If you’ve been looking for ways to socialize more often, improve your relationships, or exercise, you should get a pet. Besides that, keeping pets is scientifically proven to enhance your health; it’s also a way of contributing your quota to the wellbeing of animals on the planet.
Guinea Pigs As Pet?
If you want a break from the usual tradition of keeping dogs and cats as pets, you can consider having guinea pigs. You’ll love their unique personalities.
- Physically appealing: guinea pigs make cute pets! And they don’t lose their beauty even as they age. They come in different tones, so you have many options to choose from.
- Sociable: like rabbits, guinea pigs love to bond with their owners. Once they get used to you, you’ll literally see them jumping at the sound of your voice. They’re very affectionate and friendly, so kids can come around and play with them under supervision as they’re fragile animals.
- Entertaining: if you love to laugh, get some guinea pigs in your house, give them some toys and watch them play. They’ll run around making silly moves that’ll leave you riddled with laughter. However, don’t cage them all the time if you want to experience their humorous nature. While it’s great to have a guinea pig as a pet, it’s not rosy all through. There are some negatives too:
- Noisy: guinea pigs are high-energy animals that you’ll be tempted to wonder if they ever sleep. Although their sounds aren’t loud enough to wake up everyone in the neighborhood, they can be bothersome enough to keep you up at night, especially if you’re sensitive to noise.
- Costly to maintain: if you’re want to save more money, don’t bother keeping guinea pigs as pets. Even though they’re not expensive to buy, their demands require as much as possible. They need adequate ventilation and good beddings (which you have to change regularly), special diets, toys, etc. however, you can offset costs by making money from them, such as selling their babies.
Rabbits As Pet?
Undoubtedly, rabbits are cute creatures you’d love to have as pets. Who wouldn’t love their long ears, smooth and hairy skin, and docile look? Of course, most people who love pets will do. Below are more reasons you should be a rabbit owner.
- Great personality: rabbits bond with their owners and families, unlike some pets. They’re charming, and once they see that spark of friendship in you, they jump at it. They love to be around people who love and care for them, so they’re great for families with kids. Besides, rabbits are docile. Once they bond with you, they’ll hang on your every word and trick.
- Foster responsibility: keeping rabbits as a pet makes you more responsible! This is because of the demands of their well-being. For instance, they need nothing less than 3 hours per day to out-roam. They also need food and water regularly and appreciate having their owner around as often as possible. Since they are fragile animals, you can’t leave them unattended for long. If you have kids, you want to teach how to be responsible, start by breeding rabbits in your home.
- Long lifespan: the average rabbit can leave up to 10 years if properly cared for. So, you don’t have to worry about your pet dying untimely because of a short lifespan. Besides, rabbits come in different beautiful breeds, so you have a wide array of options. However, there’s more to keeping a rabbit as a pet than meets the eye. For example,
- Requires a lot of time and money: if you’re an extremely busy person, don’t dare keep rabbits as a pet. They are high-maintenance animals. Besides that, you have to be with them almost every now and then to clean their mess, keep them company, feed them, etc., you need quite a good amount of money to sustain them. If you don’t have both resources, keep off!
- Destructive tendencies: rabbits chew anything they find due to their dental problems, such as overgrown teeth. If you place them indoors and don’t properly supervise them, they can chew your whole house if possible! They must always have something to chew because of their always-growing teeth.
Here Are 3 Ways Rabbits And Guinea Pigs Are Similar
Even though rabbits and guinea pigs don’t belong to the same family of animals, they share some considerable similarities. For instance:
- Lovers of company: both rabbits and guinea pigs are sociable; they always love to be around someone. As such, it’s often advised you don’t keep just one rabbit or guinea pig as a pet. At least, have two of the same sex. So, whether you keep a rabbit or a guinea pig, remember that they love company, or else they can die of misery.
- Regular maintenance: you can’t afford to skip the maintenance part of breeding either a rabbit or a guinea pig. If there’s no regular grooming, they’re likely to die or get hurt. For instance, since they’re furry creatures, you need to comb their hair regularly and trim it when necessary. If you don’t, the hairs grow long, and these creatures will start to chew on them, swallowing a huge chunk of a hairball, which affects their internal organs.
- They can’t be kept with other pets: you can’t keep a dog or a cat with rabbits and guinea pigs. Rabbits and guinea pigs are preys, so your dog or cat sees them as food and will try to eat them. If you must have other pets, ensure you secure the environment of these little creatures first. Also, since they’re preys, rabbits and guinea pigs are likely to escape at any given a chance. So, never leave them unsupervised.
Are There Any Differences Between Rabbits And Guinea Pigs?
Although quite similar, rabbits and guinea pigs have distinct characteristics. That said, what are the differences between these two?
Rabbits
While dwarf rabbit breeds weigh about 6 pounds on average; dwarf breeds can weigh as little as 2 to 4 pounds, while giant breeds can weigh as much as 20 pounds. As such, you need more space to house your rabbits.
As regards lifespan, rabbits live longer. If they are well-maintained, they can live for 10 to 12 years. When rabbits are angry, their long ears are bent downwards and backward toward their tummy.
Rabbits are partly quiet because they’re good sleepers, sleeping up to 8 hours or more during the day. However, they are nocturnal but don’t make any noise. If they’re indoors, they can cuddle up by your side as you sleep.
Since rabbits are naturally quiet, they communicate by making soft, little sounds. It seems like they try as much as possible not to be heard even when they eat!
Guinea Pigs
The smallest weighs 1.5 pounds for guinea pigs, while the heaviest is around 2.5 pounds. Therefore, you don’t need much space to house a guinea pig. On the other hand, a guinea pig can only live for five years, seven at most. Guinea pigs show anger by hissing loudly.
It’s quite rare to find your guinea pig sleeping as it can stay up for 20 hours or even more per day. And when they do sleep, it’s only for a few minutes. They are back to playing and squeaking again. However, they’re quick to fall asleep.
However, guinea pigs don’t have quiet tendencies like rabbits. They will squeak and hiss to get your attention or even go the extra mile to keep you up at night!
Rabbits Or Guinea Pigs?
In light of all that has been mentioned above, the best pet between a rabbit and a guinea pig depends on your preferences. For instance;
- Space: since keeping a rabbit as a pet requires more space than a guinea pig, you need to consider the size of the available space before choosing between both animals. For example, rabbits tend to jump while guinea pigs don’t. If you don’t have much space.
- Temperament: rabbits and guinea pigs warm up to their owners when adequately cared for, but they’re still different. While a rabbit is quiet, a guinea pig isn’t. You can’t stop it from wheeking and squeaking or bothering you at night if it wants! You can only hope it doesn’t. If you want peace in your home, a rabbit is your most preferred option.
- Lifespan: how many years do you want to spend with your pet? Rabbits live for up to 12 years, while guinea pigs can only be around for 7 years. So, if you want an animal that’ll be around for longer, you know what to choose.
Summary
The best pet depends on your needs and preferences, as each animal is unique and beneficial in its way. Whichever you choose, what matters is that you maintain it properly so that you can enjoy being a pet owner. And if you love adventure, you can decide to try your hands at keeping the two first to see which you love!
