Guinea pigs vs hamsters?

[reallyneedmoresleep]

We’ve recently lost our pet hamster. Gorgeous animals but they live for such a short time; DS (12) is devastated.
We’re contemplating getting something a little longer lasting next; maybe a pair of GuineaDad pigs? They’d be inside pets and would of course be very well looked after (DS is v caring but I know the responsibility ultimately lies with me).
Any advice? Are they really noisy and do they smell? Are they much more friendly than hammies?
I recently looked after my friend’s rats which were lovely but too stinky, so I think it’s very much between piggies or another hamster.

Rats are fab and not smelly if kept correctly. GP are great pets too and a wee bit whiffy but nothing too offensive and aren't as grumpy as hamsters can be

My DD and I had eight years of guinea-pigs over a cycle , 8 in total , 4 males , 4 females in a rolling cycle , 2 of the boars were castrated to live with sows . At one point we had 5 , a castraed boar and his 2 wives and another sow pair who wouldn't bond ( but once we got down to the boar and one remaining sow -from the pair- they married and lived happily )

So in essence , you need to keep adding a partner or two .

My NDN kept hamsters and ended up taking in a few unwanted ones . Her lounge was full of cages

She thought guinea-pigs were "ugly" ( I know - the cheek )

I had never handled a hamster until I helped her catch a Houdini Hammy .

Much as we loved the piggies (and I kept them myself from 9-22yo which was why I was more than happy for my DD to have some when she was 9) they are hard work
They're untidy
They don't smel but the hay does
You cannot put them in a small animal ball rollabout , they need a lot of floorspace .

They are gentle, noisy greedy little animals , but they are not the brightest .
They are very very unlikely to bite - only if your hands smell of food , you pick them up badly or if you are taking on one with a poor history . All ours were rescues , only one would give you a gnaw , not a bite though .

You should consider rats though.
They are sociable . Their cages need to be huge but you can build upwards they are agile .
And clever .

Like all small rodents you need to read up on illnesses . Guinea-pigs do Well-to-Dead . they hide illness .

We have 2 cats now (my DH wanted some cats once we were pigless ) . They are easier in many ways but I do miss nice dry sunny days with the guinea-pigs in their outdoor runs .

With all animals their is a smell by degree .
Our piggies were cleaned daily (especially when indoors)
The hay smells more than them but it is non negotiable . Check your DS isn't allergic to hay or fur .

Males don't smell any worse than females (but they are tidier IMO) . Sows can be a bit evil in season (temper and pee) but it lasts 36 hours.

Guinea pigs themselves don't smell but the urine does - the smaller the enclosure the greater the smell. The minimum enclosure size is 120x60cm for a pair but that's really not a lot of space so go bigger. You will need to clean wet spots every day, potentially multiple times a day in hot weather. They poo constantly. They'll probably need a full clean every week or twice a week. They also eat constantly. They need access to hay at all times, and will also need a daily portion of pellets and fresh vegetables. The hay can be expensive. They are lovely animals and very endearing, but very hard work. I think they are more friendly than hamsters but as with any small animal, they may be skittish when you first get them.

As for hamsters, they will need much, much less cleaning if kept in a proper sized cage (80x50cm or bigger) with several inches of bedding. You shouldn't need to do a full clean more than once a month. If you do, there's something wrong with the enclosure or the hamster. Spot cleaning every few days. I've kept hamsters and while they have their charm, I do find them aloof to be honest. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't expect them to be cuddly!

Have you considered gerbils? They are friendlier than hamsters and can be awake in the day. They need to live in pairs, but preferably no more than pairs. They need a big glass tank with deep bedding. As with hamsters, they shouldn't need cleaning more than once a month and won't smell. They also suffer fewer health problems than both hamsters and guinea pigs (and rats and mice).

Rats are great but some people just can't bear the smell, as you found.

Guinea pigs THE NOISE MY GOD so cute but yeah the squeaky noise is an acquired taste.

Have you looked at Degus and chinchillas?

We loved having our guinea pigs. They are so sweet. Take a fair bit of looking after though. More than a cat. I’d get a cat next time. I think they age the perfect pet!

We've got one Guinea pig at the moment, we had two but like someone said they do well to dead and she died quite young (around 3). They are cute but take up lots of space and smell.

We had a hamster, she died but was a bit of a pain and not too friendly or easy to handle (even though we worked hard trying to socialise her).

If I was going small pet again I'd go gerbil!