A good pet for a 6 year old girl?

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My friend dropped off her sister's guinea pig that she got before her other one died and then decided she didnt want this one. i know Even though my sister is mature for being 6 she still only 6.. i dont live with my mom but i am around the corner so i'm there a lot ... BUT most if not all of the responsibility is on my mom. so i am going to start them out with one for the first month or so to get them have a feel of a guinea pig.

I made my mom read and read and read websites about how to take care of them and i made a packet on how to take care of them too. My sister has proven to me and my mom she will be able to take care of a new pet for the last couple of months. Even though she has proven that she is ready and my mom has been reading. I am still going to have the piggy for the first week to teach them how to take care of her. they both agreed to come over after school every day.

I am taking her to the vet today to get a check up and her nails clipped.
 
while i was reading, it doesnt seem much different to take care of a guinea pig than my chin. i know the obvious difference is diet. They have two different diets besides the hay. and there is more grooming along with piggies. piggies seem to have more common health problems that is to be watched out for. but most normal daily care is the same.
Cleaning is the same. Spot cleaning daily and then a good cleaning once a week.
Daily exercise. They both need time out of the cage. about an hour or more.
 
Gabby88 said:
If you can't commit to getting two, I don't think you should get any, imho.
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Quite honestly, a guinea pig does not need a companion. It's no different from a chin or a rabbit, most would benefit from one but some just don't get along with others and they can be alone with enough attention. As long as you bond with it and let it outside the cage to play for plenty of time every day, I find this to be too harsh. Why turn away a piggie from a potentially really good home because they don't want to get two? They could be going somewhere a LOT worse.

Point is, not every animal wants a companion. I've had two pigs in my life, both neutered males, that I tried to bond with every combination we had at the time (We had 6 piggies at the time of one and 4 at the time of the other) and sometimes it just doesn't work because sometimes, they don't want a companion.
 
Magyk said:
Quite honestly, a guinea pig does not need a companion. It's no different from a chin or a rabbit, most would benefit from one but some just don't get along with others and they can be alone with enough attention.
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Quite honestly, if they will accept a companion, they should have one. They are very different than chins and rabbits, mainly because they like to vocally communicate and no matter how much human interaction they get, they can never communicate with people. Even boars that don't accept a cagemate enjoy having a guinea pig in a cage next to them.



Definitely check out Guinea Lynx for proper guinea pig care information. They have the most accurate pig info out there, and the forum is full of insanely knowledgeable people.

http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html
 
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What type of cage is the guinea pig in now? Probably a small pet store cage, right? Like I said earlier, the minimum cage size requirement for a guinea pig is 7.5 square feet. That would be something at least this size (a 3x2 C&C grid cage).

cagegrids.jpg



Also, some websites say you need to give guinea pigs those vitamin C drops. Do NOT give those. If the guinea pig is fed a high quality pellet (I highly recommend Oxbow) and given enough fresh veggies, they do not need those drops. They can make the water taste bitter, and the guinea pigs can get dehydrated.
 
I agree. Even if they do not get along, they will benefit from having a companion in a neighboring cage. A human isn't going to fill the role of a companion pig/herd. They are much different from other small pets.... Similar to a rat that needs a companion, and a human isn't going to cut it.

They are great little guys, and I hope your sister enjoys her but I strongly suggest getting a same sex friend.
 
I just wanted to get the piggy from being neglected. Me and my mom both talked about getting a bigger cage. and I am working on making a C&C cage. I'm just scared of the cat or dogs trying to get her. so i have to find a closed one. or make it closed.
 
You can buy C&C sets on Ebay, and there are a few sellers that have tops for them. I'm sure they'd sell you just the top.

I'd still keep the cat and dogs away from the cage anyway because it could be very stressful for the guinea pig.
 
Here's what my cage looks like so you can get some ideas of fun things he/she might like.

cage2-1.jpg


A litter area with a hay rack cuts down on cleaning. You can't litterbox train a guinea pig really, but if you put their food, water, and hay in the litter area they will use it often.

Fleece works well for guinea pigs, but you have to do it a bit differently than for chins. You'll need a very absorbent material under the fleece to soak up the urine. I use fleece liners I made from a layer of fleece, a layer of Uhaul pads, and another layer of fleece. I also have puppy pads under the fleece pad. It really helps to cut down on the odor and keep everything nice and dry. I vacuum the poops twice a day.
 
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