunflowerpower52]

We are looking for our next pet ( we have always just had hamsters) we would absolutely love a pair of bunnies or guinea pigs.

I am doing all the research possible, I had a rescue rabbit 30 years ago as a child, but I expect a few guidelines have changed.

Keen to hear from anyone who has any advice on either or pros and cons of both.

Thank you

Rabbits are beautiful, so soft and their lovely little paws. However, most aren't friendly, occasionally you'll meet a friendly bunny but they are an exception. They also need so much space and live for a very long time. So if you'rethinking a house rabbit and similar commitment/interaction as a cat, then go for it. Guineas on the other hand are generally very chill. If you have them indoors, you really come to learn their personalities, and most are a joy.

Guinea pigs. Friendly little animals. Rabbits can be aggressive.

We had both rabbits and guinea pigs at various points in my youth. I’m thoroughly team guinea pig. They’re friendly, squeaky, happy guys. We kept ours free range in the garden all year round. They had a warm, safe place to sleep and be safe if they wanted, but they spent most time making their own homes in the flower beds. They’re low pressure, easy care pets.

We’ve got a pair of gorgeous guinea pigs who have the run of the garden. In a hutch at night of course, which is in a shed.

This is the truth.

Both our pairs were lovely. Gentle little animals.

Get guinea pigs. Really are fabulous. Not much experience of rabbits but the few we’ve looked after have been anti social little sods that bite and try to escape any strokes.

Do be aware that due to guineas needing to live in groups, ideally 2 or 3, you will have them for a LONG time as when one dies you need to replace with a little friend. So it’s a never ending cycle of ten years plus. Our little wild front garden is a little guinea pig cemetery - minus the head stones. Unfortunately when they get poorly it’s often not a very good outcome as they are delicate, not as robust as rabbits.

They are cute little “weep! Weep! Weepers!” and will eat the entire contents of your veg box if given the opportunity. They ‘popcorn’, leaping up and down like mad things when happy and we had a pair that used to do zoomies around the hutch. They poop everywhere so cleaning can be tiresome. Don’t get a long haired as need frequent baths.

Despite the negatives they are great little pets.

Guinea pigs.

Except they get addictive. I am not allowed anymore.

If you are looking at getting a pair, I'd get a pair of boys guinea pigs. They tend to ge a bit more outgoing than girls and guinea pig rescues are full of pairs of boys. We have a pair of boys and a group of girls and have had another pair of boys previously. The boys have tended to be more entertaining and easier to befriend.

I’ve had both and although both were lovely the rabbits were much harder work. They were such drama queens! I’d go for guinea pigs every time, especially for children.

My piggie girl Rosie came at 4 months old a few months after Henry, a 2 year old (both from the pound). He loved her madly while she tolerated him. When he died, we tried another desexed male who she could not stand. Then we tried a female, she wasn't having a bar of her either. She lived the last 2 years of her life alone and honestly seemed much more contented that when Henry had been around. She shrieked enthusiastically with her croaky old voice and waddled arthritically but joyfully to new wads of freshly plucked grass right to the end.

So from my experience, piggies can live very happily on their own.

This 💯

Our guinea pigs are in the garden.. we stuff their house to the roof with hay, and they make nésts in it.. it’s an A frame hutch so they munch grass and hop into the cosy side whenever they want. Horse wood chips great for soaking up wee, then hay to the roof..

Guinea pigs. I had 4 floof balls all girls. They require a lot of attention to tame. Not for grabby noisy kids I'd say. Lovely if you have the time to spend with them. They require a large cage lots of space not the awful pet shop cages! Ps vet bills can racj up if you are unlucky and have a poorly pig as we did.

I've also had a french lop rabbit in the past a boy he was litter trained and lovely he used to lick my nose.

I wouldn't say easy care! I think this perception sometimes makes people buy pigs and not look after them properly!

They require a lot of attention, lots of space, high quality hay, good fruit and veg, regular nail clipping, vet fees can be expensive, regular cage cleans. I wouldn't necessarily say a good pet for kids either as they take a lot of taming and can be easily scared.

God, neither.
Do yourself a favour and just go straight up the pet ladder to a dog 😄

We have rabbits and they are not an easy pet, love them forever though. You get your best interactions when they are free roam but you have to bunny proof the house and litter train. They also have huge personalities. Think of them like little horses with very specific diets.

Guinea pigs are a lot easier and provide a lot of interaction with their vocalisations.

Definitely guinea pigs. We had a pair of rabbits when our DC were younger and despite all our best efforts one of them was unfriendly and quite aggressive to us. I’ve never come across a bad tempered guinea pig.

Kinda agree with this. Cats and dogs really are the best pets for children.

Guinea pig for sure. You never get a bad natured guinea pig. Rabbits aren't so chill. Both animals need a lot of space and company of their own species. Rabbits are more likely to bite. Guinea pigs are so chill (but nervous) and will sit and eat on your lap. They are fun to watch when they are tamed up though. Seeing a Guinea pig 'popcorn' with excitement is hilarious.

Brown rescue hens, must be the brown ones, are very friendly and happy to be cuddled. Do not get a cockerel. Hens are easy to look after and enjoy human interaction. Life span is 3-4 years on average for rescue hens although I’ve got a few that are older. Similar run and housing requirements, they do need a dust bath available. You also get eggs.
Or get a rescue cat, a rescue one so you can choose a really chilled one that loves attention and children as there’s no guarantee with kittens even if they’re well handled.

We have a rabbit and two cats.
The cats are much less work, and give a lot more back.
I wouldn’t get a rabbit again.

Just to add: he is a house rabbit who goes in the garden when the weather is nice. Some weeks he’s very friendly and wants cuddles, but mostly, he just wants to be left alone.

The cats ALWAYS want love and attention.

I had a cat before I had kids and I got more cats once my kids had grown up. I love them.
But my piggies were way more child-friendly. They would happily sit on laps for gentle stroking or feeding with delicacies and would chirrup with excitement when we came to see them (whilst hiding in silence when the neighbours came in to feed them, so I know it was that that they loved 😉).

They lived indoors in a big cage over winter and outdoors in a big cage with a run in the summer. They are voracious little blighters when it comes to grass. Little furry lawn mowers.

Would recommend

Guinea Pigs. But have their living quarters inside the house, not a shed or patio. They can still go out most days and mow the lawn for you as long as they have a warm dry hutch and safe run out there.

Rabbits are more like a cat or dog. Harder to look after and need much much more space. Rabbits are generally treated really badly tbh.

Guinea pigs.
Very messy though, and we're looking forward to getting them outside in the summer.

The C&C cages people go on about are absolutely dreadful and overpriced. Ours just falls apart constantly.

I don't really understand this obsession with keeping them inside. We always had them outdoors all year round as kids.

We have a house rabbit, he’s lovely, easy to look after, he just needs the odd nail trim and regular tooth checks. He’s great, he uses the cat flap to get in and out of the garden, he’s often found on the back of the sofa grooming someones hair. He’s a character too, if you have food he wants he’ll stamp his back feet, or simply try to get on the actual plate. He also chases our very wimpy dog, he loves the cat as the cat likes grooming him.

He’s a rescue, he’s a lone bunny as each time they tried to match him to another bunny it didn’t work as he was a bit of a bully. He’s really bonded to our cat who is getting on a bit, so if he outlives the cat we’ll try bonding again, and if that doesn’t work we’ll get him
another cat friend.

He’s litter trained, so while he does have a little bunny prison, apart from litter tray emptying and picking up the odd bit of hay he’s managed to get out of the cage he doesn’t require more than that really where cleaning out is concerned. He’s a lionhead, so he does need grooming, but he loves a good pamper, plus the cat helps with that!