Guinea Pig or Rabbit?

Question

I really want a small animal, and i'm now caught between a guinea pig and a rabbit. my mom likes rabbits but not guinea pigs so much...so a rabbit would be easier to convince my parents to get. i've heard rabbits smell, so i was wondering how badly they smell. also, i was wondering how big the cage would have to be for a smaller breed, like a Holland lop? and, can you use fleece like you can for guinea pigs for a rabbit? i really want a pet i can hold, pet and have fun with. if i ended up getting a guinea pig, it would probably have to stay in my room, while the rabbit would be welcome near everybody else, as long as it didn't smell too much.

Answer 1

Guinea piggie! They can tell you how they feel, you don't have to waste your money on toys like hamster balls, and  they absolutely LOVE being cuddled and held, unlike rabbits, i almost got one until we saw online that rabbits weren't for kids, they scratch and thrash around when they are held.

Answer 2

i have had both, a guinea pig and a rabbit. i would prefer the rabbit. they dont smell but there cages do if you dont clean them out often enough. and they stay friendly as long as you take them out and hold them every day.

Answer 3

Rabbits don't stink. They do have a strong smelling urine, and the bedding under the cage should be changed every couple of days for an inside rabbit. Guinea pigs are good too, but they also have a strong smelling urine. The difference is rabbits are quieter, guinea pigs make little whistles and squeaks, but you don't get that from rabbits. Another difference is the cages. The typical guinea pig cage is set up for them to live within the wood shavings, making the cage harder to clean, a rabbit cage is designed to have the droppings pan beneath the cage, so all you need to do is dump the pan, and you don't have to move the rabbit, while you are doing this. A 24x24 inch cage is plenty big enough for a holland lop. You can get the entire hutch kit for around $50 at a Rural King or other farm implement store. The kit includes cage, stand, dropping pan, feeder, and water bottle, and the clips to assemble the cage with. The cages aren't too difficult to assemble, I bought special "J" clip pliers to do mine, but regular pliers and wire cutters aren't much more difficult to get things done just the one time. You'll need to get your mom or dad to help with this, as the clips have to be tight for the cage to be secure and last the lifetime of your bunny. I recommend getting a rabbit from a reputable breeder, rather than a pet store. Most breeders will sell you a pure-bred, pet quality rabbit for a fraction of what you would pay at a pet-store, and they would also provide you with follow up care instructions and a pedigree, letting you know exactly what your bunny's birthday is, what s*x it is, and tons of other useful info a pet store doesn't offer. For an inside pet rabbit. I do recommend getting the animal spayed or nuetered. Typically, rabbits have certain characteristics that make them less desirable as inside pets once they reach sexual maturity. Males often start spraying, to mark their territory, and females have hormone swings that make them irritable when they come into a heat cycle. Getting them fixed will eliminate these problems, and it won't cost you any more than it would to have a cat or dog done. Good luck to you. I added a link to the American Rabbit Breeders Association website. you should be able to find a holland lop breeder in your area by following the links, you can also check out all 47 breeds of rabbits and 13 breeds of guinea pigs (cavies) there as well.

http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm

Answer 4

rabbits and Guinea pigs both smell . My boyfriend has a rabbit and i used to have 20 something guinea pigs.They are both good animals . If you keep there cage clean they want stink . If you go to a pet store and they can tell you want cage you need for them. If i was you the bedding i would use for them is pine are aspen , because citer will kill them. People will tell you to use citer . That's why alot of small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs die , it's because of the citer

Answer 5

I've had a guinea pig and I currently have a rabbit.  I found my rabbit much more personal than my guinea pig, but I loved them both.  My rabbit loves to be petted and she will sometimes fall asleep on my lap.  My guinea pig was pretty calm when I held her but it was difficult to get her out of her cage a lot of the time.  The guinea pig made more noise (squealing, squeaking, some strange vibrating noise.)  So if you want a vocal pet than guinea pigs definitely speak more.  Rabbits only make small grunting noises (usually when they want food or attention).  My rabbit kind of smells after a while so we give her a light bath once or twice a year.  They're good at litter training when it comes to going pee, but a lot of them have problems with pooping in one area.  They p**p A LOT.  Mine got much better at pooping in her litter box once we got her spayed.  That's another thing - fixing rabbits is almost necessary.  Guinea pigs don't need to be.  Fixing them makes them nicer, easier to train, calmer, and allows them to live longer (especially females because they almost always get cancer after five years if they aren't fixed).  Rabbits require bigger cages.  3" by 2" by 3" is usually a good size.  My rabbit is actually living in my guinea pigs cage (2" by 2" by 2").  We keep it open though in our screen porch so she is able to run around whenever she wants.  Basically, if you're going to keep your rabbit in its cage most of the time get a bigger cage and vice versa if your going to let it get out a lot.  Overall, a guinea pig is easier to hold but it depends on your pet's personality.  Sometimes rabbits kick at first and cause a few scratches but that can be avoided with long sleeve shirts.  Eventually rabbits get use to being held.  If you're going to keep a guinea pig in your room be prepared for a little bit of noise during the night.  My guinea pig use to run around all night and chew on her cage bars.  Both rabbits and guinea pigs are good pets.  Its up to you, but I would say to go with the rabbit.

Answer 6

I currently have both a rabbit and a guinea pig and I can tell you that they are both sweet pets. I personally would go with the piggy though, cause rabbits can be nasty sometimes, but my piggies (had them my whole life) have never been.  

Answer 7

Personally, I like guinea pigs better. I think they are friendlier, and if you like your pets to "talk", guinea pigs make more noise.

The only thing that would make a guinea pig not as good for your situation is that they are much happier in pairs. They also like being held and played with, so it should be kept in an area where it can be played with by people.

Guinea pigs and rabbits do not smell, unless you don't clean their cage enough. At least once a week (possibly more) is minimum.Guinea pigs need a cage with a solid bottom (like a plastic and wire cage), but rabbits can have a cage with a wire bottom, so that their p**p falls through to a tray underneath. Guinea pigs need a lot of space to run about in (at least 7.5 sq. feet for 1, 10.5 for 2). I don't know a lot about the requirements of rabbits, but I'm fairly sure that they don't need as much space. In your situation, a rabbit would be a better pet, i think. Good luck with your new pet!

Answer 8

piggies are a little tamer and they are a unique breed try yahoo search read care and traits of both do a little"report"on the one you choose this will impress mom and ask her to go look at store with you ask to handle the ones you like to be sure tame  handle a couple of each to see whitch you ajust to best persuade mom to hol;d the awwwww one and you will probably win your choice make sure the one mom holds is the one you like

Answer 9

i would go with a rabbit.they don't have an oder but what smells is there cage if you don't clean it so just clean the cage new bedding etc. and he won't smell. good luck with your new pet