A great first cuddly pet for children

Most children, at some point in their childhood, want to have a pet of their own.  While some children  gravitate toward reptiles, it is more common to want a mammal.  Something soft, warm and furry melts the heart of the majority of all humans, and children are no exception.  Many children want a puppy, but puppies aren't always the best choice for a first pet for a young child.









In choosing a pet, the age of the child is a huge consideration.  We have found that guinea pigs make a very good first pet for a young school-age child.    About age 5 or 6, most children can care for and handle a small pet with adult supervision.  Guinea pigs are small enough to hold and cuddle (and really do like to be held & cuddled gently), but they don't bite nor do they try to run away as gerbils and hamsters are prone to do.  They also are very easy to care for.  They don't need to be walked, groomed or trained, and they don't chew up shoes & other household items.  They simply need fresh water, food and attention every day.  Guinea pigs are social animals and very much like to be part of the family.  The litter in their cage should be changed about once a week.  One side benefit is that they are also a great natural compost-ER... we give all of our fruit and vegetable scraps to our guinea pigs and then when we clean their cage, we place the soiled bedding around our garden. 

This is a picture of our youngest son with his guinea pig, Chester.  He wanted a pet he "could hold" for his 8th birthday.  We found someone giving away this sweet-tempered 3-year-old male on Craig's List.  Chester has been his constant companion now for one and a half years.

Chester tolerates a leopard gecko sitting on his back!  

 Chester also gets along well with our Wheaten Terrier.

We have owned several guinea pigs over the years and currently have 3 adults and 4 babies.  My husband bought our female, Flower, for me for my 50th birthday when she was 4 weeks old.  She was so tiny!  We thought Chester needed a companion of his own kind, and we thought it would be fun to let them have babies.  

After eight months together, they got along fine, but there was no sign of pregnancy.  Some friends of ours had a male guinea pig that they gave to us.   It wasn't long before it was evident that Flower and Reeses "liked" each other. 





 Approximately 2 months later, Flower was "showing".  Her belly got so big that her bottom half was twice as large as her top half!  It certainly was fun holding her and feeling the little babies moving inside her.

Flower recently had her first litter of babies.  Mommy and babies are all doing very well!  Guinea Pig babies are born with hair, their eyes and ears open, and have the ability to run around, squeak, and eat solid food immediately after birth.  They have a very long (for rodents) gestation of about 60 days. 

Our female, Flower, was almost one year old at the time of their birth, which is considered old for a first litter in guinea pigs.   Generally, it is suggested that the female deliver her first litter by the time she is 6-8 months old.  As the mother ages, her pelvis may not as easily allow the passage of babies during birth.  The babies stay with the mother and nurse for 4-6 weeks, but they do eat pellets and other food also. 

Female guinea pigs can become pregnant as young as 4 weeks, so separating males from females is important.  Although they can become pregnant that young, it is advisable to wait until they are a few months old if possible.

Our first litter consisted of 3 boys and one girl.  We decided to keep the girl and sell the boys.  At 4 weeks, this male guinea pig is a perfect pet for a young elementary aged child!

If you are considering guinea pigs as a pet for your child, please let me know if you have any questions.  While we are not experts, and do not intend to take the place of the advice of Veterinarian, we have had much experience with guinea pigs in general, and now we are experienced with a mommy and her babies.