Guinea pigs are amazing pets with great dispositions. They require little care and make brilliant pets for older children. But guinea pigs are not for everybody. Here are simply a few factors to consider before running down to your favourite animal shelter or petshop to pick one up.
Guinea pigs don't do particularly well living alone. They are social creatures who crave the company of others. Consider the lifestyles and personalities of you and your family. Will your new addition be really integrated into your family and get lots of attention - not just at the beginning when you first bring it home - but for its whole life? Or will it be principally ignored, sitting alone in its guinea pig cage, left to become "just an obligation" once the initial novelty has worn off? Or, if you cannot give it enough attention, are you willing to house two or more pigs together so they can keep each other company?
With the excitement of pet ownership also comes responsibility. Are you prepared to commit to long term care and feeding for your new pet for its entire life? Guinea pigs on average , live 5 to six years - and some can live as many as eight years. So remember, when you bring home a guinea pig, you are bringing home another living being. And ultimately , you will be the one responsible for its safety and well-being for the remainder of its life.
Are you emotionally strong enough to suffer the loss of your pet in the future? As I mentioned earlier, guinea pigs generally live about five to 6 years. While this may be a considerable time in terms of making a commitment to your animal; it is a relatively short time in relation to the life span of you or your youngsters. Simply put, as indelicate as it sounds, it's probable that you'll sometime have to see your pet die.
This is neither bad nor good - it's simply life. But it can be a good learning experience for your kids in terms of learning how to handle death and loss in a healthy way. But it could also be a really unpleasant and difficult time.
Our family has owned many pets from guinea pigs to rabbits to dogs. We have had fish, snails, mice and even frogs. And, unavoidably, we have unhappily lost many pets. Over the years, the woods in our yard have now become a small pet graveyard. But on the whole, those pets have all contributed so much more to our family during their lifetimes than they ever took away with their deaths. For us, the pros outweighed the negatives of pet ownership.
On the other hand, my sister-in-law was emotionally devastated by the demise of her ferret. So much so that she decided never to own another pet again. For her, the negative overwhelmed the positives. Which sort of person (or family) are you? You ought to know before you bring home a guinea pig.
Bringing home a new pet is exciting - and it implies a serious commitment. Are you willing to spend time with your pet and give it the attention that it needs? Are you willing to commit to this stewardship for the entire lifespan of your new animal? And are you emotionally prepared to handle the inescapable bad times that come with the good experiences that your guinea pig will supply? If you can say yes to all of these questions, then you are a good candidate for a guinea pig owner. Enjoy.
Guinea pigs don't do particularly well living alone. They are social creatures who crave the company of others. Consider the lifestyles and personalities of you and your family. Will your new addition be really integrated into your family and get lots of attention - not just at the beginning when you first bring it home - but for its whole life? Or will it be principally ignored, sitting alone in its guinea pig cage, left to become "just an obligation" once the initial novelty has worn off? Or, if you cannot give it enough attention, are you willing to house two or more pigs together so they can keep each other company?
With the excitement of pet ownership also comes responsibility. Are you prepared to commit to long term care and feeding for your new pet for its entire life? Guinea pigs on average , live 5 to six years - and some can live as many as eight years. So remember, when you bring home a guinea pig, you are bringing home another living being. And ultimately , you will be the one responsible for its safety and well-being for the remainder of its life.
Are you emotionally strong enough to suffer the loss of your pet in the future? As I mentioned earlier, guinea pigs generally live about five to 6 years. While this may be a considerable time in terms of making a commitment to your animal; it is a relatively short time in relation to the life span of you or your youngsters. Simply put, as indelicate as it sounds, it's probable that you'll sometime have to see your pet die.
This is neither bad nor good - it's simply life. But it can be a good learning experience for your kids in terms of learning how to handle death and loss in a healthy way. But it could also be a really unpleasant and difficult time.
Our family has owned many pets from guinea pigs to rabbits to dogs. We have had fish, snails, mice and even frogs. And, unavoidably, we have unhappily lost many pets. Over the years, the woods in our yard have now become a small pet graveyard. But on the whole, those pets have all contributed so much more to our family during their lifetimes than they ever took away with their deaths. For us, the pros outweighed the negatives of pet ownership.
On the other hand, my sister-in-law was emotionally devastated by the demise of her ferret. So much so that she decided never to own another pet again. For her, the negative overwhelmed the positives. Which sort of person (or family) are you? You ought to know before you bring home a guinea pig.
Bringing home a new pet is exciting - and it implies a serious commitment. Are you willing to spend time with your pet and give it the attention that it needs? Are you willing to commit to this stewardship for the entire lifespan of your new animal? And are you emotionally prepared to handle the inescapable bad times that come with the good experiences that your guinea pig will supply? If you can say yes to all of these questions, then you are a good candidate for a guinea pig owner. Enjoy.
About the Author:
Irrespective of what sort of guinea pig you're looking to have, each one of them have almost identical requirements for a healthy, comfortable and secure home. We here at BlueStoneCommerce are guinea pig owners as well as guinea pig cage sellers. Everybody knows what pigs like and what they have to have in a guinea pig cage to be healthy, satisfied and secure. So if you are hunting for a lot of guinea pig cage for the money, Click one of these resource area links to go to one of our online web stores
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