My girlfriend has been talking me into getting a guinea pig for awhile now - namely because she still lives with his parents. My answer is a loose "no". Here's an "essay" she wrote - Is any of this information correct? Should I consider? I would forever be in your debt if you could help me at this crucial moment in my life.
There are many aspects regarding a guinea pig that concern some people. However, owning a guinea pig can be beneficial, such as bearing responsibility, learning how to take care of animals, and the comfort one brings into the home. Guinea pig aren't pungent wild animals, but clean, loving family members. Some might interject and say, “why don’t you wait until you are 18 and have your own house?”, my response to that overused cliche is, didn’t you have an animal or task which taught yourself different aspects of responsibilities that you have mastered today? A guinea pig in domestication is far less likely to be a “nuisance or a burden” than to be a lovable pet. Guinea pigs can be litter box trained, they are fairly inexpensive to keep, and they give unconditional love once “warmed up” to their human counterparts. Some might wonder if guinea pigs smell. The honest answer is “yes” but in comparison to their animal kingdom counterparts such as ferrets,mice,hamsters, and even dogs, the answer is not really. The ability for a guinea pig to be a loving family member can be attributed to it’s domestication and background. The only way a guinea pig to defend itself is to use it’s sharp claws. Once this boundary of intimidation and shyness subside, a guinea pig is one of the kindest organisms one could ever fathom. Some parents may argue that “we have too many animals” or “why don’t you get one after you go to college”. Their use of circular logic is unable to coincide with the logic behind actually getting a guinea pig. The response to such question is that one only has an allotted amount of time before “real life” kicks in and one would be unable to care and love for such a wonderful creature, a guinea pig is not an “animal”, simply a pet.