Pet rat vs guinea pig

[Ayomide01]

Hi! I have a 3 year old daughter who dreams about having a pet. Could you help me to make a decision? I have also 1.5 year old son and as I’m sure the pet will be mostly on my head I don’t won’t to stress myself too much. I was thinking of guinea pig first because it is cuddly and calm, I have nice memories from my own childhood with guinea pigs, I know I can keep them in the garden in appropriate cage. I read also that pet rats are more than adorable, that they are clean, smart and friendly. Or maybe I should pick some other animal for my kids? Thank you for all replies and help 😄

Both a bit fragile for the age of kids you have.
GPigs are bigger, at least.
I'm a fan of dogs for this age, though I know many MNers won't be.

Hi, thank you for your reply. I love dogs too but I’m not sure I’m able to convince my hubby about the dog. You can be right about fragile issue. I was thinking about it too. 🧐

Dont get one gp. they must live with a friend. definately dont get a rabbit. not suitabe for small children or busy parents who cannot give them lots if attention

My daughter is 3 and we have a pair of guinea pigs which live indoors. She loves them to bits. They need a lot of cleaning out, not sure how they compare to rats in that respect.

Hi! Ok, they feel better with a companion. Is it easier to buy 2 boys or 2 girls Gp’s? What you think?

Hi! Thank you for your reply. I’m happy to hear your daughter loves them and she is more less in the same aga as mine. Is she playing with them? Feeding them etc?

Rat!
We have GPs and you really can't have your 3 year old cuddling them. They can bite and their little claws are sharp as anything. My kids don't pick up the guinea pigs. You can't really. Despite what you see on youtube videos, they're not so great. They poo for England. It's all work and very little reward with the GPs.

I have not owned a rat but friends have had pet rats and they were awesome... very intelligent and much more playful and interactive than GPs. But again, the claws are so sharp.

I think, for your 3 year old, you're better of getting a dog, seriously.
I'd have gotten a second dog over the 2 GPs any day if I had known how much work they involved. They're so boring. I do take good care of them and look after them well. But as pets, they suck.

Yes she feeds them, helps clean them out and cuddles them (very closely supervised!). The novelty does wear off quickly though whatever you get! We also have a dog which she adores but she's very old.

I've tended to have female guineas but 2 males are ok too provided you get them at the same time. They need cleaning out every other day though so can be more time consuming than a dog, dogs fit in to family life easier IMO and might be a better option depending on how much time you could spend with it. Might be worth checking out the doghouse and small pets boards on here.

Rat!

I have 10 and 4kids and they are fantastic.

They have so much personality and are so loyal and snuggly. They are honestly like tiny puppys.

My 3 year old niece handles them with supervision and she is fine.

A few things:

They MUST be in at least pairs. 3 is preferable.
They MUST have a cage that is big enough for them. Hamster cages etc are NOT suitable.
They need climing space.
Ropes, hammocks, boxes rec
Do NOT get from pets at home. Find a local breeder

If you PM me your area I may be able to help. I also can send you a link to a FB page with a breeder review list.

Rats all the way. They are fantastic.

I would also suggest getting males as they are much more docile and cuddly.