There are some wonderful small cute and furry animals which can make excellent pets for young children. Many parents consider that a dog or a cat is too much of a commitment and is often too big to be an ideal pet for small children.
And they pose some risks. For example that have been many instances of young children being attacked by their own pet dog.
One of my favourite animals that makes a perfect pet for young children is a guinea pig. My own daughter has her favourite pet piggie and loves him, along with some other pets.
They have some huge advantages as a pet. They rarely live much longer than around 5 years, so you won’t be looking after the guinea pig after the kids have left home. They are cheap to buy, usually under $20, they are cheap to feed and don’t get sick as often as other animals. They are warm and furry and like company and will happily sit on your child’s lap in the evening being petted.
Despite the fact that guinea pigs are small cheap pets there are still some important matters to think about before you get your first guinea pig. And the first of these matters 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.
Normally a guinea pig hutch will have 2 areas, a sleeping area that is covered over and protected from the weather and an outdoors area where he can play and exercise and nibble grass.
You shouldn’t use wire on the floor of your hutch as a guinea pig can get a condition known as bumble foot from walking on wire.
Most guinea pig cages that you buy in pet shops are too small for the purpose. It’s quite easy to make your own guinea pig cage and it’s not expensive to do so. If you are making your own make sure you make it as large as you possibly can so that your guinea pig has lots of room to play and to exercise.
They are cheap to feed and not difficult to feed but you do need to learn a little bit about what they need to eat and what they don’t need to eat. They need plenty of hay for roughage, will happily eat a wide range of fresh green vegetable leaves such as broccoli or spinach as well as fruits like apples and pears. Some foods should be avoided such as lettuce and cabbage which can give your guinea pig diarrhea.
You need to understand that once you buy one, (or more), guinea pigs you are committing to cleaning out their guinea pig cage regularly, as young children will rarely do this do this well. And you also need to ensure that he is regularly groomed to keep his hair in good condition and free of knots. This of course is part of the fun.
So if you’re looking for a small, soft and cuddly pet for the children consider a guinea pig. He is the perfect pet provided you house him in a good large guinea pig hutch and feed him properly.
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