Who is better a guinea pig or a hamster. Hamster or guinea pig: a difficult choice

Sooner or later, every family thinks about acquiring a pet. The choice of small animals is quite large, most often hamsters and guinea pigs attract the attention of children.

Representatives of the rodent family are considered the best option, since you do not need to waste time walking, they take up little space, you do not need to accustom yourself to the tray, like cats, etc. Which one to get? You can make a decision - a guinea pig or a hamster - by learning better the positive and negative aspects of breeding each species.

One of the differences between this herbivore and a hamster is that she lives much longer, 5-6 years, with good care - up to 10. For many animal lovers, this is very important. Being attached to a pet, the owners are very hard going through his death.

These are quite large animals: the body length can reach 25 cm, and weight - from 700 to 1000 g, maximum -1.5-1.8 kg. Therefore, the cage must be spacious, at least 60x40 cm. there is no air circulation in them, a fungus may appear, and the smell of bowel movements will be strong.

It is better to use hay as bedding, but sawdust, granular or regular, can also be used. Hay is an important part of the animal's diet (up to 60%), a source of vitamins and other useful substances. In addition, the animal is fed with grain and vegetables. If he receives less hay and solid feed, this can lead to overgrowth of teeth, malocclusion, and as a result, the inability to eat.

Rodents are diurnal. They are not very mobile. Occasionally, when hungry, they emit a loud whistle.

They miss being alone, they need to communicate with representatives of their own species. Usually rodents take food from each other's mouths, poke their faces, lick their ears, exchange droppings. Communication with a person will not be a substitute. Therefore, it is better to have at least two animals at once. The cage must be chosen large so that there is enough space for both inhabitants.

Let's figure out how a hamster differs from a guinea pig. Its life expectancy is about two years. With proper care - 3-3.5 years. The rodent is small in size. The largest varieties reach 15 cm, dwarf -4-8 cm. Accordingly, they need less living space.

Hamsters, unlike pigs, are nocturnal. They are very mobile, they need special devices to maintain motor activity, for example, a running wheel.

Owners may not like the nighttime fuss and the noise of a spinning wheel when a furry pet wants to run. For normal life, he needs to overcome 1-2 km per day.

Not all hamsters like to be picked up. Better to explain it to a child. They bite much more often than the sea, for which this is just a way to show that you have hurt them.

Coexistence of a hamster and a pig

If you appreciated the merits of both types of animals and decided to have both. To save space, you should not place them in the same cage for several reasons:

1. The cage for the guinea pig should be large enough, the dimensions of the base should be 60x40cm. Usually, rods are rarely located in such cells. A small hamster can easily leave its limits.
2. In nature, hamsters live alone, reacting aggressively to anyone who violates the boundaries of his territory. A larger neighbor, despite its size, can become an object of attack. Then without bites and wounds will not do.
3. Size Differences: A large guinea pig can crush a hamster, especially a toy breed.
4. Rodents have different food preferences. Living in the same cage, they can feed on each other's supplies, which can affect their health.

Interestingly, guinea pigs are calm about strangers of other species. They either do not notice them, or use them to warm themselves, to eat food. Fight, basically, with relatives for a house. But living with a hamster is unacceptable.

Advantages and disadvantages of content

So, both hamsters and guinea pigs live in similar conditions. The choice between them can be influenced by such features:

• life expectancy (guinea pigs live much longer than hamsters);
• cage size (for a hamster - much smaller);
• special feeding requirements (hay is an indispensable element when breeding guinea pigs);
• lifestyle (day or night, single or collective).

Each of the conditions can be a plus or a minus, depending on the lifestyle, the needs of the owners. The decision of who suits you best, a hamster or a guinea pig, is made individually.

Pets are purchased, most often, at the request of children. The child needs communication with wildlife. Psychologists and educators believe that the manifestation of care for a pet, empathy, emotions that a child receives when communicating with him, help to form the best human qualities. The animal at home becomes an incentive to learn about the world around. Responsibility and respect for nature are brought up.

Each person before buying a pet tries to find out as much information about him as possible. This is important to be aware of the positive and negative aspects of being with an animal.

Everyone knows that a guinea pig is a domestic animal, and what it is like to live with a rodent in the same house, perhaps only a few.

These cute little animals have negative character traits, but there are not so many of them:

1. Complex nature. Guinea pigs rarely show their character. This can happen due to the fact that the previous owner mistreated her, offending and hurting her. After this, the animal becomes shy, withdrawn and does not make contact with a person.
2. They spoil property. A guinea pig is, of course, a pet, but still a rodent. Do not let the animal walk around the apartment without supervision owner. After such walks, you will get damaged wallpaper, furniture and wires. Nature will still prevail over the pet.
3. Clean coat. This "flaw" applies only to pigs with long hair. The animal is not able to cope with the hair on its own, therefore it requires the help of a person.

Content Pros

There are far more positive aspects of keeping guinea pigs in an apartment than negative ones. These include:

Is it worth it to take an exhibition copy?

When choosing a guinea pig, many people want to purchase an exhibition copy of a rare breed, without thinking at all about the responsibility that they will have to take on. In addition, the cost of an exhibition rodent will also be much higher than that of a regular one.

In addition to financial expenses, the future owner of the guinea pig has a number of responsibilities:

• joining the club of breeders;
• participation in exhibitions;
• selection of a mating partner;
• daily animal care.

If the owner of a thoroughbred individual plans to mate, then you will either have to find a suitable pair or buy one.

The appearance of offspring will require more space and time, which may cause a breeder to want to find a new home for a large proportion of their animals. Finding people who want to put guinea pigs in their apartment is not easy. This is due to the high fecundity of these rodents.

All breeds can be divided into four types:

1. long-haired;
2. socket;
3. smooth-haired;
4. bald.

When purchasing an exhibition individual of a long-haired breed, it is important to understand that this animal will require daily care for a fur coat, which the owner will have to comb.

It is not necessary to hope that this painstaking duty can be entrusted to the children for whom the animal was bought. Without proper care, the pet's hair quickly falls off, turning the life of a pig into a real nightmare.

Breeds with a smooth coat are most suitable for beginners. breeders. These individuals are not whimsical in care and have a more stable immunity, due to which diseases occur much less frequently.

Who is better: a guinea pig or a hamster?

In order to choose whether you need a hamster or a pig, you need to consider the pros and cons of each animal.

Knowing the features of keeping animals, everyone will be able to independently make a choice between animals.

Compare with chinchilla

It is quite difficult to determine which of these two fluffies is better. Both animals are unpretentious in care, have a calm and docile nature. Affectionate animals make good contact with people, but chinchillas require more patience in taming than guinea pigs.

In nutrition, both animals are picky. The main thing is to stick to the permitted diet and you will not have problems with the health of the pet. Perhaps the only condition is the need for a chinchilla in a more spacious cage.

Choosing between two representatives of rodents, you need to rely only on personal desires and preferences. BUT animals for a happy life require only decent care, love and care from the owner.

Guinea pigs are cute, good-natured animals. With their presence, they will not cause much trouble, they will only please their owner with an affectionate character and a funny look.

In contact with

Both animals - a hamster and a guinea pig - are fluffy animals, nimble, capable of creating a favorable atmosphere for a child. To make a choice, it is necessary to take into account the nature and features of the content of the future neighbor.

Consider who is better to have for children and what you need to pay attention to when choosing a rodent.

Who is better and who is worth buying

To make a choice - a guinea pig or a hamster, an analysis of the features of caring for animals will help. For example, a pet such as a guinea pig is not very picky about careful care, like a dog or cat. If properly cared for, a pet can live up to 6 years. Pigs are active during the daytime, and at night they sleep, like the owners of the house.

The owner of the guinea pig needs to periodically scratch its fur. They are very calm animals. They can play with children and do not show aggression at all. Such domestic rodents can be trained. Even schoolchildren can take care of pets.

When choosing a hamster or guinea pig, it is worth considering that hamsters are not recommended to be left for a free walk around the apartment. Since they can get into any hole.

And you also need to know that the Syrian rodent can be very aggressive and two individuals cannot be settled in the same cage. In addition, hamsters of any breed become more active at night. A hamster can be bought for a child who has reached school age. This is not a suitable option for toddlers, as little friends can bite and are also quite fragile.

Mumps Benefits

Considering the options - a hamster and a guinea pig, it is worth noting the pros and cons of such an acquisition.

Advantages of a marine rodent:

1. Does not require complex care.
2. Can get along with other pets.
3. Amenable to training.
4. Shows no aggression.
5. Likes to be held.
6. Larger than a hamster
7. With good care can live 6-10 years.

Pets are distinguished by friendliness and calm character. They express goodwill with whistling sounds. They do not require special care.

Trained individuals are able to stand on their hind legs, roll a ball and follow the owner. Even a child can take care of an animal. It requires a spacious house where the animal can move a lot. A wheel should be placed in a cage. The animal can be released for walks around the house, but it is necessary to monitor the pet so that it does not climb into hard-to-reach places.

Sawdust is great for bedding, as the animal loves to burrow in them. If you do not ensure regular cleaning, then over time, the sawdust will begin to smell strongly.

There should be a drinking bowl with clean water in the cage. In order for the animal to grind down its teeth, place a piece of wood or mineral stone in the dwelling.

The diet is simple food. It can be cereals, fruits, herbs and vegetables. Rodents especially like to feast on fresh cucumbers, apples and sweet peppers. They can not be fed with cheese, potatoes and meat.

It should be borne in mind that they have a bad attitude to loneliness, so it's great if other rodents also settle in the cage.

Advantages of a hamster

Hamsters, unlike pigs, have a more finicky nature. The Dzungarian or Syrian pet prefers to live alone in a cage.

Small animals should not be allowed to walk around the house, as they can get into small openings. If you touch a sleeping animal, then with an unexpected awakening, it can bite hard.

Pets begin to show special activity in the late afternoon. At the same time, they begin to rustle and rustle. The cage should be kept away from the sleeping area. The home of a rodent is best located away from drafts, sunlight and heating equipment.

Advantages:

1. They don't take up too much space.
2. Do not require special attention.
3. They are inexpensive.
4. Ease of care.

With good care, small rodents can live 3-5 years. It is better to have it for those who like to watch pets from the side. The animal loves to live apart. The cage can be of medium size, inside which there is a house for sleeping. It is necessary to carry out regular cleaning in the den, as the hamster likes to stock up on food.

In order for the animal to lead an active life in the territory of the cage, it is better to place a running wheel. For bedding, a special filler or sawdust is suitable. It is worth paying attention to the composition of the diet, as there are foods that can harm the health of the pet.

Pet selection

Both animals are similar in terms of care and nutrition. Differences are noticeable in abilities and character. Mumps is easy to train, and hamsters do not like too much attention to their person.

With quality care, pigs live up to 6 years, and hamsters enter old age as early as a year. The hamster feels great alone, unlike the pig, for which this option is unacceptable.

Both animals are more familiar pets than the degu rodent, common gerbil or chinchilla. You can take it off to play or watch the antics of animals. If your baby likes petting a pet, then a pig will do, and hamsters generally value freedom.

It does not matter in favor of which pet the choice was made. But for any animal it is necessary to provide high-quality and decent care.

Sometimes, even the choice between the most dissimilar animals can drag on for a long time. Cat or dog, parrot or fish, guinea pig or hamster. Although the latter are not so different, in some ways they are even similar. But in terms of care, costs, character, and much more, these rodents still differ a little.

The first and most noticeable difference between a guinea pig and a hamster is size. Even compared to the Syrian, the mumps looks much bigger.

The second difference is life expectancy. Here again, guinea pigs with a life expectancy of 6 to 10 years at home win. Unlike hamsters, which in captivity is 3-5 years old.

The guinea pig is a very calm animal. She will not break out of her hands and show any aggression, on the contrary, this rodent is a great lover of communication and contact. That is why it is worth considering that when buying one pet, you will definitely have to take him into the cage of the second. Guinea pigs do not like to live alone, they quickly gain weight and suffer from health problems that can lead to the death of a pet.

A cage is a must-have for any pet. But if we consider a guinea pig as a pet, then due to its size and the fact that it will not live alone, the dimensions of the cage should be larger than that of a hamster.

The minimum allowable cage size for a guinea pig is 80 cm wide and 60 cm high. The cage must allow a lot of air to pass through, this is required to prevent the development of fungus and mold, which can make the pig sick. Therefore, it is recommended to choose the size of the bars with the maximum width.

The pig can and even needs to be let go for a walk. She is very slow, so she is unlikely to have time to hide from your eyes.

Be sure to take into account the fact that a guinea pig eats several times more than a hamster. Vitamin C and hay must be present in the diet. This is important for a fulfilling life of the pig.

You can hardly forget that you need to feed her. Because the vociferous rodent will immediately remind you of itself with interesting sounds when it gets hungry.

Advantages of a hamster

Hamsters are much smaller than guinea pigs. The maximum length of their body reaches 15 cm, and their weight is 100-150 grams. They live in captivity, respectively, also less, from 3 to 5 years.

If you decide to take several hamsters, then you will have to think about purchasing two cages. Even if you are going to breed these rodents.

Two hamsters are unlikely to get along in the same cage. Sooner or later, fights for territory will begin, because hamsters are by nature loners.

Hamsters are very active rodents, and it manifests itself at night. Therefore, the area of ​​\u200b\u200btheir residence is important for them, it should be at least 60 by 40 cm. - Therefore, for these animals it is necessary to properly equip the place of residence, because hamsters spend almost all their time in a cage, the minimum size of which should be 60 x 40 cm. be equipped with various tunnels, hammocks, and other accessories where the animal spends its energy.

There are many varieties of hamsters, from the smallest to quite large individuals. Each species has its own individual characteristics in terms of weight, size, care, food intake and character. And not all of them are friendly and easy to get in touch with.

If you're wondering if a hamster should be fed guinea pig food, the answer is probably not. Everyone has their own diet and their own vitamins. And such food can be given to a hamster only as an additive to the main meal.

Hard choice

It is impossible to say unequivocally who is better, a guinea pig or a hamster. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Choose based on your material and physical capabilities, as well as your own preferences. But, one way or another, you must be responsible for the tamed animal and do everything for its long and happy life.

Both hamsters and guinea pigs are small mammals. Despite the similarity of some physical parameters, lifestyle and living conditions, hamsters and guinea pigs are quite different from each other in some ways.

They have different needs for personal space and different degrees of social activity. Therefore, in order to decide which animal is best suited, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the characteristics of the nature and conditions of detention of each animal.

Hamsters

The life span of the Syrian, or golden hamster is approximately two to three years. Adult animals reach a length of approximately 15 cm.

Hamsters are solitary animals, so each individual needs an individual cage. The hamster cage should be spacious, at least 30 cm high and at least 50 cm long. But this is the minimum size, and in general, the larger the cage intended for the hamster, the better, as these are very active animals.

If a Syrian hamster is taught to attention and affection from an early age, then it will grow up to be a kind and sweet animal. But hamsters, which at an early age were not spoiled with attention and rarely picked up, are usually aggressive and biting.

Hamsters are nocturnal animals and do not like to be disturbed during the day to play.

Recently, dwarf hamsters have become increasingly popular. They are much smaller than golden ones and more sociable. Some owners of dwarf hamsters claim that their wards like to bite, but this probably depends on the type of animal and the conditions of detention.

Guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are a kind of long-lived: on average, they live five to seven years, and sometimes ten. The body length of an adult animal reaches 25 cm, weight - from 800 grams to 1.5 kg. These are the largest domestic rodents.

Guinea pigs are very popular due to their gentle nature and good-natured disposition. They almost never bite and even in a state of severe stress do not become aggressive.

These animals are very sociable, so it is better for them to live alone with a companion, but only of the same sex with them.

Guinea pigs need a large cage - the minimum size of the dwelling should be 60 by 40 cm for one individual. Animals must be regularly released into the wild so that they can stretch and frolic.

You can independently make a large cage or even an aviary from improvised materials. These animals do not need to create a kind of circus arena in the cage, they are not very active, unlike other rodents.

Guinea pigs are more whimsical in food, they need fresh hay and vegetables, as well as vitamin C. These animals need to be given as much attention as possible, but they more than compensate for this with the positive emotions that they bring to their owners.