Level of Effort? Pros and cons of having a guinea pig

I have had rabbits, cats, dogs, hamsters, gerbils, fish etc. If I had to put pigs on a spectrum I would have to put them between a cat and a dog. They won't just help themselves to food as needed and use a litter box, but they aren't nearly as demanding as a dog. You definately need to stay on top of cage cleaning-more so if you are shaving-less and need fresh produce daily. And you are getting a social animal...interaction is vital to their happiness. There are other aspects as well....

Bad Sides: They can be expensive considering you have to buy special hay, food, and vegetables. Cage is space consuming, poop picked up daily, floor time time consuming, as well as lap time. You also need at least two.

Good Sides: Adorable, friendly, fun, unique, and very special. In my opinion one of the greatest animals ever!

Cons: Can be very expensive: (bedding, hay and lots of it!!, food, treats of all sorts, vegetables again of all sorts, fruits, lots of entertaing toys, "furniture" for the cage, at least 2 guinea pigs, and maybe even a few vet bills.) The cage needs to be REALLY big for optimum happiness of the pigs. The cage needs to be cleaned a lot too. You also need to spend a lot of time with them including lap time and floor time.

Pros: the sweetest animals ever, adorable, fun, friendly, and they will love you just as much as you would love them

even though the cons list looks like a lot of work, don't let it discourage you because I have had a lot of pets, but my guinea pig is the best one and I love her soo much. I would recomend guinea pigs to anyone!

Took the words righ out of my mouth!

Just wanted to help! haha

If I were to list some animals in order of level of care it would be:

1 - Dog
2 - House Rabbit
3 - Cat
4 - Guinea Pig
5 - Rat
6 - Mice, gerbils, hamsters, etc

I have never owned a ferret or chinchilla but from what I have read they are about the same or more care than a house rabbit. I know some people might disagree but my experience with cats is they kind of like to be left alone and just snugged when they want to. Care is also easier because there is more available for cats in both products, vet care, and knowledgeable books and other resources.

Guinea pigs and rabbits are my favorite animals followed closely by sheltie dogs. =D

I agree they are loyal like a dog would be and love social interaction. They are better off if you get 2 but if you really only want 1 then you can usually find one at a shelter that is better by itself. They keep themselves pretty clean like cats do, you only give them a bath if HAVE to have one. I don't find them too expensive actually, I spend about 10$ every week and a half on veggies, I buy my bedding from amazon so it is pretty cheap and the hay is cheap and lasts awhile. They are a bit time consuming though as they need play time on the floor and cuddling on your lap. Also I agree cleaning the cage daily is a must but only takes 5 minutes. I just recently got mine and love her, it's so cute how she is excited to see me and squeaks for food! I definitely recommend them, I work and am full time in college so I fit the time in.

Coming from a new guinea pig owner, I would say that I am really surprised at how different they are from having a dog or a cat. I think they are precious little creatures, but definitely more work than I was originally prepared for. I have had to try a few different strategies for cage prep and set-up in order to find what works for me. Fleece is a gift from God! I personally would not like having to clean a cage full of shaving style bedding. It is wonderful to be able to scoop the poop a few times a day, then replace the towels and fleece in only high traffic areas daily. I think that it is imperative to have space for a large cage if one decides to have a guinea pig as a pet. I know that it is the size of my cage that allows my piggies to choose spots that they go to the bathroom in, and this makes cage cleaning much easier. So, obviously the biggest con is cleaning the cage, but very manageable if you find what works for you. The biggest pro is seeing and hearing how happy I am making another one of God's little creatures when I do things that the piggies like, such as feed them vegetables! Also, they are just so darn cute!

I agree they are loyal like a dog would be and love social interaction.

No, I don't see this at all. Guinea pigs really could care less who takes care of them, as long as someone does. They certainly like the person who brings the veggies the best.

The social interaction they love is with their own species.

I'd say this:

Cons: Cage takes up lots of space and is time-consuming to clean, You need at least two for the pigs to be truly happy, (not that I'm complaining,) guinea pigs can get URI's easily, need veggies every day and unlimited hay, and they are kind of spendy.

Pros: ADORABLE, sweet, non-violent, cute sounds, variety of colors and breeds, funny, and super friendly.

I think if everyone had a GP, the world would be a better place! lol

ditto foggycreekcavy. You bring the food, you get the love (unless you're trying to catch them). Nothing dog-like about them.

The only similarity I've seen among pigs and dogs is a voracious appetite, especially for things they shouldn't eat.

I feel like GPs are far more work than cats. I change cat litter occassionally by lifting a small pan, and I feed canned and dry food daily. Pigs require freshly prepared meals twice a day in addition to multiple cage cleanings a day and the chore of laundering bedding, not to mention a million other things.

I paid $300 for one pig to be diagnosed with pneumonia. My sister received the same diagnosis for my niece for a $25 copay

And despite these cons, the pros will always outweigh them. Their antics and the smile they put on my face have no competition from a few expensive bills and their demanding attitudes

We got one pig in April... he was easy... got number two in Sept... and then number three in Oct... The biggest thing is.. there is a LOT more poop and pee with each one.... like a lot... so... that's the biggest thing. Our cage is huge.. I hate the fleece so we use wood chips and they get everywhere... Then you start to feel guilty for buying the cheaper hay and then you start buying more expensive stuff lol...

BUT I love to snuggle them and hug them and the kids love them... They're fun to watch and make my heart happy.

FuryanGoddess said:

They're fun to watch and make my heart happy.

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Awww...so sweet! They really do.

FuryanGoddess said:

We got one pig in April... he was easy... got number two in Sept... and then number three in Oct... The biggest thing is.. there is a LOT more poop and pee with each one.... like a lot... so... that's the biggest thing.

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When I got my two sows, my plan was to get a neutered male later. These girls are only 4 weeks old. I don't understand how so much poop can come out of something so small. You'd think they ate a hamster or something. Now I'm seriously thinking of just keeping the two because I don't want to deal with the extra poop of a 3rd!

It shocks me... how much poop. We cleaned the cage today... my daughter gave them a bath.. they fought... nips on all three of them. Put them back in the cage. With in THIRTY SECONDS... there were two turds. WTH? AND I Darwin did have some poop while I was toweling him off.. AND they pooped in the tub!

If humans pooped like that.. we'd all weigh 80 lbs as adults.

I just don't understand where it comes from. Darwin pees on you when you hold him. Mr. Dad poops on you... Sometimes Gumball has an accident, but usually only after he has just eating. SIGH..

But we love them... makes no sense lol.

They do poop a lot and since they can't be litter trained it does take some getting use to. My kids and I also cleaned our cage today and within a few minutes it was all pooped up again. Silly critters. It must be all that hay they eat!!

Well, it's different for everyone, but these are the pros and cons for me:

CONS:
Expensive. You have to buy good pellets, fresh veggies, bedding, hay, food bowl, water bowl, stored money for potential vet visit hidies etc...
Time consuming. I spend almost half an hour a day with cage cleaning, another half an hour for hand feeding, and several hours throughout the week with cuddle time.
The occasional poop or pee on your lap/sofa/chair/floor/personal item

PROS:
My piggy taught me to eat healthy
Having a piggy teaches patience
(the piggies) Lifetime of cuddles
Contentment in the fact that you are taking care of a happy animal

In order of difficulty of care, I'd say:
Horse
Dog
Cat
Chicken (I know it's weird to put this in the list but I have chickens)
Rabbit
Guinea pig
Fish (I'm putting fish before hamster because the water is hard to maintain)
Hamster

I know a lot of people say "piggies aren't and easier to care for than dogs", but I'm really not seeing it. I give my piggy personal time, feed him a wide variety of veggies, clean his cage daily (he lives in a 2x6 grid C&C cage), bring him into the vet for a checkup yearly, and a lot of other routine things. BUT, a dog is so much more work! You have to give them plenty of exercise or they become hyper, you have to bring them outside several times a day to do their business, you have to feed them a great quality diet, you have to train them constantly, and you have to spend huge amounts of time with them. I'm not saying it isn't worth it to have a dog, but dogs are in fact a lot more work than piggies.

I love my piggy. He's awesome, but he doesn't give me affection the way cats or dogs do. If I sit really still with veggies in my hand, he walks right up to me and eats. If I don't have veggies, he interrogates my hand insisting that I must be hiding them in a marsupial-like pouch. He'll sit next to me and fall asleep while I'm using the computer or doing homework, and just generally be awesome.

Hmm interesting pros/cons people! As someone considering pigs this is good info.

I'm currently fostering 3 young rabbits right now, what do you think the level of care/cost/time compare to the three large breed rabbits? They are supposed to be litter trained and do only pee in the litter bin...but they poop constantly and all over the place. I think the main difference would be veggies, since these guys can't really have any yet (they're too young) but I buy veggies regularly anyway.

Oh, and how destructive are pigs? These rabbits are huge trouble-makers chewing on our clothes, carpet, etc.