Are Guinea Pigs Good for Young Children?

Whether or not guinea pigs are good pets for young children depends upon exactly how young are the children and how committed are the household adults to caring for the cavies. While young children may be fascinated by these gentle little mammals, it is unrealistic to expect them to attend to the daily feeding, cleaning and personal attention guinea pigs require. Parents also need to be prepared for the expense of keeping a cage pet.

  1. Guinea Pigs are a Family Commitment

    • Guinea pigs make excellent family pets, especially for city dwellers who have limited options for animal friends. However, they need a roomy cage, fresh water and fresh vegetables every day, specialized "pig food," timothy hay and exercise "chewies." Guinea pigs need to be collected in pairs. They live in groups in the wild and become depressed and lonely if you have only one "piggie." Because of the amount of care they need as cage pets, adults need to oversee and sometimes take over daily care.

    Piggies are Fragile

    • Because they are prey animals, guinea pigs are somewhat skittish. They are easily startled and can be hurt by rough play. Their family interaction time, especially if they are taken out of their cage and given a playpen to roam around in, should be closely supervised. Other pets, especially predator animals such as dogs, cats and ferrets, should have their family time separate from the guinea pigs, for the pigs safety. Children under the age of 10 should be supervised when holding them.

    Social Communication

    • Guinea pigs are talkers. When they feel secure they burble and chirp to each other and to their humans. If they think their food dish or water is getting low, or if they want a treat, they will shriek at their human housemates. They like to hide a stash of extra food in their bedding, just in case their dish gets empty. They chew almost constantly, nibbling on their chew logs. Chew logs are essential equipment for these little guys to keep their teeth in healthy condition.

    Realities of Cage Pets

    • Any animal that is kept in a cage requires maintenance. The cage needs to be cleaned at least once a week, and they need to be fed and watered. Guinea pigs can get sick and might need veterinary attention. If you go on vacation, you need to arrange a sitter for your cavies. Guinea pigs like to dig in and push their litter about in their cage. They frequently kick uneaten food, litter and hay out of their cage, creating an unsightly mess in a two-foot radius around it. Guinea pigs live five to seven years, so eventually the family will have to make funeral arrangements for their pet.

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