Piggies or ratties?
I'm considering guetting rodents as pets and I'm thorn between 2 rats or 2 guinea pigs...
I find pigs cuter but like that rats are more intelligent. The downside to pigs is the vitamin c pallets you gotta buy for them (don't have many of those where I live and they are very expensive) and the downside for rats is the fact they pee on you to mark territory.
Sell me on why should I get guinea pigs/rats.
(Also, can any of them be litter trained?)
I would go for rats if i were you. That comes from a person who have had a really big interest in guinea pigs and helping them when not ben taken care of right. They are really cute as babies but they are really boring. Sometimes they learn certain words if you repeat them before giving them food. Which make them squeak and get all excited for half a minute when the word is being heard by them. And that's pretty much it. Rats are way smarter and I would as I said, recommend them. I'm 100% sure they are more interesting.
>>1993576
I don't think peeing is a problem if you get female rats
Also consider how much time you have to entertain your pets, rats are smarter and they will cause a havoc when they get bored
>>1993576
Rats will die in 1-2 years, usually of horrible cancer.
So, take into account whether you want to deal with that. You get much more mileage with pigs.
>>1993602
Do rats tend to bite tho? And how do they feel about being handled compared to a piggie?
>>1993637
OP can get around this by finding a reputable breeder. My longest lived rat lived over 5 years, and his accidental litter(i fucked up) with a shitty petstore rat lived into four years. Not sure about the 5 out of 12 I gave away though.
>>1993664
I had rats for 9 years and I was only bitten by one, who was an extreme basketcase (basically lived alone in a bucket for 2 years) and that was because I leaned on his cage. He was fine outside of the cage but good lord if anything touched the edges of the cage and he thought it was food - it was like he was starving all over again.
Compared to other rodents, rats really aren't biters. Its common for them to nibble but not enough to hurt. Even with handling scared/unsocialized rats, they mostly just squeak and try to roll over. As for handling, they take to it pretty fast and they fucking love it. My two favorites were two brothers and they loved to sit in your lap while you rubbed them. They also loved it when you rolled them around and tossed them on the couch. They'd run right back to do it again.
You can also teach them a ton of tricks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g2rxtWu_FM
>>1993673
Thanks for the very helpful comment :)
>>1993637
This is why I've never had a rat, as awesome as they seem.
Fattie ratties
Pigs are much dumber, smellier, noisier, and overall more of a pain in the ass. Few I've known showed even half the affection and human-orientation of most rats I've had experience with.
Rats do piss all over, but when they do the territorial marking thing it's literally 1-2 drops of urine at a time. It doesn't stink and you can deal with it if you aren't a total germaphobe pussy. If it really bothers you, opt for females or neutered males.
>>1993602
If the pigs were boring, you were doing something wrong.
>>1993730
My girls ambush me when I enter the room and love to cuddle or play on/around me.
That being said, guinea pigs are certainly not for most people, they really are high maintenance and expensive when cared for properly. I love mine and wouldn't trade them for anything though, despite them being dumb as dirt. They're very sweet natured, but can take a very long time to be okay with you. Earning their trust is very rewarding.
>>1993730
As someone who usually says the same thing, I think I hit the fuckin' jackpot with my new pig.
First day of getting him I
>Bathed.
>Blowdried.
>Brushed.
>Trimmed.
>Checked teeth.
>Trimmed claws.
And the whole trim he was purring away and trying to lick my hands.
Now I'm in the process of finding him a buddy and I just KNOW it's going to be a generic guineapig asshole.
>>1993576
If you feed your pig fruit and veg high in vit C they wont need a supplement
piggies
I really like rats but the short lifespan just doesn't work for me. I like my pets to be long lived, which is part of the reason I have reptiles.
Guinea pigs taste better.
I have never had rats but i think both rats and guinea pigs are great.
Guinea pigs shit LOADS, this really needs to be said more, I had no idea how much they shit till I got mine. Way more than my rabbit ever did.
But guinea pigs are just as smart as rats imo, they just cant do alot of the climbing/agility, but that doesnt make them dumb. I think both animals are like any animals, in that the more time you spend with them, the more you will get out of them. I dont know about rats, but guinea pigs need alot of space to run around in to exercise. Mine has the whole of downstairs, but when hes outside, he will often run up and down some lengths of the garden, which if you walk to the end and back is about 46 meters.
Also if you have a male guinea pig, he will pee on you, and rub his stinky dirty ball grease on you too.
>>1994058
This
>>1993576
If you have a lawn, get pigs. It is very satisfying to watch them graze.
>>1994058
If you think this offends anyone you should try harder.
Guinea pigs have been food for latino people for years.
Oh, and ferrets have been food for many people and predators as well like the ones on this pic. But I suppose they taste like shit, since they stink so much.
Again, gotta up your trolling skills sweetheart.
>>1994745
You think I was trolling, so I'm successful
>>1994062
I got two male guinea pigs and they never pissed on me. Did poop but I that's when they're held too long. Never owned any other rodent but they are without a doubt shit monsters.
>>1993576
I have both and neither can be litter trained, say, like a rabbit could. however rats tend to pick a spot to go while guinea pigs go everywhere, and it stinks like absolute ass rot if its not cleaned every day so i'd consider that. Most staple pellets have vitamin c supplement and while shouldnt be the only thing theyre fed you dint have to buy vitamins for them. Also mosy guinea pigs can be noisy and cry for no damn reason, my last one that trying to rehome currently, skeletor, will sometimes just cry all night because he heard a bag being moved. With my rats i have very few problems, i let them run around my room for excersise everyday and they dont really get into a lof of trouble, but save some money and not buy a wheel or ball for them, none of mine have ever liked them and its easier to just entertain them yourself.
>>1994745
>Welcome to 4chan!
>Like the rest of the world, not everything that you see here which offends you is a 'troll.'
>There's this thing that we used to do called a 'joke'!
>These are things often said or done in a facetious manor for the purpose of lighthearted entertainment.
>You should try it some time!
Rats and guineapigs are both fuckin' delicious. I personally have never had ferret, but I'd like to.
>Dog isn't great, to be honest.
Guinea pigs have worked well for my boyfriend and I. Honestly, if we would have gotten rats, it probably would have been great, too. Whatever you choose, just make sure to research it fully so you can give your animals the best life. If you can't afford a lot of hay, veggies, a very large cage (ours is 7 feet long with an upper loft for our 4 pigs and that's the minimum comfortable space for that number of pigs), vitamin c drops or enriched pellets (still a good idea even if you're giving veggies because pigs can get scurvy), tunnels, beds, hides, and little chew toys and balls that they will probably destroy in a matter of weeks, then you probably shouldn't get a pair of pigs.
Pigs do sleep a lot, so some may see them as boring, but like others have said, the more you handle them, the more they warm up to you. My pigs are very cuddly but are still young (age range is about 7 months to a year), so they will only become more comfortable with me as they get older. Guinea pigs can learn tricks. Food is their main motivation, obviously. They eat a LOT. But most experts suggest not teaching tricks until they are past a year old.
Pigs are a lot more vocal, too, and since I have four the noise is pretty bad when they're hungry. That being said, we live in an apartment building, and there have been no complaints. They make many different kinds of vocalizations which is very interesting. They purr, chirp, wheek, and rumblestrut- which is what dominant guinea pigs do to exert their power. I have two pigs that are currently fighting for dominance in the pack and rumblestrut a lot. It's like a low 'spooky' noise.
If you rustle a bag at all, though, even if you just fed them a shit ton of food, they'll make a racket. It's more for attention than anything else.
A final thing to keep in mind is that fleece bedding is the best choice for pigs. Google it. Best of luck with your decision!
Correction: Guinea pigs don't actually sleep a lot of hours, they just take short naps throughout the day. Basically, what I mean it they aren't super interactive at all times. They usually have a period of time that you'll discover is their most active. Rats, I've heard, are more active when you want them to be.
Guinea pigs are cute as fuck, but they're definitely not worth all the fucking high maintenance required to take care of them in return for small moments of cuteness. Changing bedding every other day, them having absolutely no control over their feces/piss etc. Fuck that. You know an animal is not worth it if they'd sleep where they shit and piss.
If you're going to go for a rat for it's smartness, why not just go for a small sized dog? No doubt they'll give more affection/be more trainable etc.
I have had both rats and guinea pigs
rats were great. i trained one of mine to jump through a hoop. i had two females so the smell wasnt bad, and they went in a corner so i could spot clean and then replace the litter every so often. not so much work.
The food they eat is cheap, the treats are simple and they love to be picked up and held.
The guinea pigs were more expensive- you have to feed them veggies and vitamin tablets. THEY POOP A LOT. if you feed them a couple handfuls of veggies, you will have a couple handfuls of poop in a day or so. be prepared to clean their cage A LOT.
I have had 4 pigs, every one of them was terrified of being picked up. Once they were out of the cage they were better as long as you had a towel for them to hide inside and play with, but when one tried to pick up a piggy, it would run screaming and kick and bite. They were kinda assholes. Also you must trim their toenails, and they will fight you to THE DEATH to avoid this.
i would 100% recommend the rats over the guinea pigs. cheaper, easier, cleaner, and more sociable.
>>1994819
mine humps my hand like a tiny dog, so thats probably got something to do with it.
>>1994760
>>1994897
Hey, OP here. Good to know about your experiences eating shit and all, I personally am a fan of fish, but I'm more interested on their behavior and characteristics as pets, so if you guys are just going to argue about meat taste, that's not the place to do so. Go watch some Gordon Ramsay shit or something.
>>1995016
because:
1- not all apartments allow for dogs
2- less commitment: they don't live as long, you don't have to shell out 2k at the vet when something goes wrong, you don't have to walk them several times a day
as a poor college student, I can't keep a dog in good conscience.
>>1993576
I've had both. Rats are a lot more affectionate and fun. Piggies just kind of squeak obnoxiously and sometimes let you hold them.
Guinea pigs are fucking awesome, fuck everyone who says otherwise. If you just want a pet that you don't need any effort to take care of you probably shouldn't get a pet in the first place. Guinea pig sounds are cute as fuck and it's their way of talking to each other and you, Why shouldn't they make noise? Would you like to spend your whole life quite and just sitting there as someones toy to pick up and be treated like a stuffed animal.?
>>1995726
Guinea pigs are a drain and cost more to feed than my fucking dog.
>>1995726
Guinea pigs suck because at least 90% of them hate being handled or held, even if you've treated them well for years. Whereas Almost every rat, even the unsocialized feeders, love being held and cuddled. Or at least, they can learn to tolerate it. Rats also experience (trigger warning for bugguy) emotions, and are much more smarter.
Guinea pigs make adorable as fuck sounds, but they have a short list of "pros" compared to rats. I think generally people want a pet for a companion of some kind, not something that's almost completely guaranteed to be terrified of you forever.
>>1995752
You must be holding them wrong, either that or they're old and might have back pain. Even piggies that don't like to be held aren't totally afraid of people. I had an Abyssinian that absolutely hated being held but loved to be rubbed behind his ears or between his Cowlicks. My other piggy loved being held but when he was older he hated it. Still loved being patted his whole life. I can understand if people don't want piggies but it annoys me when people talk shit about them. They may not be the way you like your pets but that doesn't mean they suck. I don't really like rats but there's nothing wrong with them and I'm not going to bad mouth them.
.
I don't post on /an/ a lot so maybe that's just how people talk here, I thought it was a more positive board though.
>>1995983
Mind that rat owners are usually very defensive. Not without cause.
I honestly haven't really been around a guinea pig that really interacted though. Not to say they don't exist, just my personal anecdote. There's plenty of animals that I don't care for that I don't begrudge people for liking.
>>1993576
My guinea pig's an asshole.
>doing paperwork on the ground
>he walks up to me and starts purring
>then stars chewing on my paper
>I push him away
>he comes back and starts chewing on my paper some more
>doesn't stop
He also bites me if I'm anywhere near his hands. Either way, he gets worried when I'm sick, steals my peppermint candies and licks my face after eating chocolate, chews on my clothes and mint plants, steals my popsicles, pees a lot, hides under hot cars and treadmills and sometimes purrs and walks up to you just to pee on you. He's affectionate but uh.
Honestly, I was supposed to get a mouse the day I bought him but Charlie the drunk guinea pig was popular at the time.
I still love him though.
>>1995983
I have two Abysinnians and the adult one HATES being picked up but loves to sit on laps and be gently *very* gently scratched. I think it must be the breed. They are a lot bitchier, haha.
>>1995983
>I thought it was a more positive board
It's really not. Anons will shit all over you if you buy your dog/cat from anywhere but a shelter or a "reputable" breeder.
>>1996078
If you get your dog from a BYB you deserve to be shit on
I have rats and my roommate used to have piggies. I prefer rats but the pigs were pretty cool the only thing though is the super loud "whek whek whek" noise they make when they are hungry of looking for attention can be really annoying. Those lil pigs are alot noisier then you would think.
>>1996088
Or maybe people can do whatever the fuck they want do and there's nothing you can do about it
>>1996172
Or maybe people are entitled of their own opinion,and if someone says that it's retarded to but dogs from BYB there's nothing you can do about it either. /an/ is not your hugbox.
>>1996172
There is. They can be mean to you on the internet. It requires almost no effort and has about the same effect.
>>1993576
I've heard that piggies can be litter trained, but I've never has any success with it.
Things to keep in mind about piggies:
They're expensive. You have to change their bedding at least once a week, ideally twice a week. And that bedding goes fast and adds up.
You also have to think about nutrition. Vitamin C pellets aren't strictly necessary, but a constant supply of Timothy hay and fresh, vitamin C rich veggies are. The regular food pellets are pretty standard, and the hay is available at any pet store with piggy things, but the fresh veggies are something you may have to go out of your way for. I recommend red bell peppers, by the way.
They're dumb, but super sweet and funny. They live at least twice as long as rats, but they can have more health problems (bladder stones, cancer, eye issues (one of my piggies got hay stuck in her eye and I didn't notice until it got all swollen -- she was perfectly fine, but it was a hefty vet bill), etc.). Nail clipping is a headache too since their nails are so thick.
So piggies are more expensive and a bigger time commitment. If you love having cute, vocal, bumbling idiots around you all the time though, like me, they're definitely the way to go. They're also the superior cuddlers.
>>1996474
>You have to change their bedding at least once a week.
See, this doesn't sound strange or noteworthy to me. I change my rats' bedding and my cat's litter every week - As does everybody else I know with these animals.
I can see it being even easier with cavies if you keep on fleece/fabric, because you can just keep two blankets and rotate them in the washing machine.
>I dunno, man, I'm still a bit weird about this after seeing someone dump their cat because they had to change it's litter more than once a month.
>>1996569
So THAT'S why my tripfaggotry hasn't been working. I've been putting it in the Options field.
So anyway, in the coming week I'm going to invest in cavy-proofing my bedroom (and eventually studio, as well.) and seeing if I can fully house train Mr. Skellington.
I'll be putting his food, water and hay over a puppy pee pad thing and getting a new cat tree which is perfect for a cavy to climb up and use the bottom half of. Also a little soft kennel/house.
I was going to get more hidey-holes for him, but he just doesn't give a fuck about open spaces. No scatter reflex whatsoever, this guy.
>Also gotta pick up some digital scales.
>I just started a new job and I'm mostly just excited about being able to drop unnecessarily large amounts of dosh on my pets.
>>1996581
This is the soft house. I love that not only is the cushion/base removable, it also has it's own removable cover. Super easy to wash every other day.
>>1996474
>superior cuddlers
https://youtu.be/JSmKuCHoO_s
Rat every time. Guinea pigs fucking suck a bowl of dicks. Anyone who has had a guinea pig that wasn't an obnoxious shithead should consider themselves lucky and not expect for it to happen again in their lifetime.
>>1996603
wew rude!
>>1996585
Holy shit that nigga is the ultimate comfy.
dat 1:35
>>1996585
Aw, okay, that is one cozy-ass rat.
>>1996585
Quick! Someone tell me whether rats actually enjoy cuddling, or just tolerate it, like dogs.
>>1996704
>Or just tolerate it, like dogs
This has to be bait
>>1996585
man none of the 7 rats I've had as pets has ever been that chill
>>1996704
uh. I guess I can't be sure, but some of them definitely SEEM to enjoy cuddles. males are a lot more cuddly.
Bump!
>>1996603
OP here.
Holy fuck, dude, I don't mind your love for rats (if I did, I woudn't be considering getting them as pets afterall), but chill. You didn't give me any reasonable explanation on why pigs are SOOOO bad. You just trash talked them. You literally came here just to bash an animal that can't even be offended by what you said. That's honestly sad.
>>1996585
OP here again, are all rats this cuddly? I really would like a cuddly pet (I know all pets have their limits)... I've had cats my entire life and as much as I love them, they are not cuddly friendly. I also have a wolf hybrid and she's the smartest dog ever, but she has wolf blood afterall and is not super cuddly. I don't know much about dogs since I've only had her, but I have the impression that the less intelligent an animal is, the more likely he is to enjoy petting and such.. Since rats are very smart, I worry they will not enjoy my company.
I personally prefer guinea pigs. pic related, she's my baby girl I rescued from the lab I work at.
In my opinion, pros and cons of both:
Rats:
Pros-
- interactive
- have cute people hands
- smart, can be taught some tricks
- quiet
Cons:
- live an average of 3 years, pretty much guaranteed to die of a tumour.
- very susceptible to respiratory disease
- secrete perforin when stressed (or if suffering from a respiratory infection) which looks like blood... can be very frightening the first few times you see it
- more aggressive than guinea pigs, much more likely to bite
- claws leave scratches everywhere
- smartness makes it easy for them to escape
- Need teeth trimming
Guinea pigs:
Pros:
- live longer (average 5 years)
- very rarely aggressive
- can be toilet trained (with a lot of patience though)
- can dump all vegetable trimmings and stuff, for example lettuce that's kinda wilting the guinea pig won't care and unless there's mould and stuff, there's usually no problem
Cons:
- noisy (they can squeak really loudly but personally it doesn't bother me)
- need Vit C. This is super easy to take care of, you just have to be aware of what you're feeding. Supplements really shouldn't be an issue unless your piggy has a diagnosed deficiency.
- respiratory disease again
- VERY STRESSED to the point where if you open the door too abruptly with a nervous cavvy they might be so spooked they stop eating for a few days.
- really stupid animals
- requires teeth AND nail maitenance
>>1998510
>live an average of 3 years, pretty much guaranteed to die of a tumour
I haven't had one die of a tumor yet. 99% of tumors in rats are benign. but yeah the short lifespan really sucks.
>very susceptible to respiratory disease
keep them in good conditions (do your research!) and keep them low-stress; take them to the vet/medicate them yourself if it occurs
>secrete perforin when stressed
see above
>more likely to bite
I've been bit ONCE in the decade I've owned rats. that decade has included rescues and feeder rats, and the rat that bit me was a new mother. almost all rat bites aren't aggressive; they're defensive: this can be backed up by studies. rats are actually excellent pets because they're so reluctant to bite even kids who don't always understand the proper way to handle an animal.
>claws leave scratches everywhere
not untrue but that's usually caused by poor handling. I have extremely sensitive skin and my four girls haven't left a mark on me yet. it's only a thing because they love to climb on you and ride on your shoulders, which is a pro in my book.
>smartness makes it easy for them to escape
true but every rat I've owned- including the unsocialized ones- has been very easy to find. I haven't lost any of them, and I've owned 40+ rats. the better rats come when they are called.
>Need teeth trimming
they don't need their teeth trimmed, just provided with wood they can chew. I've never had an issue with a rat with excessively long teeth.
rats can also be toilet trained. they don't need supplements, nail, or teeth maintenance either.
>>1998496
male rats are more cuddly than females, so you should go for those :) my girls (I have 4 right now) aren't cuddly but they are very affectionate- and I've only had them a week. they love getting attention from me and climbing all over me. I've owned both guinea pigs and rats but rats have left a much better impression on me because they're so interactive. but you definitely get as much as you give with them.
>>1998521
also please disregard the trash talker, he's an idiot. i liked my piggies, they just didn't have as much character as the rats I've had.
>>1998496
female rats are less smelly, but more hyperactive. They will enjoy climbing around on you and exploring your pockets and such things.
male rats are more likely to chill out and watch some tv with you. more cuddly, but tend to piss more and smell worse.
that "Bill" rat is the chillest fuckin' rat i have ever seen. Not a realistic expectation, but i guess you could get one like that if you are lucky.
