Rabbits, Guineas or Rats?

[Springroller]

Hello - I would love to get my daughters (15 and 12) a pet each but would love some advice on what to choose. My eldest suffers from anxiety and I think having something to cuddle would be great for her. I did have my mind set on rabbits but I don't think that's the right animal for us - we have dogs so it would be difficult to have any animal downstairs and I'm worried that having the pets outside would mean they get a bit forgotten about during the winter. So I'm really thinking about a pet to be kept in their bedrooms. I've just spoken to the pet shop who recommended rats as sociable animals that like being handled. I'd love any advice on this and am open to other suggestions too. TIA.

I love my hamster - 28 year old woman here. Yes they are nocturnal, but for a 15 year old, it might not be that bad, my hamster usually wakes up between 7 pm to 8 pm (though every hamster is different). my hamster doesn't mind being petted and stroked, you can tame it. Also their cages don't take up much space and you can put them on furniture, the recommended cage is 80 cm to 100 cm long and 50 cm wide, compared to rabbits and guineas which require much more space (150 cm by 77 cm for guineas and much more for rabbits). Of course, if you get 2 hamsters, they need separate cages.

In addition to needing less space, the good thing about the hamster is that it only lives for 2-3 years. I think this is relevant as your daughter is 15. She would probably be going off to uni in 3 years time, and if you get a guinea pig which lives for 8 years, you would have to look after it when she is in university, which is far from ideal. Rats would probably work in your situation, but I don't really like rodents with tails (thats just me though!)

Also another factor worth considering is the cleaning involved. I am no domestic goddess so wanted a small furry with lower maintenance cleaning. Mumsnet has a lot of guinea pig owners so probably can advise you better on this but the cleaning requirements seemed very intensive as guinea pigs poop a lot and you need a daily clean and a deep clean every 3-7 days..

For my hamster, its a clean once a week (tbh the cage can go for more than a week without a clean) and i clear the poops as needed. Hamsters spend all their time grooming themselves and are very clean animals.

I've had all three of those and I can say that the easiest, cleanest and least smelly are Guinea Pigs.

Rats stink, really really!, they wee spray everywhere. Rabbits chew everything and are more likely to bite.
Guinea pigs have character and are a good all round pet.

GP do poo a lot, it's true. But it's also firm and very easily picked/swept up and very little smell.

Rabbits tend not to be cuddly, so I agree that's not a great pet given what you're looking for. I have rabbits, love them to bits but it's hard work.

Kids have a hamster which they love, mine are aged 10 and 8 and they take care of it themselves (obviously I check), we have a lot of animals though so they are used to animals and taking care of animals. Hamsters are nocturnal but that means they are awake in the evenings to play with. Make sure you get a large enough cage as often those sold in pet shops are very undersized.

I actually recommend a kitten for the cuddly factor. Definitely more of a hands on cuddly animal which kids can take care of. Cost wise it's equal to or even less than rabbits (rabbits require neutering, vaccinations, different foods, housing, toys etc).

Rats are great social animals but are smelly.

I don't know much about Guinea pigs though, they may be a good option.

Thanks for all the advice. I went to a pet shop to meet various animals. I really wanted to love rats but I couldn't really get past the tail. Also am not sure my daughters would be able to. I don't love hamsters although the larger ones aren't too bad. Just not very cuddly. I held a Guinea pig and rather liked it but am still torn between them and rabbits. Any more pros and cons would be great.

Had rats and now have guinea pigs. I love rats (had boys and girls, girls seemed more cuddly) and they are lovely pets.

Our guinea pigs are great, but they are VERY loud, they squeak a lot. But they are easier than rats IMO.

I veered away from rabbits because I thought they were more expensive, in terms of needing vaccinations and needing to be neutered.

What do your kids want? I have rabbits. They live outside year round in a two story hitch with a large run. They need to be moved every three weeks or so. They are not cuddly, but may be if handled alot when young. I have two dogs and they sniff each other through the wire but ignore each other otherwise. They are not forgotten, though with any animal YOU will be doing most if not all of the care.
However if you have dogs why do you need another? I don't know an animal more cuddly than a dog.

I have a house rabbit, he has a large crate which is open when we're home. We have a dog and they get on well. He does get a bit bitey and needs handling.