Hi! I am new to this site, and basically new to guinea pigs in general.
I have previously owned a hamster for about three years, and he died of natural causes about a year and a half ago. I was surprised by how much his death affected me, and I still miss him. Going into owning him, I never thought I would become as attached to him as I did, (he was a Christmas gift) but nevertheless I was delighted by how sweet and friendly he was. He never bit, and I could hold him without him as well as pet him, or let him scurry around a flat surface. We have also owned four rabbits, (at different times) which were decent pets. They all had very distinct personalities, and I definitely preferred the sweeter females over the more aggressive, territorial males. However, I do not have any background or experience with guinea pigs, and am sort of at a loss of where to start gaining knowledge on them.
Should I buy from a pet store, or is that completely off the table? Are they generally clean, or am I going to have to take certain measures to control odors and bedding everywhere? Are the cages difficult to clean out? Is one gender nicer/less aggressive than the other? Is it difficult to bond with them, and are they constantly trying to get away from you, or do they allow you to hold them for an extended period of time? Is it possible to build your own cage? I am already pretty well acquainted with C&C cages as I've done a bit of research on that; and frankly the cages they sell in pet stores absolutely horrify me due to their size. Are they potty trainable? Any other general tips or tricks to help you bond with them as well as maintenance and care would be helpful.
Do you think I would be a responsible owner? I am a 17 year old female, and would be its primary care taker.
I have previously owned a hamster for about three years, and he died of natural causes about a year and a half ago. I was surprised by how much his death affected me, and I still miss him. Going into owning him, I never thought I would become as attached to him as I did, (he was a Christmas gift) but nevertheless I was delighted by how sweet and friendly he was. He never bit, and I could hold him without him as well as pet him, or let him scurry around a flat surface. We have also owned four rabbits, (at different times) which were decent pets. They all had very distinct personalities, and I definitely preferred the sweeter females over the more aggressive, territorial males. However, I do not have any background or experience with guinea pigs, and am sort of at a loss of where to start gaining knowledge on them.
Should I buy from a pet store, or is that completely off the table? Are they generally clean, or am I going to have to take certain measures to control odors and bedding everywhere? Are the cages difficult to clean out? Is one gender nicer/less aggressive than the other? Is it difficult to bond with them, and are they constantly trying to get away from you, or do they allow you to hold them for an extended period of time? Is it possible to build your own cage? I am already pretty well acquainted with C&C cages as I've done a bit of research on that; and frankly the cages they sell in pet stores absolutely horrify me due to their size. Are they potty trainable? Any other general tips or tricks to help you bond with them as well as maintenance and care would be helpful.
Do you think I would be a responsible owner? I am a 17 year old female, and would be its primary care taker.