Rats VS Guinea Pigs

[pennykit&amanda]

I've had problems with using fleece, maybe I'm doing something wrong?

But when I used fleece with Riley, he pushed all of it on one side of the cage then peed where there wasn't fleece, and it stunk sooo bad!! Is there any way I can keep him from doing that?

[claire]

I've had 9 rats over the last 10 years (1 is still with me) and they are brilliant pets if you don't have much floor space for a cage. A lot of the time I think they're like very, very small dogs. They thrive on attention and are happy to learn good manners and tricks. Within a day they would associate me with food and fun and come running. I never had a really cuddly one though, mine all liked being stroked for a couple of minutes then they were off to the next adventure. The only problem I can think of with rats is they live precisely long enough to break your heart.

Which led me to go back to my childhood love of guinea pigs. I'm in my 30's now, have a stable home and I wanted pets with more longevity. I would say my guinea pigs are more work than rats in terms of cleaning, and they cost more because of the amount of veggies and hay they go through but they pay their rent in really good cuddles. I've started calling them my little therapists cos I can't look at them without smiling. And they've had me in tears of laughter at their antics and popcorning. They're not as quick on the uptake, but my boys are slowly learning that me whistling means I have goodies. They are also far easier to find sitters for if you have to go away. I've had volunteers already for my piggies, from people who certainly wouldn't volunteer to take my rats.

Whichever you get I really don't think you can lose.

[Miss.Kiada]

Before i got bella i was considering getting a rat or two, my boyfriends brother has 4 and their lovely but i heard that they have no bladder control and could not be potty trained. I noticed when i would take the rats out and play with them they would poo and sometimes pee everywhere and the last thing i wanted was to have a rat on my shoulder and feel a warm liquid running down my back :P but that could be because they were not potty trained. I would have to say though that i do love the rats, bella is wonderfully but she was an adoptive and even after having her for 4-5 months she's quite skidish and dosent seem to enjoy her time out of the cage, the rats on the other hand LOVE coming out adn kissing you and cuddeling and everythign else. Hopefully with more love and time she'll turn around but i think the next pet will be either a younge piggy or a rat

[pennykit&amanda]

i heard that they have no bladder control and could not be potty trained. I noticed when i would take the rats out and play with them they would poo and sometimes pee everywhere and the last thing i wanted was to have a rat on my shoulder and feel a warm liquid running down my back

Were the rats male? If they were, they were probably just marking things (I have been marked countless times by my male rat ). And they can be potty trained, wish mine were. I also believe it's harder to potty train a guinea pig than it is a rat.

[Miss.Kiada]

no all 4 are female