What should I get - a rat or a guinea pig?

Unless you are getting a wild animal, you don't have to worry about catching disease from any pet store rodent, if you take care of it.

They are both about the same to take care of, but a guinea pig needs a large cage. And a rat needs a larger cage than a hamster. If you just have a 10 gallon, then don't get either animal. It's cruel unless you are going to have them out loose in the house for 6+ hours a day.

If you do have a small cage fit for one hamster, then you might want to consider getting a mouse. They are just as playful and interactive as a rat, if you work with it, and they play with toys and rearrange their houses.

Of the choice between the two you mentioned, providing you have a proper cage, I would choose a rat. Again, if you work with it, they are a very hands on pet, they will ride on your shoulder, they are playful and smart. Guinea pigs are full of personality, and they are fun pets, but I've owned both, and I preferred the rat.

But please, make sure you have a proper cage for any animal you get. Talk to the pet store, tell them what you have and they will tell you if it is appropriate. If it isn't, and you still want the animal, then you should start watching the pet stores. There will be alot of sales on for Christmas. A rat cage will be cheaper than a guinea pig cage. If you go to a small pet store, you may be able to get a deal for buying the rat, the cage, bedding, food, ect, from them. Sometimes they give you a discount. When I got my rat Charlie, I got 50 bucks off of the cage, so I got the rat free and then some. Check around

I have never had Guinea Pigs before, but I have heard some good things about them.

Lifespan

Rats live for about 3-5 years at a time, while guinea pigs live for about 6-8. It depends on whether or not you want a long-term commitment.

Medical problems

Both rats and Guinea pigs may get tumors or parasites. Parasites are an easy fix, but with tumors you will either pay a lot to have them fixed or put them down. In female rats, Mammary tumors are common if they are not spayed. Usually getting males of either rodent will minimize the chance for these medical problems although males are greasier and tent to need baths more often.

Cost

A typical guinea pig enclosure is usually anywhere from $30 to $80. A rat or ferret cage can be more, but less bedding is needed for a ferret cage although a bit more expensive the first time. A rat may cost about $14 at a typical petland or petsmart. A guinea pig is usually about $10-$30. Food for either is the same therefore so is the price.

Interaction

Both need quite alot of attention, but rats need a bit more. Guinea pigs can be a bit squirmy or nervous. Guinea pigs are very calm, though, and can sit still with you for quite a long time. Rats, despite popular belief, are actually VERY clean, kind, and the sweetest little things. They do not usually bite and they become closely attatched to their owners.

I have had rats before and have loved them like the world. I personally reccomend them, but you can use my information and more to make your decision. Good luck!!

Hey there!

~ I don't think you have to worry about diseases, unless you never clean the cage.

~ I have had both and as far as the most fun: Rats.

~ Most clean: They both are relitivley clean, both of these animals clean themselves.

~ Easier to take care of: Both easy, but leaning more towards the rat, like hamsters.

Okay, so overall in my oppinon I say the rat, but I know some people will disagree, while others will agree. The rat is more fun and loves to ride on your shoulders.

The problem I have emidiatley een is an aquaium! I never suggest housing any rodent in an aquarium for a few ifferent reasons, also an aquarium is deffinantly not suitted for a guinea pig, so I would deffinantly say a rat.

I hope I helped! For more nfo please email.

I recommend getting a pair of rats, since you should never just get one, being the social animals they are. This allows them to spend time playing with each other when you are not there. You shouldn't get them at your usual pet store either, but check around for a responsible breeder, or rescue. You will have better results this way. Nearly all pet stores use rat mills, which often produce generally unhealthy animals, that can result in a shorter then usual lifespan.

Rats can be taught many things, including to use a litter box, to come when they are called, to fetch, play basketball, etc. Being at least as smart as dogs, they are affordable, social and very caring pets. They are one of the only animals to actively desire to interact with humans, both the domesticated and wild ones.

You can find a lot of helpful videos on YouTube of rats doing various things, including the basketball.

If you have specific questions, you can check out www.ratastic.com. They have a Q&A area, as well as an adoption area. If you write them they can probably recommend a rescue, or rattery (breeder) for you.

Well, both guinea pigs and rats are in the rodent family. There are many animals in the rodent family like squirrels, hamsters, porcupines, beavers, capybaras, etc. What makes a rodent a rodent is belonging or pertaining to the gnawing or nibbling mammals. They are distinguished by their strong, constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth. They also constitute the larger order of mammals. Rabbits are not rodents though. And no, guinea pigs are not mini hairy pigs. lol

rats can not be kept in aquariums as they don't have enough ventilation and i would not suggest putting a guinea pig in there either. rats and guinea pigs are totally different. rats are more sociable and like to held and cuddled.guinea pigs are more shy and are scared but some are really good. i suggest you look into both animals to see which type you think you'd like best.

here a good rat site

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

and here a guinea pig site

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

dont worry about diseases unless u dont clean them regularly. and i prefer rats because guinea pigs tend to be loud and annoying unlike rats and hamsters. get a female not a male cuz males testes get large (eww)

No matter which you choose, you don't have to worry about catching diseases from them. The animals we can acquire are domesticated and, in a vast majority of cases, raised by people from birth. A wild rat might bite you can give you an illness of some sort...but you won't find anybody dealing in wild rats. Modern day rats and guinea pigs are about as closely related to their nondomesticated counterparts as domesticated dogs are to wolves.

Some of the stuff I'll mention is just the basic biological facts of the animals; places where I'm speaking from experience having owned both will be noted.

In terms of size, guinea pigs get much larger than rats, and require a larger space to house. This is doubly true when you consider their appropriate habitat: rats are happy to climb in a larger vertical area; guinea pigs not only can't climb, but tend to prefer staying close to the ground. They need a wide area. An aquarium--which is bad in terms of both size and ventilation--won't cut it.

In terms of feeding, guinea pigs are more expensive. They need a constant supply of hay, and good quality hay can become expensive over time. Rats, being smaller, generally don't eat as much food.

One last biological point: guinea pigs can live twice as long as rats on average. If you look into getting guinea pigs, think about whether or not you can afford to house, feed, and interact with them over the course of 5-7 years.

In my experience, rats are much smarter than guinea pigs. When properly motivated (such as by tasty food), they're quite good as solving puzzles and navigating challenges. Guinea pigs aren't stupid; they just aren't nearly as clever as rats.

In terms of affection, both can become quite adoring. Both can learn to enjoy cuddling. The only real difference I've personally seen is that rats are sometimes prone to hopping off your lap, climbing down to the floor, and taking off to explore. Guinea pigs are less prone, especially since they can't climb. Both animals will come to crave your attention.

In terms of playfulness, it's been my personal experience that rats are more playful. Or, it might be fair to say, they need more stimulation. Guinea pigs are happy to snuggle and play their own little games ("follow the leader" was always popular in the cage), but they spend a good portion of their day hiding, eating, relaxing, eating, snuggling, eating, chewing, and eating. Rats want to be active--running around, climbing on anything, chewing on anything they can get their claws on, ripping up anything they can to build a nest, digging through anything diggable (that being a particularly fun past time). Also, while I never saw guinea pigs use toys (other than a bell that I hung that one of them was obsessed with), I see the rats pushing and carrying their balls around all the time.

In terms of smell and cleanliness, the only odor is the cage. If you keep it clean, there isn't much of an odor. Both animals spend a fair amount of time grooming themselves and are generally quite clean--I've never had the need to bathe a rat or a guinea pig. However, I can't recommend enough that you pick a regular cage maintenance schedule and stick to it. One piece of advice I can offer is that it's easy to litter train rats---sort of. They'll urinate anywhere, but their droppings can end up in a litter pan. Guinea pigs are a mixed bag; some can be trained (or so I've heard...), but many simply won't learn. I've never had a rat that wouldn't be litter trained--it's an instinct to do their business in one safe place. I've never had a guinea pig that would be litter trained--they just don't seem to care.

In terms of biting, neither should ever bite you unless you're hurting them. Guinea pigs will sometimes tap their teeth against you if you're stressing them out too much. Rats will sometimes perform an exploratory nip that doesn't hurt just to figure out what's in front of them (they figure out what they nipped, and then release, faster than you realize what happened). Both animals have a poor sense of sight, especially in front of them. However, as long as you aren't hurting them, they won't hurt you. There are, of course, more aggressive individuals, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

Neither should live alone without another same-gender friend, and neither can happily live in an aquarium.

a rat they cooler to me at least