One Guinea Pig Hutch Pluse Two Guinea Pigs And You Have The Perfect Companions For Your Children

Small animals make wonderful pets for small children. There are some delightful small animals that are cute and cuddly and make great pets. Some consider a cat or a dog to be a good child’s pet, but I differ.

And they pose some risks. For example that have been many instances of young children being attacked by their own pet dog.

I think personally that one of the best small pets for small children are guinea pigs, and I have a young daughter who has a guinea pig and she delights in him.

Guinea pigs have some big advantages as pets. The average guinea pig lives little longer than 5 years and so it’s unlikely that you will be required to take care of him once the children have left home. You can buy one for $20 or so, they don’t get sick too often and they are relatively cheap to feed. They will make fine company for your children and sit on their lap happily being petted at night.

Although a guinea pig is a small and a quite cheap pet there are still some things you need to think about before you buy one. The first of these is how you will house him.

Generally guinea pigs live in what is normally called a guinea pig hutch or a guinea pig cage. Guinea pig hutches or cages are normally kept outside and are often built from timber and wire, though metal is useful and easy to clean.

It should have a dedicated sleeping area where he can sleep free from the risks of bad weather and snuggle inside his own sleeping area. It should have an outdoors area where he is protected from predators but can run around doing what they do like eating the grass.

It’s better not to use wire on the bottom of the hutch as this can hurt guinea pigs feet and cause a condition called bumble foot.

It’s not hard to build a hutch yourself relatively cheaply. Most store bought guinea pig hutches are way too small and if you build your own make sure you build a much larger than those you see in the pet shop so he has plenty of room to exercise daily.

All guinea pigs need plenty of roughage in their diet. It is not difficult to feed them but you do need to learn about what they should and should not eat. Hay is a staple as well as fresh green vegetable leaves although lettuce and cabbage should be avoided as they have a tendency to cause diarrhoea. Guinea pig’s love grass.

Of course like all animals you need to commit to some cleaning. You need to regularly clean out guinea pig cages , and parental supervision is often required as young children can’t always be relied on to do this properly. And he will need regular grooming to keep him free of knots, particularly if he is a long-haired guinea pig. Part of the fun of course, of having a guinea pig, is sitting with him in the evening grooming.

A small, soft and furry guinea pig makes a wonderful pet for the children as long as you house him properly and feed him well.