Talk me out of getting one of these pets?

Question

I cannot decide which pet to choose: guinea pigs or rabbits.

Please give me factual information on either of these animals (good or bad) that will persuade me into choosing only one. Have had guinea pigs before and I adored them. Couldn't really play with them though. Would like some basic care info on rabbits.

Thanks!

Answer 1

i have had rabbits in the past and loved them...they are sumwhat easy to train and pretty easy to clean...depending on the kind of cage, rabbits can be housed inside or outside and also can be litter trained. rabbits also have quite a personality, they are funny and happy most of the time, but still sumtimes can bite so beware of that, especially with little children,rabbits can live a long time if you take care of it right. also you need to be able to supply...food,hay.water,cage,and dishes for the food and water, if your looking to breed then rabbits could be a good chose except that you have to take the male out before birth or else he will eat the babies. there are assortments of colors and styles and breeds and you should think about which one you want and make a decision then do some research on that particular one that you want...i have just gotten into the guinea pigs so i dont now as much abt them except that they make good pets...so far.but just keep in mind that no matter wat you get you should do some research and make sure thats the pet you want and be sure you can care for it the right way...well i wish you luck on your pet expedition!

Answer 2

Large rabbits are a little skittish and not too open to cuddling. They scratch when they feel stressed or agitated.  Dwarf Rabbits are probably better suited for play, and are sooo cute!  Guinea Pigs are wonderful lap sitters, but both of these animals p**p loads.  They need lots of cleaning up and looking after.

Answer 3

Holland lop rabbits are sooo cute, they like to be held and petted, you can take them for a walk, they dont need to be bathed or groomed, they are relatively small (like 4 pounds), and they almost never bite (in 8 years of raising rabbits i have only had 3 bite me because they thought i had treats), and they can live alone or in same-s*x gruops of two.

here on some good links on holland lop rabbits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Lop

http://www.lopsandcavies.com/Holland_Lop...

http://www.rabbitandcavydirectory.com/

http://www.thenaturetrail.com/PetsPage.h...

Have fun =], melyssa

Answer 4

Guinea Pigs: Pros and Cons

lets start with the cons, then move on to the pros.

Cons:

~there a five year commitment

~they cost $30 to 40

~they require attention for at least 45 minutes a day

~they should get daily exercise (do not put them in balls- it will damage their spine.)

~you have to change the litter once or twice a week

~change there water daily

~feed them at morning (guinea pig premium feed) and night (guinea pig feed and hay)

~give them snacks (fresh fruit)

~there more content with a cage mate

~they shed their hair

~they need to have there nails cut

Pros:

~they like to cuddle

~teach responsibility and commitment

~you can hold them while doing homework

~petting them is a good stress reliever

~they have fun just hiding in blankets

~some respond to their name

~they make cute noises when they think there going to be feed.

~you can teach some to give "kisses" (by tapping their nose on your lips when you make a puckering noise)

~ you can train the to walk from one room to another to go to its cage to go away.

~they tolerate pain well

~there active 23 hrs

~they are fairly quiet at night

~they are great pets if you can give it what it needs and love it.

Rabbits:Pros and Cons

Cons: Requires a great more time and expense than most owners are aware of. Can be very destructive if not provided with proper outlets for chewing and digging, and may shed A LOT!! Some rabbits are more independent or want less attention (but more playtime) then people expect of a pet.

If this is your first rabbit you may want to get an adult- babies take a lot of work to properly socialize, litterbox train, etc. I recommend this because it is much easier and you could choose a rabbit with a personality you were comfortable with that maybe wanted to be handled more. (One of my rabbits doesn’t like petting, but just likes to climb on people) Many rabbit shelters and rescues spay/neuter before adoption which really has both health and behavioral benefits. This includes reducing the risk for cancer of the reproductive organs, lessens territorial aggression, and makes litter box training a bit easier.

Pros: Very interesting animals to watch and learn how they interact with each other. Can be litter box trained. Can be very affectionate in their own way, but may need time to warm up and bond with their owner. May get along well with other animals in the household (depends on individual rabbit).

Answer 5

I would suggest getting a rabbit. They are very much like a GP but since you've already had GP's, then go for a change. But please adopt from your local animal shelter, there are always many bunnies looking for lovong homes.

Answer 6

I have had a friend that had rabbits. Omg if you want to play with them you better have a pooper scooper! They p**p every 3 seconds! BEWARE OF THE RABBITS!

Answer 7

Either animal can be a good pet depending on your expectations and how much care/cleaning you want to put in.  

In my experience guinea pigs soil their litter very quickly so it needs to be changed often.  Mine also urinated all over the litter and didn't select a particular corner, so the whole pan needed to be dumped rather than just scooping out the wet litter from the corners.  I've heard this varies and some guinea pigs can be litter trained, but I wouldn't count on it.

Rabbits can be litter trained.  Most rabbits will only use a corner of the cage for urinating.  You can use a rabbit litter box from the pet store in the corner where the rabbit likes to urinate and it will make the cleanup much easier.  I put a different kind of litter in the litter box than I use for their bedding.  Then they know to soil only on a certain kind of litter, which is used only for that purpose.  It's easier to get them to use other litter boxes when outside the cage if you do this.  

Rabbits do p**p throughout the bedding and on the floor when you let them out, but the f***s are hard and don't smell bad as long as your rabbit is healthy.  They're very easy to pick up.

As far as feeding, they eat very similar foods, but a guinea pig absolutely requires fresh vegetables containing vitamin C to stay healthy.  Again this requires more upkeep.  Rabbits can eat vegetables but they are not required for the rabbit's health.  Many do quite well eating just pelleted food and timothy hay.

I personally think a rabbit usually makes a better pet than a guinea pig.  Both can be nice animals, but guinea pigs are more work and, in my experience anyway, are more likely to be inconsolably terrified of being handled.  Rabbits are also a lot quieter and a little smarter, or at least more amenable to training.  But they need more human interaction than guinea pigs do in order to really blossom.  They can get neurotic if they don't have a cagemate (male/female couples are best--with at least one of them spayed/neutered of course) and you don't spend enough time with them.

It all comes down to what you want in a pet.  If you just want something in a cage to watch and hold now and then, and you don't mind the extra effort, a pair of guinea pigs are probably better for you.  If you want something capable of being almost like a dog or cat, a rabbit is a better choice.  Good luck!

EDIT: An aside about rabbits: breed matters.  Large breed rabbits are usually calmer as long as you handle them properly.  I do NOT recommend getting dwarfs as your first rabbits.  They tend to have "wilder" temperaments, especially the tiniest dwarfs.

Answer 8

rabbits are really cool u should by 1 of them but they eat a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!

Answer 9

the basic care info is about the same for rabbits as it is for guinea pigs. I have had rabbits, but no guinea pigs, but my friend use to have one. They both eat the same kinds of things, you can train them to use a litter box, teach them to walk on a leash. one thing i do suggest is whichever you choose get it when it is little so you can get it use to being held and loved on a lot!