I cant figure out if i should get my 10 year old girl a guinea pig should I??

Question

Thanks you guys the anwsers will really help me!! :)

Answer 1

Okays firsty, the number one rules when getting guinea pigs is too get 2. In the wild they live in herds and are very social animals.

I recommend you sit done with your daughter and talk to her abotu it. Ask her if she wants a couple/ And research it together. Buy a few books (I recommend the books by Peter Gurney) and look on the internet together.

Guine apigs shoudl eb a family pet, don;t leave it to yoru daughter to care for them, and don;t buy them for hwer becaus eit wqill teach her repsonsibilty. Bevaus ethat won;t work. Make sure everyone in the famiyl pitches in. Being 10, your little girl will probably lose interest in them after a while, thats why they shoudl be a family pet and why you shoudl get two, giving your kid so much repsonsibilty is not good, she may feel under pressure and she may be unable to cope with the responsibility of a opet. Teach he rhow to look after them, how to hold them etc . . . .

If you are prepeared to share the responsibilty of guinea p[igs as a family and give the pigs teh best life you can, thsi includes takig them to a vet if they need it then go for it. Also rescue, don;t buy from pet shops. Its so much more rewarding to give piggies a second chnace in life :) And lastly, some guinea pigs live for up to 10 years, so both you and yoru daughter need to eb prepared to look after them for thsu long

Here are some sites I recommed if you do decide to get guinea pigs:

http://www.cavyspirit.com/kidsandguineap...

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://www.cavycompendium.com/forums/sho...

http://www.guinealynx.info/

http://www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm

Answer 2

they make a lot of mess and smell bad.

you gotta clean cage every other day.

my six year old nephew had 1.

If u want to get her a pet i would recommend

Chinchilla

Gerbil

Mouse

Answer 3

A guinea pig's cage needs to be cleaned more than just once a week.  We have had guinea pigs the cages must be cleaned at LEAST every other day if not everyday and it's not just because of the smell.  It is because of the bacteria and germs.  

The questions you must ask before you get ANY pet are:  Who is going to train/discipline the pet.  Who is going to feed the pet?  If it's a "land" pet who is going to exercise the pet?  Who is going to clean up after the pet?  Who is willing to give up their spare time to spend with the pet?  Who is willing to give up time spent elsewhere to care for the pet? (meaning your child wants to go outside with friends but the cage needs cleaning).  Who is going to take the pet to the Veternarian when the pet needs to go?  Even Guinea pigs get sick and need medical care.  All of those questions need to be answered before you get a guinea pig and if your daughter isn't willing to share in the responsiblities of caring for the guinea pig I would have to advise against getting one.

Answer 4

I think you should. Getting kids pets to take care of gives them a sense of responsibility. And animals are fun to have especially when you are young.

Answer 5

Just realize she's still young so you may have to remind her to clean his cage etc. But it's good for her to learn how to take care of an animal as long as it's not one of the "I want one their so cute" and 2 weeks later it's in the shelter. Guinea pigs are very vocal and like attention. They need there cage cleaned daily so that it does not stink and they do not get sick from being in their own waste.

Answer 6

I would say it depends on how responsible your daughter is. If you want to take care of it, then its not a big deal. But it would teach her responsibility to be able to have to take care of her own pet. I say if she's responsible enough and you think she'll take care of it then go ahead and get it for her. Good luck!

Answer 7

I don't have any experience with guinea pigs but my 2 daughters (ages 9 and 12) both have other pets. My younger one has a hamster and my older one has 2 rats. I MUCH prefer the rats. They are fun social animals and my daughter has really had to learn responsibility in taking care of them. I think it's good for kids to have pets if they are responsible enuf.

Answer 8

They require the cage to be cleaned atleast once a week to avoid a horrible smell and require daily matience as far as food and water goes.  

If you can handle these responsiblities then go for it they are GREAT PETS!

But they are a bit more work then say a hampster or then most realize when getting them, myself included.

Answer 9

Guinea pigs are wonderful pets fot children, the dont bite and they are cute and fluffy. That said, be prepared to be cleaning the cage alot yourself. It needs to be done about once per week. You will also need to be sure to give them a balanced diet too. Its depends on your 10 year old. Some kids will take care of their pets mostly on their own at that age and some wont. Just be sure that you make the decision keeping in mind that you may have to care for it alot too.

As far as other pets, I recommend that you dont get a child a reptile or a turtle. They can live for 40 + years in captivity and require much more thought in setting up their environment that other animals. So I would stick to something like a guinea pig, ferret, cat, dog or bird.

Answer 10

Yes!!!

They do smell if you don't take care of them but if your daughter wont take the responsibility to take care of the thing then don't get one,because the do require about a half hour out of the cage a day.

Answer 11

NO!Oh my gosh I just did that a while ago and those things are the NOISIEST things you have ever heard in your entire life,,,needless to say I gave it back to the pet shop and my kid didn't mind at all.

Answer 12

NO

dont get a guinea pig theyre way too much to handle

get like a mouse or gerbil or something