It is good for a child to have pets. Rodents like hamsters and guinea pigs are usually the choices for a first pet. Before you decide to let your children have them as pets, you have to know how to care for them. You might want to know if guinea pigs are great pets for young children.
They are very gentle and social animals and they seldom scratch or bite. You have to buy a pair so that your pets will not be lonely or suffer from depression. Parents should help the children care for the guinea pigs though, as they cannot care for their pets alone.
Keep them in a cage or hutch made from wire or other sturdy material. The cage can be taken indoors and placed inside the children's bedroom at night. Be sure to take them out during the day so that they can breathe fresh air. They also need to be groomed and fed. Always remind the children to feed their pets.
Guinea pigs eat dry grass and vegetables. These are their main diet. They should also be provided with fresh, clean water. During feeding time, you need to be there to guide the children how to do it because they might have difficulties in carrying out the chore. Having a pet is a great responsibility and children need to share it with an adult.
Guinea pigs don't have the health problems that rabbits do. You just have to make their cages clean and change the bedding regularly as the guinea pigs will urinate and discharge of their waste inside the cage. To make sure that they are always healthy, clean the hutch at least once a week.
They can be kept in the child's bedroom as they are not nocturnal like hamsters so they will not keep your child awake at night. There are many types or breeds of guinea pigs, a short haired breed will make a better pet than a long haired one as they don't need much attention. Guinea pigs will make great pets for the children.