Guinea pigs or rats?

[Falconhoof1]

My DD (13) wants to get rats. I'm not keen- nothing against rats but I imagine they're quite fast. We had degus previously and they seem a bit like rats and they were difficult to handle as they ran off and were hard to catch. They need to have a lot of handling to become tame and we never managed it. They also bit quite a lot. I just think we'll be back in that same territory with rats! Guinea pigs seem slower and more cuddly! Any advice from people who have had either or both as pets?

My rats were neither fast or bitey! One came when he was called and liked to sit in the crook of my neck and snuggle me.

See, that's what my DD is saying! Did you get them as babies?

Yes. I had two boys. They were much more easy to handle than hamsters and not as skittish as guineas.

Personally I'd get some chinchillas, they are great

(I've owned guinea pigs, rats and chinchillas.)

Guinea pigs. Pets rats can carry Hantavirus:

veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/178/7/171.3

It's very rare, but the symptoms in humans are really serious if you catch it!

We looked at chinchillas before we got degus. Can't remember why we got degus chinchillas were very cute looking.

Depends where you want to keep them and how much space you've got.

Our guinea pigs live out in the summer and inside in winter. They are happy to eat out your hands or eat grass/treats on your lap but are not keen on being caught. Their little noises are so cute.

They do smell when indoors if you don't regularly clean them out (same as rat cages).

We got ours from a rescue and they had lots for rehoming

Rats! Gently handling from the off, lots of little treats. Lots of interaction, toys, food hiding so they have something to do. Get them from a reputable breeder, not a pet shop. Big cage. They are brilliant animals if you do it properly. The one drawback is they only live for three years and you get so fond of them.

Looks like you have to inhale the waste of a rat to catch that. And it's extremely rare!
Not chinchillas. They can live for 20 years can't they?

Rats from a good breeder don't tend to bite, in fact rats generally don't really bite much. They are very fast though and you have to cover up any holes to places you'd rather they didn't get to like under the built in fridge and rat proof any wires as well as they love chewing them and can make quick work of it.

They require a lot of out time and human contact, around an hour a day us preferable. You can train them to come when called but you have to keep on top of it, we're lazy and don't keep up with it so ours like to piss off when they know we're putting them home 😆. They aren't stupid creatures! They are very friendly and fun though, we've kept rats for a few years now and adore them. We have five at the moment, one loner (he has epilepsy and can't safely be with the others permanently as in his post-seizure state he attacks them, we tried to reintroduce him to them last week for free ranging and it didn't go well!) and four in a larger cage together. They need company of their own kind and three is a good number to start with as if one dies or has an accident unexpectedly then you don't have to worry about finding another quickly.

They also require a large cage, the cages you find in shops are too small really, so you have to be sure that you have the space for an appropriate sized cage.

Ah I remember why we didn't get chinchillas now-thanks!
Thanks for all replies! I think it needs to be rats as that's what DD wants!

Both are truly excellent pets. Get some of each!

Rats make fantastic pets and become very fond of their owners, in the same way cats and dogs do. I've had many pet rats over the years and only one has been bitey, the rest have been very affectionate. Like the PP, my rats all loved sitting in the crook of my neck and I'd wander round the house, do housework etc with a rat sat on my shoulder. They're also very friendly and inquisitive. One of my rats would get out of bed each morning to greet me and wouldn't eat his breakfast until I'd picked him up and cuddled him. Rats are brilliant...a lot of personality in a tiny package. I have also had rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and hamsters and they don't come close to rats. The only thing I would say is that they do need a certain amount of attention, more so than other caged animals. Because they're so sociable they are a bit like dogs and like to have human company. You can't just bung them food each day with no or limited interaction.

As long as your dd is prepared to play with the rat each day then it will make a brilliant pet.

Rats , they make wonderful pets as they are by far the most interactive animal that lives in a cage . Guineas are great but not as much fun as a rat for children . We have had 4 different sets , both boys and girls , girls are a bit smaller but don't smell as much ( not that they smell that much anyway) .

I have had 10 pet rats (in pairs over the course of my life) and they are wonderful - I have also had guinea pigs which are a great deal less wonderful and give a lot less back. Rats are intelligent, affectionate, love company, can do tricks (google this on youtube and you will be amazed), they come when you call their name, they have very individual personalities and unlike hamster et al they rarely bite. They are very special animals and you will get so much more out of having rats than you will with guinea pigs, who just sort of sit around and don't really become attached that much to their owners.

I would liken rats to being like very small dogs actually, in terms of personality. They do have health problems sometimes, like all animals do, but as for humans catching anything off of them please don't worry about that, that is actually ridiculous.

Look up the Rat Fan Club if you want a true insight into keeping rats and how to look after them properly. Also, buy from a reputable breeder when they are young - places like Pets At Home just churn them out like rat factories and they hardly get handled prior to being sold when they are much older, so they aren't going to be so used to people.

Rats - everytime. We had them when the kids were 12 and 8 ish and they were great pets. Get a big cage and have several girls and they amuse each other when you can't play with them, but when you can they'll sit on you and climb round you and learn tricks and all sorts. And they are great fund to watch as they scuttle about together living their ratty lives :-)

(They are also very clean and don't smell if you keep the cage clean - unlike mice that always have that mousy smell.)

DD has been avidly watching rats on YouTube! They do seem really cool. Thanks for the tips.

Rats! Such lovely pets. Docile and cuddly and clever.

But Guinea pigs squeak when you come home! I get a little welcoming chorus every day. They even hear the alarm go off in the morning and start squeaking for breakfast. It's very cute.

Think my UN might give you a hint to which I'd choose 🐹🐹

Ahhhh look at these Little Leathery Legs and Bumcheeks . This is our neutered boar Bert, lardy-ing in DD dressing gown after scoffing grass which is why his nails are manky.

How Can You Resist

There are some gorgeous YouTube videos of rats doing agility , picking up little objects, answering to their names

Rats are good pets. We've had plenty over the years. Generally females are more active than males but the males can be a bit dribbly although less so as they get older (the opposite to humans! ). We usually have pairs but have had individuals due to early deaths of their partner. They can be ok singly but need a lot of attention. We had one female who bonded with me really strongly and would follow me around the house. She'd sit on me in the evenings and groom me whilst i stroked her and we taught her tricks too.
We used a combination of materials in their cage and smell wasnt a problem. They litter trained themselves and would use a tray in the cage and when out. We'd clean their cage once a week but do the litter tray more often as otherwise they'd stop using it.
Good luck with the new addition to the household!