Why Guinea Pigs and not Rabbits?

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bats

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 12:16 am


Ok, here´s a question from a very good friend of mine. She asked "should I get a guinea pig or a small bunny?"

Of course, I told her how animated and lovable and expressive guinea pigs are, and yes, I told her to get one immediately (Teresa, she has your URL). But I´ve never had a rabbit and I´ve never been interested in raising one. Sure, rabbits are cute and no, I wouldn´t eat one if they were on the menu of a fancy restaurant, but I can´t really pinpoint why I like guinea pigs so much more.

So here´s my question: how do these two animals compare... and if you do have a preference for one over the other, why?

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KarasKavies
For the love of my girls!

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 12:46 am


Well, piggies make lots of good noises. I don´t think rabbits do that. Piggies are less allergenic. Most people keep piggies inside where they are more part of the family. The rabbits I have been around have more of a cage smell than pigs. They don´t "rabbit punch" you with those strong back feet.

I don´t know... pigs are just better! Am I partial!?

Kara

cea2001

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 4:15 am


I think both make good pets in their different ways. I like the idea of having a house bunny - running free range around the house, just like a cat/dog only quieter and less demanding. They litter train very easily, unlike guinea pigs.

But guinea pigs are more content to sit on your lap and they make the best noises. They´re gentler than bunnies too. Some rabbits can be quite aggressive.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 7:25 am


just like a cat/dog only quieter and less demanding -- from what I´ve heard, they can be pretty demanding and really be characters. They seem to be much more complex animals than guinea pigs.

Don´t forget you can leave your piggies to run around too if you want. They are just as trainable as rabbits and less destructive potentially than cats, dogs or rabbits.

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ladyveg

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 7:54 am


I have litter-trained house rabbits, but the room has to be "bunny-proofed" and I have to supervise them much more carefully than you would a cat or dog. My NZW rabbit Selena is too smart and stubborn for her own good, and she´s got an attraction for chewing through cords. Clearing the vines and roots out of her burrow, don´t you know. I had to cover all electrical cords with aquarium tubing or other materials, and she still sometimes finds a way to get in there and give a good chomp. Many rabbits are carpet pluckers and will just get a hold of the shag and pull and pull until you have a bald spot on your carpet. Other rabbits are wallpaper-peelers or molding-chewers.

Rabbits have a very complex language and sense of propriety and are offended easily. Don´t laugh. Do a web search on "The Language of Lagomorphs." They also are much less likely to be amenable to being held and carried. So many things have to be met on the rabbit´s terms. Rabbits are also better at hurting people if they want to. Not saying rabbits are vicious--just if they have a reason to, they can bite very hard, or box you.

Medically, rabbits have delicate guts and you need to be careful what you feed them. Their diet is similar to a guinea pig´s. It is crucial to spay or neuter a house rabbit. It limits or eradicates false pregnancies, uterine tumors, litter box problems, and cage-territorial actions in a female; urine spraying, aggression, litter box problems, bad smell in a male. I also think it is unfair to keep an animal with such a high sex drive and not alter it.

I know I sound negative about rabbits. You already know they are cute and smart and can be littertrained and can be wonderful pets. But unrealistic expectations about rabbits cause shelters to be full of rabbits. I was just talking to a shelter worker who had been at a seminar of other shelter workers and they all agreed that the euthaniasia percentage for rabbits is much higher than that of cats and dogs. That is, they are able to place most of the cats and dogs that come in, but most of the rabbits get euthanized.

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lisam

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:17 am


So many people think that rabbits can be kept in a cage or hutch. I totally disagree. Unless you are willing to let your rabbit live "free range" for most of the time, you shouldn´t get one.

I like rabbits, our house rabbit is a real brat and troublemaker, but we love him. I can see how someone would buy a cute little bunny, and then become disallusioned when he growls and bites them. Like someone who buys a few chicks because they are so darn cute and doesn´t know what to do with them after they grow up.

I think my preference is for pigs. I consider them low maintenance compared to rabbits.

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Dobby
I gave what I could!

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:25 am


My vote is for pigs. My mother and I once had 7 rabbits at once (my father and brother would have no part in it), and although they were smart and cute and such, they were very taxing on our nerves. One was a cannibal (how lovely!) and one kept biting itself until it bled. The others were normally behaved, but didn´t like being held or stroked like the guinea pigs we´ve had.

Pigs are better. :) MUCH better. Especially if you´ve got little kids around.

Laura823

Post   » Sun Apr 21, 2002 1:43 pm


I like both. I have guinea pigs because due to our overly-territorial cat, we can´t have any other animal that has the run of the house. I´d love to have a rabbit someday, though. Lynx, if you think pigs are as easily trained and less destructive than rabbits, you should meet Piglet. (I guess there are exceptions to every rule.)

I think most people´s idea of a "typical bunny" is not very realistic. Also, most people think that they can live in cages and live on pellets and carrots. =sigh= In reality they are very high-maintenance and require a lot of effort and patience, but they can make wonderful pets when properly cared-for.
Last edited by Laura823 on Sun Apr 21, 2002 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Evangeline

Post   » Mon Apr 22, 2002 11:32 am


I have pigs and a rabbit. Though they are very different, I like both. I think that rabbits are more work. Pigs are round and fat and funny. My bunny is very quiet and affectionate. He hops in bed with me and lies on my chest to sleep.

I like both, but for different reasons.

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