Whiskers the Guinea Pig

This was Kaden's Christmas present this last year. Can I just say to any of you thinking about getting a pet for your kids that a guinea pig is a great way to go. She is better than a hamster or other small rodent because she doesn't bite, will just sit on Kaden's lap, and is a lot harder to lose. She is better than a cat or a dog because you don't have to feed her twice daily and if you are too busy to play with her, it's no big deal. She is pretty self sustaining. We fill up her water and food bowl about twice a week and change out her cage every Monday after school. Which with how we have it set up only takes about 10 minutes which includes refilling food supply. She is so cute too! If I walk into the room and ignore her she will sit and chirp at me to come say hello and give her a carrot or other fresh veggie. Really fun! I'm not sure who likes her more, me or Kaden. I am excited for this spring when we can take her outside to enjoy some fresh grass.

My tips on picking a good guinea pig:

• These little guys live for about 6-8 years so make sure you get one that you really like
• Look for one that is not too skittish (although they will all be a little skittish at first)
• I would get a girl
• Decide what kind of Guinea Pig you want (there are a lot of different breeds to choose from. I am pretty sure that we have a crested silkie)
• and look online at the classifieds for the cage and the piggy (although, if you buy it from a pet store you can usually exchange it if you find you don't like it for some reason). We ended up returning the first piggy we bought. We couldn't even make a sound/move or else he would go running for the hills. Whiskers was never that jumpy.

Grace really wants a guinea pig too now. I think we will go ahead and find her a cute one and call it Miss Piggy! It's better if they have a little friend anyway. Maybe for her birthday in July...