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Original poster

Rabbits v Guinea Pigs. Which to get for a 6 year old?

52 replies

cece · 03/03/2007 11:45

DD wants a pet for her birthday. I think we should get either a rabbit or a GP. We already have a cat.

Which is easiest to look after?

Which is more suitable for her and her db aged 3?

Opinions required please

OP posts:

Tiggiwinkle · 03/03/2007 11:54

I would say definitely guines pigs. Rabbits can be difficult to handle and can give quite nasty scratches. Guinea pigs rarely if ever bite, and love to be cuddled and handled.

Blu · 03/03/2007 12:05

As the new owner of 2 rabbits, I would say a GP. The rabbits are very sweet and lively, but seem much more labour intensive to care for than GPs.
I wanted GPs but dp and ds voted for rabbits.

VioletBaudelaire · 03/03/2007 12:11

Another vote for guinea pigs.

JanH · 03/03/2007 12:32

I suppose a pair of rats is out of the question?

DS2 has 2 and they are lovely, really intelligent and great fun

Original poster

cece · 03/03/2007 13:19

No I don't think we will be getting rats. My neighbour had soime that i used to look after when they went away...

Ummmm but do you need two GP? I read soemwhere they like company...

OP posts:

misdee · 03/03/2007 13:22

errr really, i wouldnt get a 6yr old either sorry!

Tamum · 03/03/2007 13:25

Guinea pigs, I would- they're lovely and cuddly. You do need to get a pair, for sure. Dd was 6 when we got ours and she was fine with them, and they were happy to sit on her lap.

Original poster

cece · 03/03/2007 13:36

misdee why do you say that? DD is pretty calm and sensible so I thought she would be OK with them. She is very gentle with our cat.

OP posts:

ernest · 03/03/2007 13:44

I was told if you have a cat you really shoudn't get another pet that a cat would prey on, fish, gp etc.... wouldn't you worry?

Original poster

cece · 03/03/2007 14:05

not really as our cat has never caught anything. She is 12 and wierdly behaves more like a dog. Besides it would be in a cage so not get at able..

OP posts:

lunavix · 03/03/2007 14:27

my guinea pigs are lovely.

I got them about four weeks ago, I have ds who's 3 (plus baby dd) and am a CM with school age kids.

They're very shy at first - they've been in the garage during the bad weather and so I don't think they're as used to us as they'll get in the garden when it gets warmer.

They come running out when we go in, looking for food, but they're very hard to catch! They haven't bitten or anything.

They were a bargain too.

They poo and wee a lot, I clean the hutch once a week but I think it could do with a bit more in all honesty.

quadrophenia · 03/03/2007 14:31

we have a rabbit and was actually really impressed when my ds aged 5 asked for one for his birthday instead of the latest plastic crap on the tv. We have a very good natured easy to handle dwarf rabbit, i would say rabbits have more personality but can be harder work

Tamum · 03/03/2007 14:59

I missed the bit about the cat- the only thing I would do is to make sure it can't go in the same room unsupervised- when ours are out in their run in the garden the cats next door try and come and sit on the roof flicking their tails. The guniea pigs find this understandably terrifying, as they're not in a position to know that they're safe!

Original poster

cece · 03/03/2007 17:05

Well I think I will take her to a pet shop so we can look at a few. She is leaning towrds a rabbit but did admit she didn't know what a guinea pig was! LOL

OP posts:

RustyBear · 03/03/2007 17:25

Rabbits live longer - we got a rabbit and a guinea pig at the same time, the guinea pig died after 3.5 years (tho' I'm not sure how old she was when we got her)the rabbit lived another 4 years, by which time DD had totally lost interest. Rabbits can live up to 15 years - how long do you want to be feeding it for?

giraffeski · 03/03/2007 17:26

Message withdrawn

Original poster

cece · 03/03/2007 17:28

OMG 15 years is a bit much! Was thinking they lived for about 5 years!

OP posts:

macwoozy · 03/03/2007 17:46

Oh 'eck, I thought about 5 years too That means I've got another 14 years to clean up rabbit poo Rabbit pie anyone??

RustyBear · 03/03/2007 18:31

When we got ours, the vet advised us to have her spayed, 'because they live much longer - she could live up to 15 years....'
We didn't have her spayed... towards the end I was almost contemplating stopping the six-monthly vaccinations against myxamatosis & the yearly ones for VHD, but I couldn't quite bring myself to....

ernest · 04/03/2007 08:04

we had 2 gp's and I couldn't wait to get rid. was overjoyed when we moved and I had an excuse.

I hated them being in cage all day, so also had outside run in garden. OMG, the amount of poo those two bleedin animals would produce! Upwards of 50 in just a few hours! Muggins here was the one cleaning it all up of course. Our 2 ds's lost interest, after, ooh, about 2 days, and that was it, a really noisy, smelly, labour-intensive decoration for a year until I got shot of them. bye bye charlie and johnny.

gp's last about 5 years I think.

Wouldn't a cat be easier?

def. much easier than gp's or rabbit (we got a cat last October and the care she needs vs. what the 2 gp's needed, well, not even a fraction of the work, seriously.

ernest · 04/03/2007 08:04

d'oh, sorry, you already got a cat. hmm, still think it's a bad idea mixing the 2, cage or no cage.

katwith3kittens · 05/03/2007 12:24

We've had both rabbits and GP and tbh I end up looking after all of them.

Usually GP prefer company but often they dont. We got our GP from a local sanctuary (ie one mad lady who had about 300 in her garage)and as she knew all of their characters quite well. She found one that would be suitable for the ages of the children at the time. He lived by himself as he was a bit grumpy with other GPs.

Have a phone round your local rescue shelters they often have animals that need good homes and a donation is often all that is required.

Have you thought about hamsters ? They are great if handled often and only live a couple if years max if that is important to you.

princesscc · 05/03/2007 12:32

I agree with Misdee, I don't think rabbits or gp's are suitable for a six year old. Most vets will probably tell you that 7 yrs is the earliest they should have them. I apprecaite that you say your dd is good with the cat etc etc, but a cat needs very little looking after and lets face it, it'll be you or dh who ends up feeding and cleaning it once the novetly wears off. Also dp's only last a couple of years, so how will she cope at 8/9 when it dies?

Birdly · 05/03/2007 13:55

Think carefully before you get any pet for your children. They are very young and you have to accept that it will be YOUR responsibility to look after the pet, not theirs.
I'm a real fan of guinea pigs but they do take a fair bit of looking after. I used to have two long-haired ones, which needed regular grooming and trimming. They can also get skin problems, which means regular bathing with special shampoo. This is extremely time-consuming as the gp has to be properly dry afterwards. Their nails also have to be clipped regularly (be VERY careful if you do this yourself) and will need their teeth checking by a vet if you suspect problems.
Gps do need to be kept in pairs or small groups. I think it's best to get two females, as males might fight. They are not solitary animals and would be stressed and unhappy living alone.
I cleaned our gps out twice a day, every day. You will need to check they have water (the bottles can get a bit leaky) and a constant supply of 'nibbly' food such as hay plus a dry food too. They also need fresh veg every day as they can't manufacture their own vitamin C.
Think about getting your pet from an animal sanctuary instead of a pet shop. Also, although the initial cost of getting a gp is very low, the extras really add up - eg hutch, run, bowls, bottles, toys, hay, wood shavings, grooming gear, etc. Vet's bills soon add up too - I spent hundreds on our two during their lives. You also need to think about who'll look after them while you're away on holiday, as they'll need the same care then.
I've never had rabbits, but I understand they're more work than gps and I know they are very prone to dental problems. And sorry to be a bit of a spoilsport but I hate the thought of a rabbit being kept in a small hutch. If you do get a rabbit, please get the biggest one possible and make sure the animal gets plenty of runs outside, too.
Sorry for long post - it's a subject close to my heart!

Enid · 05/03/2007 13:58

yes you have to assume it will be you doing it

I have said no to either, but if it helps I have a friend who is a vet and he said that rabbits make terrible pets for children.

Guinea pigs are cute I must say

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