Does a hamster or guinea pig make a better pet for a 9-year-old?

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Guinea pig definitely!! When i was younger, we had a teddy bear hamster, and dwarf hamster and a guinea pig, and the guinea pig was the only one we could get close to, the others would bite at you if you got anywhere near them. We let our guinea pig run around the house, and bought him a small corner litter box and potty trained him, He was almost better than owning a dog or cat. Infact, we are going to get my 7 year old sister a guinea pig for easter, and my boyfriend just bought me one for valentines day, so we will soon have three of them in our house! I promise you, you'll love a guinea pig!!

Answer

Hi

Both of these cuties are great for kids (don't let your 9 year old maul them too much) and they do go into hibernation, so at times they may appear listless. Both these little critters are highly susceptible to drafts and colds. Their normal life expectancy is approx. 2 - 3 years, but some live longer. When you go into the pet store let your 9 year old hold and cuddle the hamster of Guinea pig first to be sure they are compatible. Some can be feisty and give a nasty bite. It is well worth buying a small book on the care of these little pets.

Marcy

I would definitley reccomend the guinea pig. I have several, and my expierience is that they don't bite as often(they would rather run away), they are also bigger, so there is less of a chance that your child will hurt it. Guinea pigs need frequent cage changes, at least twice a week, as they use the bathroom often, and are susceptible to repiratory infections from the ammonia of the odor. 2-3 years is almost an under-estimate, my last gp, "smelly" lived till almost four, and his still- living cagemate, "stinky" is near 4 and a half and still going strong. Provide a good vitamin c supplement to the water bottle, refrigerate immediatley after opening, fiesta gp food is an excellent choice, and timothy hay is a must. Guinea pigs are sociable animals, preferring the company of thier own kind--- only if they are bought together. If you choose to keep two males from the same cage(in a store when you buy them, or brothers from a breeder is a better choice)you will occasionally hear a "motor" noise, this is normal, unless it is accopanyied by physical attacks(thats when you remove the weaker individual), also, some teeth "chattering", and squealing when they want food is normal. They will squeal at humans for food even when they're not hungry. Feed a little romaine lettuce, and some apple slices once or twice a week for good nutrition, Good luck! Please write back here and tell your expierience! You can also leave a note for me to email you if you need further info--- 5 yrs expierience with these 'lil piggies.

Aquafish

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My preference is a Guinea Pig, they can be handles more easily b/c they are larger. They live longer than hamsters. They usually live 8 years. They can be loved and played with more easily without them running way. I have always had them and they get along great with other pets as well. The key I would say is handling them a lot.

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HI. I would say a guinea pig simply because they are larger, therefore easier to handle without hurting them and easier to find if they get loose! Also, I usually get small animals in pairs and hamsters prefer to be alone (so I'm told). A place like Petsmart will sell same sex animals so you don't have to worry about breeding. Most other types of pet stores won't guarantee you are getting the same sex. And, NO, I do not work at Petsmart.

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First of all, a guinea pig IS better for younger children (as most of these answers say) but I would NOT buy it at Petsmart. A place like Petland or somewhere else with open cages is better because the open cages let the animal to get used to being handled. Yes this may result in a cranky animal if it has been kept awake but once you take it home all you have to do is give it 3-5 days of adjustman time and it will be great. PLUS with open cages you can get to know the animals and find which ones are friendlier. The only reason Petsmart guaruntees the same sex is because it ONLY sells MALES (they don't want any competative breeders). If you are worried about not getting the same sex, I would wait for an older litter where you can check yourself (Oh look at the conveinience of open cages) and get the prefferred sex. I hope all of this helps and good luck. :-) PS. There are many different kinds of stores with open cages. Take your time and take your pick. I'd ask around and go for the one with better reputation. Petsmart DOES sell some good toys and accessories though so you might want to check there for chew blocks and the like.

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I've had hamsters and guinea pigs, and I'd say guinea pigs would be a better idea for a young child. Hamsters tend to bite if they aren't tame, and even if they are, might bite if you startle them when waking them up. They are small and squirmy and hard to to handle, compared to guinea pigs. They also sleep all day, while guinea pigs are a bit more active and entertaining while the kids are still awake. Hamsters don't seem to care all that much about attention, while guinea pigs seem to enjoy it more. Guinea pigs also squeak and make cute noises that children would probably like.

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Before buying any pet for a nine year old, ask yourself some questions. Will he/she look after it or will they get bored? Are they prepared to devote the time into looking after an animal? Are you prepared to accept some responsibilty yourself? If you think your child is ready for an animal, take a supervisory role during cleaning and handling at first to make sure it is being done properly. Explain to them that their pet won't want to be handled all the time. In answer to the question, a guinea pig is less likely to bite and will be easier to handle, but also requires a bigger cage and lives for longer.

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Hiya...We have four guinea pigs at hom,e and have had a hamster, I also have a nine year old brother and out of both pets we have found the guinea pigs to be more sociable. Hamsters are not that easy to pick up or hold and WILL bite. However Guinea pigs only bite when provoked. They also live longer (4-5 years or more especially in groups, as they like company) Have fun with what ever pet you choose

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My eight year old sister shares a hamster with my five year old sister. They have tamed the hamster and it is now a wonderful pet for them. They also love animals, though, and are willing to devote time into taming. Make sure your child has skills with taming no matter what the animal, because all animals will be scared when they first come home. Also, another thing to remember is if you get a hamster, I would suggest getting a male because female hamsters give off an odor to attract males that really smells! Good Luck!

Answer:

Yes they do. But if you are asking which one would make a better pet, I prefer guinea pigs. I do not know much about hamsters except that they don't have as long of a life span as guinea pigs do. After reading these other answers, I see that hamsters might require taming. Guinea pigs are able to interact with you on the same level that dogs and cats can. Holding a guinea pig and gently petting it is a good way to make it feel comfortable around you. The life span of guinea pigs can be expanded by giving them attention, keeping them together in groups (including families), keeping them healthy, feeding them a variety of fruits and vegetables (but nothing spicy) and mine like to eat ice cubes. Ice cubes can also help in keeping their cages cleaner, since water bottles can leak. And also another tip that I don't think is well known is that playing soft music or at least at a very low volume next to their cages is also helpful. And I also recommend female guinea pigs because it is the opposite with hamsters. The males are the ones that can smell worse, and the male guinea pig cage sometimes needs to be cleaned more than female guinea pigs' cages.

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