Guinea Pig Or Rabbit

[Mandasaurus]

Hi!

I know this has been asked a lot (I've been trawling through both this forum, the rabbit forum and even yahoo for good opinions!). Originally I was set on getting guinea pigs, but unfortunately with the death of my cat 2 months ago (passed away just before her 21st birthday, can't believe how devastating it was!), I've felt like there's just been a massive gap in my life, I'm not allowed to get another cat (I'm 24 but still live with my parents, damn deposit for a mortgage is taking yonks to save for!), and I have been told by people that a house rabbit is the next closest thing.

Now, the real question I have is that originally I was going to get guinea pigs, but I really want a pet that will be affectionate with me, that will be excited when I'm home and genuinely want to spend time with me (not just want food). All the questions I've seen about rabbits vs guinea pigs seem to focus on the time commitment, cost and whether the pets okay around children, but none of that really applies to me (no children in the household, cost is not an issue and I will commit any time necessary to ensure the happiness of my pet).

So, the real question is, which pet will genuinely like me as an owner and be affectionate?

 

[Galaxy&nibbles]

I would think it depends on each individual animal. And both ideally should live with a friend of their own kind, so bare that in mind. We have both a rabbit and 4 guinea pigs and 2 dogs lol. The rabbit isn't at all affectionate but will always come to you if food is around. Don't get me wrong he is sweet but not at all the cuddly kind.
As for my guinea pigs, 2 are quite affectionate and the other 2 not so much. They always come to the front of the cage when I come in the room and talk to them (but then so does the rabbit), they give me piggy kisses when they're out, and are quite happy to snuggle into me! Though keep a towel or something underneath as they pee! I guess the more time you spend with them, the closer bond you will get, but then there are some that just don't do cuddles and the like.

Good luck with whatever route you go, I hope someone else can help you more and please do keep us updated, we love knowing!

 

[Diane Pike]

They,re both equally affectionate but rabbits use there back legs when they don't want to be picked up or are startled and I,ve had a few lacerated wrists in the past, but never had anything like that with my piggies.

 

[Mairi M]

I don't know about rabbits, but I find guinea pigs to be variable on the degree to which they like to be affectionate towards humans. Assuming you get the recommended minimum of two, you may find one to be more affectionate than the other. My experience of two different pairs of siblings has been that the dominant one is more affectionate and the under pig more skittish. I don't know if this is always the case. It would be interesting to know :-)

 

[Seven]

On a guinea pig forum there's likely to be biased opinions leaning towards guinea pigs, same with a rabbit forum. On yahoo answers there's usually a small size of people answering your question so you can never get a clear 'which animal is better' option because we as the human mind always have some sort of bias.

I would do your own research on both of these animals and see which fits your needs. I heard rabbits are fun to watch and can be quite mischevious, I believe there's a bigger jump in different rabbits than different guinea pigs but each animal is still an individual. They're less likely to stay still. Guinea pigs are probably calmer and more likely to sit still/enjoy cuddling but they're small and a lot more timid. I think there's more openness in how you house your rabbits as well. Some people keep them in cages enclosed in a pen and others have their rabbits hoppig around a whole room. Both are likely to run away from you at first which is why you need to warm up to them.

If you want animal like a dog that'll be nearly killing itself over having to wait for you to get home then you're probably not going to find that in either of these animals. They'll like you and appreciate you (for the food) but you might be disappointed with what you get. So be prepared but I love having guinea pigs!

My guinea pig is pretty skittish and still isn't completely fond on me picking her up but during lap time she snuggles up against me and makes adorable sounds as I pet her. She's also entertaining to watch as she runs around her cage and popcorns, and I love to hear her demanding me to give her vegetables when I'm even just a tad past my usual time. She's a joy and I love her. This is my experience with my recent pig and I'm 100% enjoying it. Take this with a grain of salt, never owned a rabbit but I'm sure they're pleasant as well.

So the choice is up to you.

 

[gizzy]

A very good question , my first responce would be pigs, but l seem to remember some rabits with realy strong carictors
though l think it realy all depends on the bond between keeper and pig or wabbit

 

[Freela]

I think a lot of it is down to individual animals. I have never owned a rabbit, but have several friends that do or have in the past. My experience is that guinea pigs tend to be 'cuddlier' than rabbits. The rabbits I know (even the friendly ones) have been very independent. They visit you on their terms, you do not get to say when and where the rabbit will spend time with you! LOL! Neither a rabbit or a guinea pig is going to greet you at the door the way a dog would. However, a guinea pig will definitely greet you very vocally when they suspect you might have food for them! I'm probably biased, as I'm a pig owner and not a rabbit owner, but I'm partial to guinea pigs. I just find them more docile than the rabbits I know, and I appreciate the fact that I can plunk them on my lap and have them stay there (some of my lazier pigs are basically hot water bottles with heartbeats... just plunk and sit. Of course, not all pigs are going to be lap pets, but if you're looking for that I think your odds are higher with a pig than a rabbit.) But again, I freely confess my bias here! Maybe someone with both pigs and rabbits can help you out a bit more.

 

[Freela]

I don't know about rabbits, but I find guinea pigs to be variable on the degree to which they like to be affectionate towards humans. Assuming you get the recommended minimum of two, you may find one to be more affectionate than the other. My experience of two different pairs of siblings has been that the dominant one is more affectionate and the under pig more skittish. I don't know if this is always the case. It would be interesting to know :-)

That's been my experience too, actually, with two differing pairs of pigs. The dominant pig was more of a lap pet, the submissive pig was more 'alert.' They were still friendly, but would not flop in my lap and pass out the way the dominant pigs were. I was never sure if it was because the dominant pigs were just more confident, or if it was a function of breed (both of my dominant pigs coincidentally were sheltie mixes, making me wonder if shelties were more likely to be laid back.) Sundae, however, will lick my hands/arms/face like crazy during lap time, something that my other pigs really haven't done. Either I taste good or she loves me, it's hard to say which!

 

[Touie]

I have had more rabbits than guinea pigs over the years. I have only ever had one that was aggressive but when he wasn't in a bad mood he was very cuddly! All the rabbits have been very interactive and wanting my company. I have 4 guinea pigs and all are cuddly when they are out, but all initially hide from me. The reasons why I have guineas instead of rabbits now are the cost (annual injections and illness, rabbits are quite delicate), and they take up less space!

 

[Touie]

.... and rabbits are more destructive, forgot that bit but... are easy to litter train...mostly!

 

[Mandasaurus]

Hi everyone,

I thought it would be nice to keep you updated (and if anyone in the future finds this thread hopefully it will prove useful for them!)

So, Rabbits vs Guinea Pigs. The amount of research and threads I read to make this decision was ridiculous, to be honest when it came down to the final decision it was purely a 'which personality really shone through to me when at the rescue' rather than making a decision based on the research I had done, but just to help anyone else who may come across this thread, I thought I'd break down all the things I found and ultimately what made me decide on which to get (the information may not be 100% correct, it's just what I've read across the rabbit and guinea forums, so always do your own research when it comes to making this decision)

Rabbits
Pros
- Most can be litter trained (If i was going to get a rabbit, it would eventually be a house rabbit, so this was a big plus for me!)

- They all have distinct personalities, this can be a good and bad thing, you can get a demon rabbit or you can get the messiah of rabbits, they're all different and have their own character which shines through

Cons
- Yearly vaccinations, rabbits require vaccinations each year, at my local vet this is £55 which also includes 2 health checks a year, oral and ear check, nail clipping and a few other benefits (this cost didn't really sway my decision at all as I'm pretty good at budgeting and putting money aside for things, but may be a deciding factor for other people)

- Need more space, rabbits need a lot of exercise, they won't be happy being cooped up in a pen or cage all day unless they have room to run about, so this needs to be factored in when deciding between a rabbit and guinea (this was what made me decide if I was going to get a rabbit they would have to be house rabbits

- Adventurous but also destructive, some rabbits can be downright destructive and they can't be taught out of it, again, this is to do with personality and the character of the bunny, they are also pretty inquisitive, if you put them in a pen, they'll want to venture beyond the pen and explore, so make sure they are somewhere secure and away from all wires (bunny proof your house if kept indoors!)

- SPAY and NEUTER, this is a big thing for rabbits! female rabbits have a much higher chance of getting cancer if they are not spayed (around 80% more likely I believe?) and male rabbits can be territorial and mark territory if they are not neutered, in addition to this the best combination for a pair of rabbits is a male and female as they seem to get along better (same genders are possible and can be bonded, but male/female pairs seem to overall work better), so this cost needs to be factored in. I believe the costs can range between £50-£80 per rabbit and price varies dependent on gender.

- Insurance, its generally recommended to get insurance for rabbits, while you hopefully will never need it if there are any dental problems down the line this can quickly add up! A general quote from PetPlan is around £8-12 per rabbit per month, again this could change dependent on age, breed of rabbit and any prior health issues.

Guinea Pigs
Pros
- The noises they make! if you want a vocal pet, this is definitely the right choice, the sounds they make are truly adorable! <3

- Less space needed, generally guinea pigs are happy to stay in a nice big cage, they will like floor space but won't tend to be the adventurous sort and won't get into too much trouble

Cons
- Can generally be really skittish, they're fine once safely in their owners laps, but they tend to run and hide a lot, it takes a lot to build up trust but once earned it's very rewarding

- Need a lot more vegetables, guineas cannot produce their own vitamin C, so they need a plentiful supply of fresh veggies each day, which could prove costly

- Shorter life spans than rabbits, this could affect some peoples decision between a rabbit or guinea

Overall
During my research I actually felt that rabbits and guinea pigs are similar in a lot of ways, both require a constant supply of hay, need a good large space, they all have their own distinct personalities and character, but the biggest differences I found between then was that I felt rabbits came across as being much more expensive! If you rely on parents who may not be willing to pay for your pet or you only have a small amount to spend on a pet each month rabbits will not be the choice for you, they require regular vet checks, vaccinations and should be spayed/neutered, while you could require veterinary care and surgery for either a guinea pig or a rabbit, it seemed to be more common with rabbits (dental problems seemed pretty common!).

I found guinea pigs to be quite skittish, while they were happy to sit on my lap and to be pet, I felt that it was because they had resigned themselves to being caught (and potentially eaten if I was an actual predator), I felt that it was a lot harder to gauge the personality of the piggy and I'm sure it would shine through in time and it will be very rewarding for any owner who gets the chance to build that trust, but I felt that they have much stronger 'prey' mannerisms than rabbits.

What really made my decision was going to the rescues and interacting with all the guineas and rabbits, I felt that the caring/cost of either choice didn't factor into my decision as I would be able to adapt to either and budget any cost into my monthly expenses. After visiting 3 different rescues (over 5 hours of driving time!) I am now the proud mum of 2 beautiful mini lop bunnies, they have such big personalities, inquisitive, curious and while they're a bit skittish to be stroked (the previous owners did not have time anymore to look after them, so imagine they haven't had much socialization in a while), even after a day I can see how they've settled and growing comfortable in their new home

I hope this (extremely long and a bit waffly) post helps others trying to make the same decision out there, all I can really say is that if cost and space is not an issue for you, you really need to go to rescues, ask about their backgrounds and listen to their stories and just spend time with all of them to see which personality will fit into your life <3

 

[Sue and Smartie]

How lovely I think those bunnies are very lucky to have found someone who has really thought about what they want from a pet. I think we might need to see pics!

 

[Lina S]

Hi!

I know this has been asked a lot (I've been trawling through both this forum, the rabbit forum and even yahoo for good opinions!). Originally I was set on getting guinea pigs, but unfortunately with the death of my cat 2 months ago (passed away just before her 21st birthday, can't believe how devastating it was!), I've felt like there's just been a massive gap in my life, I'm not allowed to get another cat (I'm 24 but still live with my parents, damn deposit for a mortgage is taking yonks to save for!), and I have been told by people that a house rabbit is the next closest thing.

Now, the real question I have is that originally I was going to get guinea pigs, but I really want a pet that will be affectionate with me, that will be excited when I'm home and genuinely want to spend time with me (not just want food). All the questions I've seen about rabbits vs guinea pigs seem to focus on the time commitment, cost and whether the pets okay around children, but none of that really applies to me (no children in the household, cost is not an issue and I will commit any time necessary to ensure the happiness of my pet).

So, the real question is, which pet will genuinely like me as an owner and be affectionate?

Hey, I am a new guinea pig owner I suppose it is down to you which one you prefer. I adopted two guinea pigs three weeks ago, they do take time to bond with you but it definitely pays off. They are very chirpy and happy little things, it may take weeks if not months to bond with them as they are prey animals but if you are persistent which I'm sure you would be it would work out well for you also I would advice you to look for a closest rescue shelter, you have to have at least a pair whether you buy or adopt. They are happiest in a pair or more, otherwise they get depressed and ill if they are by themselves. Talking from experience, they make me happy. All tho I'm not completely bonded with them yet but I love watching them play in the cage and hear how they talk to one another. You definitely wouldn't feel lonely with them hope this will help you and you consider to adopt instead of buying them. Good luck

 

[Lina S]

I'm pleased you adopted them hope they will be well looked after and will love you very dearly I think you will make a good owner