Guinea pig please!

Before you get a pet, ask yourself if you can care for it properly for the rest of its life. Can you afford food costs? Bedding? Vet bills that can cost hundreds? Guinea pigs lives are in your hands. Also, some guinea pigs take months to settle in their home and won't be the cuddly type. I would recommend researching and learning as much as you can before you make a choice.

I go with Abbie Lauren. Research all you can before making a decision that will impact on the life of whatever pet you choose. If for example you are hardly ever home, there is no point in having a pet. Not all guinea pigs, or rabbits, like to be held & cuddled. And you need ready finances. Have you thought about a cat? You could choose a cat known to be friendly & affectionate,who will enjoy your company, & be easier to look after in some ways, although he/she must be desexed & vaccinated. I mean there are specifics in cage size, bedding, foods, hygiene & cleanliness with regular cleaning, etc. when it comes to rabbits & guinea pigs. Remember you will have to be committed to caring for your pet for ALL of its life. Oh, & having a minimum of 2 piggies of the same sex is a necessity. I can only reiterate, RESEARCH. I thought I had done enough when I got my girls, only to realise how much more research was actually needed. Now I have them I'm obliged to care for their needs for life, & even though my finances are so low, I go without for their sakes, & I don't regret having them just wish I had done more first. Phew, sorry about the ramble!

Guinea pigs and rabbits are both huge commitments, and social animals, so you should really adopt two of either one (the same sex of course). I know rabbits also should be neutered which is costly and vet bills for both animals can be high.

Both need large cages with lots of room (7.5 sq feet minimum for two) and for rabbits even more. They need unlimited hay and lots of vegetables.

Just something to consider before going through with it.

I've done research but I'm still confuse...I wanted to ask real owners and not the virtual wikihow.
Time and finances won't be much of a problem I guess. I'm a college student entering Law school...I prefer staying at home and my parents agreed to help me out. Do Guinea pigs really need to go to vets regularly?

Thanks po

Guinea pigs need to go to the vet whenever symptoms of illness arise. They usually hide these symptoms, as they are prey animals, and will start to deteriorate if Vet treatment is not given. Even for a checkup it can cost over a hundred pounds here in England, and then the actual treatment costs even more. Not to forget the antibiotics, probiotics, x-rays, neuters you might need.
Also, in this subject, you'll need to weigh your guinea pig every week to catch weight loss: this is a sign of an illness.
If you have any more questions, you can look around this forum in the Medical & Diet sub-forums.

Well law school takes up a LOT of time and law students are always busy with studying and have little time for much else. You may not have as much time as you think to devote to a guinea pig OR a rabbit. In that scenario, the animal is the one that suffers for it. My suggestion would be to wait until you are out of law school before bringing a new pet home.

^^ On the other side of things, whilst I'm currently deferred from uni but when I was studying I LOVED cuddling my GP's; they made great study companions. I guess, put a lot of thought into whether you're likely to do that or only think about your studies and leave them in their cage. Yes, there have been poops on my textbooks. I didn't care

As the others have said though, research is key!