Right age for a Guinea Pig?

[theresaj]

I was wanting to discuss in light of the G-Force craze, as Guinea Pigs are not suitable pets for very young children, and I realize many here are experts on the subject of children and cavies. In your opinion what is the RIGHT age for a Guinea Pig? Thanks!

[lissie]

I think there really is no right age for a child to own guinea pigs. They are expensive pets and should have an adult caregiver. I must admit, we did get my pigs because of my 5 year-old daughter. I did some research and found this site before I got the pigs. I did let my husband believe the pigs are for my daughter, but they're actually for me
If he knew I would be so crazy about them and building them a new cage once a month, he wouldn't have let me get them.

[momof1kid3piggi]

Yes I told my soon to hubby that they are for my daughter as well. She is only four, But really they where for me If I told him they where for me I wouldn't Have them. But I dont see an appropriate age for children to have a guinea Pig Unless they are around 16-17 years old have a job of their own and can show an adult that they can take care of them on their own. By housing them properly and feeding them the way guinea pigs need feed and so on. But at that age. It is very close to an adult anyways. So From my personal opinion I don't see an appropriate age for *children* to have a guinea pig as a pet.

[guineapigluver1]

There is no appropriate age for children. I'd say they need to be at least 12 and from then on their parents would need to judge according to maturity and responsibility and even then they would need to be able to step in on caring for them. I know some 15 year olds who I would cringe to see taking care of a guinea pig, yet know of 12 year olds who would do pretty darn good.
So long as the parents are paying, of course.

[fieryone]

I also don't think there is a right age for a child to have any pet, not just guinea pigs. It depends on the child and most aren't going to care for a pet over the long haul so any pet will probably ultimately be the parents' responsibility. There are obviously exceptions to this and it would depend on the individual child as to when they were ready and willing to care for a pet full time.

We also got the pigs because of my son, who was 8 at the time. Our 3+ year old dwarf hamster whom we all adored had just died and he asked for a guinea pig. He had a (poorly taken care of) guinea pig at his bio father's house who died at about a year and a half old. I was hesitant since I didn't know anything about them so I looked them up and found this site. After a lot of reading we decided to get a pair. Fell in love quickly and got a third and recently a fourth. The pigs are mine, 100%. My now 9½ year old son doesn't take care of the pigs at all and I never expected him to.

[Amsley246]

I think it really depends on how mature the child is and how willing a parent is to teach. I got our pigs for the family, that being myself, my boyfriend and our 3 year old (who was 2 at the time). I grew up around pets my whole life and learned all I could from my mom. She was always one to let her children experience life and the things all around us. She taught us how to care for our pets but at the same time made sure they were getting proper care and that they were getting plenty of attention from the whole family. With my son, he helps me every morning to feed the pigs their veggies (I cut them up and he gives them out), he scoops the pellets into the dishes, and occasionally he helps clean their pen, gives them hay (it's pretty messy though with a 3 year old ) and some other little odds and ends. He's pretty mature for his age. But I know that not all children are like this. Every child is their own person and attitude. Some cannot handle things as well as others and it's up to the parents to decide what they think is right for their child to handle (although there are some parents should not even be given that decision). I believe the family pet should be the whole family's responsibility, not just the parents, and not just the child.

[412enter]

I dont have a guinea pig but i know if a 4 year old boy wanted the poor critter to fly there would be some broken bones!

[auburnmare5]

I don't think that there is a set "right age" for a child to get an animal. First of all, it should be the parents pet until the child is old enough to fully care for it. Because if the parents buy it for the child, then the parents aren't going to want to do much with the animal. I think that the parents should own the animal until the kids would like to take full responsibility.

[Ibbet]

I'm XX, I'm responsible when it comes to the care of my animals. I clean the pig cage completely every week nobody else has ever had to do it. I make sure he has food/water/hay at all times and change it daily. I give him his vegetables everyday and make sure he gets floor time daily, ect. I also take care of my brother's hamster, Scar and clean his cages. I take care of the two betas we have and clean their tanks. I feed/water/walk/play/bathe all the dogs we have, and also take care of the cats. When my sister leaves or stays somewhere I take care of her rabbit too. My parents may pay for the supplies but I do the work when it comes to the animals and earn the money for the extra things I want for them. I don't really think there is a right time or age to get a pig. It all depends on the child, teen, and/or parents in my opinion. I know a few people who are the same age as me or older who would be horrible pig owners. It depends on the person and their responsibility level.

[Ibbet]

My dad also didn't get why Hippie needed "such a big cage".

[Fudgenrolo]

I do agree that any children owning pets should always, always do so under the supervision of an adult. For one thing; most children cannot afford vet bills nor can they take their pet to the vet so there has to be an adult around that is able and willing to take on primary responsibility for the pet for this reason alone.

However; that said - I had my first pet (a budgie!) at about 9 years of age and did everything for him. I loved Pippin dearly and did all the cleaning, caring for him that was needed. Plus I cleaned the dining room where his cage was positioned every single week thoroughly as this was part of my being allowed to have him in the first place. (Birds are very messy!).

Once I'd proved to mum and dad over a length of time that I was responsible I was eventually also allowed to have a pair of gerbils - Fudge and Rolo - they bought me the cage as a surprise and I got the gerbils later when everything else was set up. I don't remember exactly how old I was when I got my gerbils but it was whilst I was at Primary School so I must have been younger than 11. All the other pets I had whilst living at mum and dad's were a joint decision though and dad was brilliant taking me to get supplies and travelling to the vet with me and various pets but I did all the cleaning and feeding that was needed.

In conclusion..... I don't think there is an 'ideal' age for a child to have a pet but I do think that some children can be responsible enough to care and look after animals properly. However - I also feel that this always needs to be done under the supervision of a responsible adult who is prepared to take on all the cleaning / feeding and loving of the said animal(s) should the child get bored.

Guinea Pigs live a fairly long time compared to most animals though which is a big consideration if a child or young person is going to be their primary carer as circumstances change - youths leave school and go to university etc as an example - so all these things should be thought about long and hard before taking them on.

I think pets should be a 'family' thing to be honest - a family decision. This generally works best for all concerned although it needs to be clear from the start who will be responsible for what in terms of duties.

[Jaybird!889]

I think it depends on how mature the child and the parent are. The truth is a child can be a good care giver if the parent (or guardian) is willing to teach them proper respect and care for an animal; if a parent isn't willing to do/show these things to the child then the child cannot make a good owner.

I know my neice is a great animal owner but the people she lives with probably don't understand what it means to be a good pet owner. When my neice was younger this deterred her from being able to provide the proper care (vet visits, good food, toys, etc). But, as she has gotten older and more stubborn her love for her animals has grown on her grandparents and mother and they seem to be willing to take better care of their animals for my neices sake.

[Smudge & Monkey]

I agree there's no right age. Even the keenest of kids will need to be monitored. I had my first GP at about 10yo and I adored her, but mum still had to remind me to clean her bedding and take the veggie scraps to her from time to time because kids can get lazy.

20yrs on, I got a GP (Smudge) for my 4yo daughter (fully aware that she was not capable of caring for it properly) so I did it knowing that Smudge would be my responsibility. (I admit I partially agreed to it for experience - I'm a vet student also ). After a week of Smudge moping and hiding I found this site and realised she needed a friend and a bigger cage. Now "I" have 3 piggies and my 4yo plays with them about 2-3 times a week and bores of them after 5mins ;-)

[Priil]

I'd like to generalize this to all pets really and say I agree that an exact age is hard to determine. Even my 10 year old nephew got tired of his cats and had to be forced to clean the litter box.

However, that being said, I think that pets are a great way to teach responsibility! I've always had pets from the age of 2 until now. I'm 19 and I've had 4 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs, 9 rats, 4 hamsters, 2 gerbils, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a ridiculous amount of fishies. (These were all overlapping at times so don't do the math and think "Wow, her pets only lasted a year each" or anything hahaha.) Now after having all those pets I am really responsible when it comes to my animals. My mother used to make me clean the cages even if i didn't want to and feed and give them fresh water. She knew they were her responsibility but she also knew that teaching me committment and hard work were good things! I am very grateful for it as I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for that. Taking care of my pets now is second nature to me. I enjoy it and I never complain because I'm so used to it! I adore animals and taking care of them is a great feeling!

So, yes, if you get your 4 year old a guinea pig you do know you will have to take care of it. As your child gets older though you can step up how much they have to do for the pet and eventually it will shape them into a very responsible human being! As long as the parent is willing to make the full commitment, and monitor pet/child time closely so there are no fatalities, I think pets at any age are great!

I was never one to get bored of my pets though. If a child does get bored, as the majority do, then it's still a good way to teach commitment and responsibility. Show them that their decisions do count twoards the long term. They may not thank you at the time when they want a new shiney pet, but when they're older they will understand and appreciate the lesson. At least I hope so haha!

[jenniwat001]

I'd like to add my two pence in. I think it totally depends on the child. At 12 I had 7chickens and a horse to care for, totally on my own, my parents wouldn't have known what to do and I used my monthly allowance (which was slightly increased because of my horse) to pay for feed and bedding and put some aside for vets bills. So some younger people can take excellent care of animals however my brothers are totally the opposite and my parents wouldn't consider getting them any pet. I think as long as the child is mature, responsible and trust worthy and there is an adult who has financial capabilities in case of emergency then it totally depends on circumstances.

[IluvePiggies]

I say 8+ and older. Children under that should always have adult supervision.

[YayPiggies]

Ibbet, I agree. I am probably much younger than you but I do not treats animals like toys. I had a hamster (he died while I was on vacation) and I never, ever forgot to feed him or clean his cage or let him out to play. Never. In some odd 400 days, and more if he hadn't died.

I volunteer at many animal events and have helped several dogs with their behavioral problems. I have found homes for numerous shelter animals. I would never get a pet without researching, hence my presence here. I find it extremely difficult for children like me, because other children are giving us a bad name. It took me over a year to get a hamster because everyone thought- Once the novelty wears of, she'll forget about him. And I never did.

[TallulahBear]

We 'got' our pigs on my daughter's 9ty bday as a suprise but they ate totally family pets. My children (9 and 6) help to take care of them but it is fully my responsibility to care for them. They are not alllowed to take the pigs out for floor unless an adult is in the room. They handle them with care and know the rules but I don't think it is fair to trust the judgement of 6 year old. They've seen G-force and I worry he'd be tempted to out them in a remote control car or something.

[twiztedlilfae]

Kids are fickle, selfish, and can hardly take care of themselves, how are the going to reliably be able to take care of something that is dependent upon them for it's well being. You wouldn't leave a baby in a 5 year olds care, so why would you expect them to care for a small animal? I think that the age you should let a kid have a pet is the age you would want them to baby sit an infant. If you couldn't see them being able to watch an infant, then a pet isn't a good idea.

[princesspoppy]

Right age ? is there a right age.? I have 2 kids. 9 and 4. Sometimes the 4 years old is more responsible than the 9 yesr old. Any house hold pet when it comes to kids should be supervised at all times. I wouldn't bring or let any child bring a pet into the house hold unless i as the parent is able to care for it ,take it to the vet when ill,feed and clean up after it. Sure it's the childs pets but most of the time the duties are usually left up to the parent.

Sure my kids are givin jobs to do,filling water bottle and chopping veggies,filling up pellet bowl and so on. Some kids are more mature and responsible than others. So i don't think there is really a good age.