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Anonymous
Hay /an/,

Do guinea pigs make good pets? I want a small pet that is active and playful, but i've already had a rat and am looking for something different. Are they a pain in the ass to take care of too?
>> Anonymous
Guinea pigs are quite easy to take care of. The main things different from a rat are they need different food (for vitamin C) and they're temperature sensitive. Indoor temperatures aren't an issue, but they don't fare well in chilly or very hot weather. They also can't eat clover; it gives them fatal gas.

They can be quite affectionate, but I wouldn't call them playful. They sleep mainly at night so they're not upset at being bothered during the day, but they tend to spend a lot of time napping.
>> Anonymous
>They sleep mainly at night

this is a lie! those fuckers are nocturnal. i used to own three. they could be nice but never get the long haired variety because they are hard to keep clean. their nails need to be clipped often too. you need to give these guys lots and lots of attention, you shouldn't get one if you work all day and sleep all night.
also, they poo lots. i suggest cleaning their cages every other day to keep them happy and healthy. they need to play with toys and chewies too.

they are not as easy as some people will have you believe. but you can hold them and love them.
>> Anonymous
Guinea pigs are for eating. Deep fry yours today.
>> Anonymous
I've got a trio of females. They're pretty easy to take care of if you just research the right diet and get a large cage. I wouldn't call them particularly affectionate, surly they don't replace my dog or cats or even ferrets. They're kind of mindless but they're usually content to sit on your lap. The only real drawback is that cleaning the cage is kind of livestock-esque in odor.
>> Anonymous
They're... different. If I had to compare them to something, I'd say they're kind of like rabbits.

Typical prey animal - they can be pretty skittish. Like rabbits, they do that thing where they jump up and twist their bodies around. They'll race around their cages, too, and I've seen them play with treats hung from the tops, grab bells with their teeth and shake them, stuff like that.

But they come to recognize you and if they associate you with good things, oh boy. My mom had one when she was younger and she said it knew the sound of her key in the door and when it heard her come home, it'd start squealing like crazy. It knew the sound of the spinach bag in the fridge, too, and would get excited at that.

So I'd say active? Yes. Affectionate? Probably depends on the individual. Playful? Not like a rat, if that's what you're looking for.
>> Anonymous
Mine always sleeps at night. The cage door is usually open, it usually goes out in the afternoon and late evening to share my rabbit's company. Affectionate yes, not very playful.

And I heard that rats don't get too well along with guinea pigs? You should look into that.
>> Anonymous
If you get a guinea pig you should get two because they are social animals, and a single animal is likely to fall into depression (especially if you don't pay it enough attention). Two males fight unless they grew up together, females get along.
>> Anonymous
>>208128
>>And I heard that rats don't get too well along with guinea pigs? You should look into that.

I wouldn't trust a rat with any other animal. Larger things could hurt it, and anything around the rat's size or smaller, it can kill. I have seen a loose rat kill hamsters and birds. Wasn't an aggressive rat, either, it's just.. what it did.
>> Yiffdog !!gE/Npivj/5x
>>208131
My rats tried to grab my degus through the bars of their cage.

Rats just don't get on well with other animals. Wild ones don't let mice into their runs etc.
>> Anonymous
Our guinea pigs were the opposite of active. They never did anything!
>> KZN
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not hard to take care of at all. They have to have extra vitamin C, though, so oranges are a good thing to feed them.

They aren't really playful (lazy mother fuckers, really,) but they're passive and can be very sweet/affectionate.

<--These were my two males I had awhile ago.
>> Anonymous
Guinea pigs a stupid, don't get one. You have to buy expensive drops for their water so the won't die--wich they probally will anyway. I've never had so much trouble raiseing such an animal, I have had over 20 in my 17 years.
>> Anonymous
Guinea pigs are very simple to look after, and can be very affectionate if they get lots of contact. I dont think id describe them as playful though, not in the way that rats are.
Also, they make the best noise. wheeeeeeeeep wheeeeeeeeep wheeeeeeeeeep im a guinea pig wheeeeeeeeep wheeeeeeeeep come and tickle my back and feed me a carrot wheeeeeeep wheeeeeeeeeeep
>> Anonymous
Boring, but their size makes them cuddly. Their docile nature makes them great for lazy asses like us anon who sit at the computer all day.
>> Anonymous
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>>208158
S'true about the vitamin C, but too much fruit, or salad stuff like lettuce is bad, it gives them diarrhoea. raw broccoli is excellent, lots of C, no runny tummy. also, guinae pig loev brocolis.
DO WANT.
>> Anonymous
I used to have three of them and they were awesome! Or actually one of them :P

It was male and pretty big(almost 4.4lbs on his fattiest times). When I eated carrot or other vegetabel in other floor, he would ''squeek'' until he get some of it too. And it loved to bee on my lap and get attention.
But it did poo pretty much.

But yeah, it was awesome :)
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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The more you got, the more active they are...
>> Anonymous
>>208260
And the smellier it is.
>> Anonymous
guinea pigs need baths
>> Anonymous
I miss mine. I had an albino teddy bear.
He'd always purr when I would pet him and fed him alfafa.