Is a guinea pig a good pet of a 12 year old girl?

Question

I think i`ve found the right pet for me! but not sore... my home has 1 dog (pug quite lazy) 2 cats, and some fish. But i`ve NEVER had a guinea pig. If u can just help let me know if this is the right pet for me!

Answer 1

its good.i have one.they are fun and fairly easy.alittle work on cleaning out the cage.but u will love one.they are so fun.

Answer 2

Awww, I had a guinea pig for five years before I left my country (it's still alive, don't worry :). It is the BEST animal to take care of, very cute, and it doesn't make any problems.

However, you have 2 cats...... And guinea pigs are afraid of cats, because cats attack them. (Mine was attacked by a cat twice!!! and it almost died :/ I don't think its recommended to have both cat and a guinea pig, because they cannot run freely together. And if you get a guinea pig, you will have to keep it locked in its cage all the time, and this is now what I recommend.



Oh, and by the way, why do you wanna get another pet when you have so many? I'm just curious.

Honestly, I do not recommend you to get a guinea pig when you have cats.. Sorry...

Answer 3

My friend has one but personally i think they are really smelly and annoying. They are cute though.

Answer 4

YES, but be careful around your dogs and cats. Don't let it run loose if your dogs and cats are there. Guinea Pigs involve alot of responsibility such as feeding and water and cleaning the cage that can be VERY stinky when not! You may want to reasearch breeds of GP and care instructions.

Answer 5

yes it is

Answer 6

if u r used 2 loud sounds at night then ya they are so loud

Answer 7

Yes, this is as good pet. Before you get it though make sure you research it on the internet or in a book.

Answer 8

a guinea pig is a good pet but buy two (preferable that have been together all their life) because they can get lonely and have the cage cleaned once or twice a week

Answer 9

I'm in the exact same situation!!!  I'm also 12yrs old.  But have researched guinea pigs for weeks and I most likely know everything a vet knows about them!  Fish are no problem for a guinea pig, and I have heard many stories about cats and guinea pigs getting along. But, if it so happens that your cats don't get along w/ the guinea pig make sure they are kept away during your guinea pig's floor time.  Because one of the cats could phsyically or mentally(stress) hurt your guinea.  Also make sure the cats are kept away from the guinea pigs cage because that could also cause stress.  Never leave the cats or even one cat alone with the guinea pig.  The same rules apply for a dog if it doesn't get along with the guinea pig.  Even if the dog or cats do get along with the guinea pig always keep a watchful eye on them because a fight could break out any moment.  Hope i helped! ;)

Answer 10

i am 13 years old and i got my first guinea pig when i was 11. but i am very responsible with animals because i have had dogs and hamsters all my life and i have had cats birds and girbels to. They are great pets but the one thing about getting a guinea pig that  i learned and no one really told me before i got one was that they NEED a friend to live with. to keep them happy. i had no idea. but i got one for my little guinea pig boy after he was one year old and he could not have been happier. I am so glaad i got him a friend. So if you are going to get one wich is a big responsability i would definitly suggest 2. They are great, fun, cute pets and i love them! so yes i think they are good pets for a 12 year old and if a guinea pig doesnt work then a hamster!!!!! definitly but only get 1 hamster because they are different and dont really like friends. So i hope i helped and i wish you the best of luck, thanks jess

Answer 11

I think they are.

I got my guinea pig when I was 12,

I'm 15 now, and he's still alive

Answer 12

YES, guinea pigs are awesome! I have 1 and my sister had one but hers died :-( ....

Here are some GREAT websites.....

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbit...

http://www.guineapigsclub.com/gp_site/in...

http://www.cavyspirit.com/

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/guineapig...

http://www.2ndchance.info/guineapigcare....

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

http://www.essortment.com/all/whataregui...

http://justwriteforkids.blogspot.com/200...

http://www.geocities.com/stars1206/

http://www.wisegeek.com/are-guinea-pigs-...

TRY TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,

HOPE THIS HELPS,

-Amanda

Answer 13

yes

Answer 14

Absolutely. As long as the guinea pig is in a secure cage away from the dogs and cats. Keep in mind that guinea pigs are highly social animals and do much better in same s*x pairs or groups. Please get two. Even better, adopt two, as they are very overpopulated and many sit in shelters and rescues: http://www.petfinder.com/

Beforehand, do all the research you can:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/guineapigs...

http://www.petinfopackets.com/links/smal...

Answer 15

Yes, it would be the perfect pet for you.  You will love having a guinea pig.  Get a pair though because they are very social animals and enjoy the company of each other.  The best match is two females.  Do your research before getting one.  Yes, they are adorable but you really need to get all your facts first.  Guinea Pigs are rodents.  They live five to eight years so it is a pretty long commitment.  Think about if you will be willing to clean their cage each day and will you have care for them if you should go on vacation.  You always have to make sure they have food, water, and timothy hay.  The need Vitamin C so get a food that is Vitamin C added.  Nutriphase makes a great pellet for guinea pigs.  I also add liquid vitamins to their water.  Make sure they have a nice size cage.  No wire cages or they will get painful sores on their feet.  A good bedding is Kiln Dried Pine or Aspen.  Care Fresh is the best but it is expensive.  They enjoy having a little plastic igloo in their cage for privacy.  You can give them veggies a couple of times a week.  Kale is great for them.  They love it.  No lettuce because it is mostly water and will give them diarrhea.  Each day you should remove the soiled bedding and then weekly you should change the bedding completely.  In my experience, guinea pigs don't bite.  They may nibble on your fingers if they smell food but it doesn't hurt.  They are my favorite of all the rodents.  They are skittish at first because it is their nature because they are prey in the wild.  Just handle them each day and interract with them.  They are so sweet.  They love to be held and they make the cutest noises.  They will eat as much as you give them so don't overfeed them but make sure they always have water and timothy hay.  Don't give them alfalfa because it is fattening.  You would love having a guinea pig but it is an important decision.  I hope I was helpful.

Answer 16

no! i have one lately,,, guinea pig and dog cant be place in one room...stay away from your dog... keep your guinea pig in the cage while your gone,,,,

Answer 17

OMG YES! that is the perfect pet for you. i am 12 too and have 4 guinea pigs they are sooo adorable i love them!

Answer 18

YES! My granddaughter had a guinea pig at the age of 4, and it lived to be the age of  2, but they usually live to be the age of 10. The only reason it died is because it had a heart attack. She is now 10, and has one. It's still a baby, though. So as long as you take proper care of it,( like trimming it's nails, don't feed it avacados, etc.) it will be an EXCELLENT pet!

Answer 19

I think a guinea pig is a perfect pet for anyone. I have guinea pigs and they are great and easy to care for.

Answer 20

Please don't consider guinea pigs as "starter pets ". They are actually harder to care for than dogs or cats ( if your REALLY take care of them). But if your daughter is very responsible and will commit to the guinea pigs average life of 5 - 7 years, you could think about getting a piggy :)

Here is some info you might want to start off.

1. Please go to a guinea pig rescue or shelter to get guinea pigs. Please get two or more because guinea pigs are THIGMOTACTIC  meaning they have to be with another animal of its kind. If you only get one, it could die of depression. Just think: would you want to live in a cage all by yourself?

PetCo and Petsmart only care for the profit for the animals and 50% of the time, the guinea pig will have a disease or will be the wrong gender that you picked.

2. The cage. Commercial pet cages are never big enough for one piggy and are way to expensive for the size. I recommend a cube and coroplast cage. You can make this 2 story and as big or wide as you want it to be. You can find cubes in the office department of Target or Walmart for less than 15 dollars. Coroplast is just cardboard with a waterproof coat in any color you want. You can get this for 20 dollars at a local sign shop. If you choose to buy a store bought cage ( or what i like to call a glorified litter box ) your guinea pig won't have any room to run and will most likely become obese. A guinea pigs day is exersize for an hour, rest the next hour, exersize for an hour, rest next hour.

3. Bedding. Don't use cedar or pine shavings as this could cause an upper respitory infection that, if left untreated, could lead to death. You can choose from Carefresh ( shredded newspaper ) or aspen. In my opinion, carefresh tends to get a little dusty. I use aspen in my guinea pigs cage.

4.Food. Like humans, guinea pigs can't produce vitamin c. So, if you plan to get guinea pigs that are less than 6 months, get them alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets. But if they are older than 6 months, get them timothy hay and timothy pellets. At the sources i'll give you a list of what do's and dont's to feed them. Don't put vitamin c drops in the water because the water has some type if chemical that will dissolve the vitamin drops in the matter of hours. the vitamin drops also leave a very bad taste. You'll know when you smell it. ( ewwww )

5. Cleaning the cage. If your 12 year old daughter is willing to commit to spot cleaning the cage twice a day and changing all the bedding out once a week, then i would say she is prepared.

Because your daughter is 12 and the average guinea pig lives to be 7, think about what your daughter would be doing in 7 years. She would be in highschool and as we all know, it is very busy. Who will be there to feed them, clean the cage and love them?

Answer 21

They are the best pet (besides dogs) for a person of ANY age.