Small animals make wonderful pets for small children. There are some delightful small animals that are cute and cuddly and make great pets. Some consider a cat or a dog to be a good child’s pet, but I differ.

And you need to be aware of the risks of dogs as pets for small children. Some children have been savaged by their own dog, even a small one.

I personally think that one of the best small animals that makes the ideal pet for young children is guinea pigs. We have a guinea pig for my own daughter and she absolutely loves him.

Guinea pigs have some big advantages as pets. The average guinea pig lives little longer than 5 years and so it’s unlikely that you will be required to take care of him once the children have left home. You can buy one for $20 or so, they don’t get sick too often and they are relatively cheap to feed. They will make fine company for your children and sit on their lap happily being petted at night.

Although a guinea pig is a small and a quite cheap pet there are still some things you need to think about before you buy one. The first of these is how you will house him.

They are housed in what is called a guinea pig hutch or cage. The hutch is usually kept outside the house, though not always, and is primarily constructed of timber and wire, though metal is also a good material for construction of hutches.

The guinea pig hutch should have a sleeping area where he can sleep free of rain and wind and where he can snuggle up and keep warm. And there will be an outside area where he can exercise and play free from predators.

It’s better to avoid using wire on the floor of a guinea pig hutch as guinea pigs do not like walking on wire and can also get a foot condition called bumble foot which can be quite serious.

The majority of guinea pig hutches sold in pet shops are way too small. It’s not difficult to make your own cage, and if you’re handy you can do so quite cheaply, but it is most important to ensure that it is as large as possible. If not then you must give your guinea pig time each day to run around and play and exercise.

They are cheap to feed and not difficult to feed but you do need to learn a little bit about what they need to eat and what they don’t need to eat. They need plenty of hay for roughage, will happily eat a wide range of fresh green vegetable leaves such as broccoli or spinach as well as fruits like apples and pears. Some foods should be avoided such as lettuce and cabbage which can give your guinea pig diarrhea.

Of course once you commit to a pet such as a guinea pig you need to also commit to cleaning out their cage regularly. Like with all animals young children are not particularly enthusiastic cleaning guinea pig cages and need some encouragement. And guinea pigs need to be groomed regularly to keep their hair knot free, though of course this is very pleasant work.

A small, soft and furry guinea pig makes a wonderful pet for the children as long as you house him properly and feed him well.

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