Rabbit's Vs Guinea Pigs! Please help..

Hi all , i'm very sorry but i seem to be posting the same things and going round and round in circles and i'm now more confused than ever!

We are trying to decided between getting a pair of Rabbits or a pair of Guinea Pigs..Originally we were all set to get Buns as that is what my children and myself wanted but i heard from variuos people that GP's were better so smaller children. However after reading up a lot on here and on the GP forum it seems to me that GP's are a lot more hard work?! I have never owned GP's before but have had a fab Rabbit as a child.

Rabbits-
can litter train-so less smelly? can roam free in the garden, can be kept outdoors all winter, less veg, more space needed(larger hutch), want to be held less than GP's

Guinea Pigs-
can't litter train, more veg, less space needed(smaller hutch), have to be careful outside-when damp cold frosty etc, happy to be held

It's seems to me the main reason GP's are better for children is that they are happy to be held? But i have had replies off some people saying that GP's can be skittish timid etc. If the main reason for recommending GP's is about them being held i don't see it as a problem-my children will not want to sit holding the Buns all day-they are at school and i think they will be quite happy with the odd stroke whilst they are in their hutch. The Buns/GP's will be maily my pets and the children can help me if they want to-they are not my childrens pets as they are far too young for responsibilty that will last years!
I want a pet that can be outside-i do not have room for those big cube things that some people have for GP's and i am not willing to be washing fleeces daily(as some people have said they do with their GP's). A pet that can run around the garden and play happily with the children without it being petrified.

Can anyone help? I thought it would be best to write what we wanted from a pet so that someone might have some ideas!

for children rabbits all the way
guinneas are alot faster
they dont like to be handled as much as rabbits
you can get more involved with rabbits train them to jump get the kids involved
and guinnea pigs dont bounce as well as in you drop a guinnea by mistake they break their backs very easy !
ps you should never have ramps for guinnea pigs for the same reason

ann x

Rabbits can hurt their backs on ramps too.

Buns don't always like being held either, especially by non-confident young children.

How about getting a pair of older, laid back rabbits from a rescue centre? With a little time and they could be running up to you and your children for cuddles, following you around like puppies and no need to pick them up. Both my rabbits are 3/4 years old and as soon as I open the door they run up to me.

Plus benefits there include that they may have both been neutered/spayed and had vaccinations and you can ask a little about their personalities. I've never had guinea pigs but I had my first rabbit at 11 and have never looked back. I love them. :mrgreen:

(Not that baby rabbits couldn't do the same)

I adore my rabbits, they actually seem to like my company and watching them interact with each other is amazing. I am definitely a 'rabbit' person and they are so much more interesting than most people think. However, they have cost me a fortune at the vets and Inky hates being picked up! Rabbits are definitely not a 'childrens' pet (for example, Inky is very friendly and loves being fussed on the floor but if you try to pick him up, he becomes very viscious in his attempts to escape), they are complex little creatures and it can take a while to gain their trust.

Guinea pigs may not be the boldest of pets but they are easier to look after than rabbits (certainly a lot less seems to go wrong with them) on a daily basis and their noises are just so cute. They do need to be inside in the winter but if you have a pair/trio, they are quite happy living in a shed over the winter, so long as they are out of drafts and dry.

If you get your pets from a rescue centre, you will be given an idea of their personality and you always have the back up of their advice.

Now I own both and would go guinea pigs everytime for children. Guinea Pigs are no more work than rabbits to be honest it's about the same. With piggies though you do need to have a shed or porch or something for the winter as they can't be outside. Litter training isn't a real problem as they do use one corner for weeing mainly and they don't have the same strong smell as rabbits. They can be skittish but are much easier to handle. The back legs of rabbits can be off putting for children. Pigs don't need to be on fleece etc. I have some that are and some not.

If you don't have that room inside then rabbits are the only option. To be honest whichever you choose, they are both fantastic pets. To watch a rabbit binkying or a piggy popcorning in the garden is a delight. I have seen a couple of your posts on here and the pig forum and I know how carefully you are researching this. If you go for bunnies from a rescue they will already know the personality and will be able to match you up with the right ones. I have 5 rescue buns all happy and confident.

Tough choice, good luck xx

I would also choose guineas for children, I think they are much more manageable.

Having said that, if your children can spend lots of time handling the rabbits, they can form a lovely bond. We have 8 rabbits currently and my children handle them all the time very confidently.

Although I agree that Guinea Pigs do tend to be a bit more timid than Bunnies, by the same return once caught they are generally quite happy to sit in your lap and enjoy cuddles. Although I do have some really people orientated buns, I also have some that I think are probably more typical rabbits in that affection is on their terms. When they are frightened they nip and although unintentional this can be pretty painful and they can scratch quite badly. Although Guineas can also potentially bite I personally have never come across one that does.

I also don't agree that Guinea pigs can't live outdoors all year round. It is the damp/draughs that effects them, not the actual temperature itself so providing the hutch is in a sheltered area well protected from the elements they should be fine. Certainly mine have been fine over the years, even in all that snow. I just use extra bedding and cover the hutch with silver loft insulation. You could always move the hutch inside a shed if you were really worried.

However I am a bunny person through and through, I love their spunky personalities. You've said you want this pet for you, so as long as your children are happy that the bunny may not always want to be petted, there is no reason why they cannot be a new addition to your family.

Also I don't keep my piggies on fleece. They are quite happy on auboise and hay the same as my bunnies.

And I actually find my piggies are less work than the bunnies and cheaper as they don't need never ending vaccinations.

I always had guinea pigs when i was a child, they were very friendly cos we used to handle them every night and play with them and from what i remember they used to sit on my knee for a while and then once they get bored start to wriggle, just like my rabbit does now really.

They used to always do there squeaky guinea pig noise when they heard bags rustling so they interacted with us, like mylo does now (without the squeaking). We used to bring them in/put them in the shed in winter so it wasnt too cold for them but i think if i had an outdoor bunny i would still do that for them too.

I've also always had both and I would recommend guineas as a first pet for children. Bunnies are but can cause injury in their attempt to get away without meaning to. They have extremely strong back legs which hurt when they jump - it's unintentional but can be scary for a little one.

I think guineas are slightly more hard work because they're not litter trained but then there's no guarantee your bun will want to be litter trained either :?

Guineas also don't need the vaccinations that buns need - not that it's a problem but worth keeping in mind.

I'm probably not much help because I just can't choose so had both :lol:

Funny how a lot are recommending rabbits on this forum, and guineas on the other :lol: I'm going to copy my post from the guinea pig forum...

Personally, I prefer rabbits, but wouldn't recommend them for your situation. I have 2 bunnies and 3 GP's, and I have found the guineas are better suited to children. I have children come to my house and I will not let them near the rabbits, I cannot trust children with them, and them with children! They kick out, scratch, bite and just do not like children. They love me though, and I find them utterly adorable. But probably not if I had children!

Whereas the guineas are happy to sit and chatter on the knees of children, and munch on some grass or a veggie. The rabbits would be miles away!

Of course it depends on the upbringing of the pet, and the children. My bunnies were mistreated by a child in their previous home, and now hate every child. But my last rabbit I bought at 8 weeks from a breeder, and she still hated children.

You also have to remember, rabbits are also much more expensive to keep. You will usually need to have them neutered, as pairs will often fight (although my girls are not spayed and are fine), and there's also 3 vaccinations per year per rabbit. Averaging £20 per one. So £120ish a year in vaccines for buns. It can be even more depending where you live! A rabbit spay can be anything up to £120ish as well. Sometimes more.

I would 100% say guinea pigs are more suited to children than rabbits, you can build up just as much as bond with piggies as with rabbits (I own both) I think guinea pigs are much more fun for younger children and although some can be skittish the more time you spend with them the more friendly and manageable they are. Just my opinion though xx

I would go with Guinea Pigs, 2 sisters

They don't need as much space because although they can be quite speedy, they don't need to build up good speed to do massive jumps into the air like rabbits do! You can keep them in quite a low height run without fear of them jumping out.

If you did want to go with the rabbits instead, they best way to keep them would be as freerange houserabbits. They can then interact with you and your children on their own terms. They will have plenty of space to run and jump and generally provide you with much more interaction.

Rachel I have e mailed you

I would also say guinea pigs for children. Although they are skittish to be caught to begin with, they will happily sit on your lap getting cuddled.

They need less space than bunnies, and a lot cheaper as they dont really need neutered and dont need vaccinations.

But, i do prefer rabbits, personally.

I think these 2 would be brillant for you, they are lovely, really cuddly and will happily sit and be fussed. They are fine with children and are very tolerant of them.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=207861

in response to a couple of jazzywoo's points
Rabbits are very fast, if you let them out to run around and try to catch them you will have a very hard job!
The vast majority of rabbits do not enjoy being handled, they will tolerate and sometimes enjoy strokes. The vast majority of guineas do enjoy being handled and will happily sit on your lap and chatter while you cuddle away.

I would personally go for guineas for kids.
Mainly because rabbits are so high maintenance - jabs three times a year, so so fragile and common health problems can be very costly.
Largely because guineas will happily be handled and make the most lovely noises!
partly because guineas need less space and if you're concerned about the cold you can put them in a shed/garage.

Have you considered ferrets? what age are the children? Ferrets were my absolute favourite childhood pet - like puppies! I remember chasing them round the garden then turning around and running the other way so that they'd chase me, putting them on my slide, setting up racecourses for them. They were fantastic!
Very low maintenance, hardly any health problems but do need plenty of space.

Jenova said:

How about getting a pair of older, laid back rabbits from a rescue centre? With a little time and they could be running up to you and your children for cuddles, following you around like puppies and no need to pick them up. Both my rabbits are 3/4 years old and as soon as I open the door they run up to me.

Plus benefits there include that they may have both been neutered/spayed and had vaccinations and you can ask a little about their personalities. I've never had guinea pigs but I had my first rabbit at 11 and have never looked back. I love them. :mrgreen:

(Not that baby rabbits couldn't do the same)

Click to expand...

This is what i was possibly thinking? Going for slightly older Rabbits who are maybe slightly calmer?
Thank you for you response!

x-vic-x said:

I think these 2 would be brillant for you, they are lovely, really cuddly and will happily sit and be fussed. They are fine with children and are very tolerant of them.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=207861

Click to expand...

I know i have seen the post on here! They are loverly!! Not too far from me either.
This is one of the things that has been confusing me as people have been saying Rabbits are not cuddly-but these apparently are!
Thank you for you reply!