So, we are considering getting guinea pigs. I had rabbits as a child, who lived in the garden, and who basically pretty much had free run of the garden during the summer (less foxes in those days). I loved my rabbit, but she was very low maintenance. I had to clean her out, but my Dad actually fed her a lot of the time. Clearly there was no mess because she was in the garden, and she was on her own but LOVED our cats.
My children are a little younger than I was - 6 & 8, although the piggies would belong to my older child. Clearly, she has told us that she would be very responsible, would look after them etc. etc. I had imagined they would be outdoor piggies, and had found a chicken coop which would be perfect for a rabbit, and I thought, good for a guinea pig. But someone has advised me that it wouldn't be because the ground is too cold for them most of the year. I have also taken on board the things I have read about them being very social, and so it is much better to have them in the house, where they will get more interaction.
But, I have now also read a lot about how you need to change them A LOT (it was once a week with my rabbit), and how they wee and poo everywhere, and how they are messy. The rescue centre I have talked to said not to use sawdust (because of the mess), but I am now worrying a little that they will actually be quite high maintenance. They would also live in our open plan kitchen/dining room, and so I would hope that the mess would be reasonably contained...!
So, I'm looking for opinions from people. I like animals, my husband likes animals, and so I am imagining that we would enjoy them too, but we also both work full time, and so are busy in life. Any thoughts?