Guinea pigs are also a good size for a rodent, not too small like some hamsters and mice, or too large for younger children like some rabbits. So they are an ideal size for handling. With the right guinea pig care and handling on a regular basis, they can become very tame and friendly and are quite sociable and affectionate pets.
Guinea pigs have a fairly docile temperament and very rarely display aggressive behaviour with humans, such as biting or scratching. So they are safer to handle for younger children, although, obviously all animals need supervision when younger children are handling them, for the safety of the child and the animal.
 Guinea pigs can also be a fascinating animal to observe and listen to as they make a wonderful array of guinea pig sounds, including wheeking, purring, rumbling, squealing and chattering, all of which can reveal their different emotions. This can keep children interested and encourage them to learn more about animal behaviour and emotions.
Unlike hamsters guinea pigs are not nocturnal they are lively during the day when most people are available to interact with their pets, this also helps for bonding with your pet and socialisation of the guinea pigs.
The housing requirements for guinea pigs is fairly simple and all they need is a good sized guinea pig cage and some shelter from the elements and protection from predators if they are housed outside. Guinea pig cages need not cost a lot and can even be made yourself with some basic DIY skills. An increasing popular type of guinea pig housing is cubes and coroplast caging, this is modified from wire mesh cube storage and plastic sheeting and has many advantages over traditional cages.
 If their housing is cleaned out regularly guinea pigs do not cause unpleasant smells and are also ideal for keeping as indoors pet. This will pay dividends with them becoming tamer more quickly and integrating much better as a fully fledged family member!
Guinea pigs are very economical to keep, they are generally very healthy animals and rarely require veterinary treatment or vaccinations, Their food requirements are fairly inexpensive, with mainly some dried guinea pig food, some fresh fruit and vegetables and water.
They are pack animals, however, and we would always recommend getting more than one guinea pig as two or more will provide great company for each other and once you have one guinea pig adding another one or two does not add greatly to the expenses, although obviously you will need adequate guinea pig housing to accommodate them.
I hope this brief summary of the reasons that guinea pigs can make great pets has helped you to see the appeal of these animals and I wish you and your guinea pigs well should you chose to keep some guinea pigs.
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Guinea pigs can be obtained very easily form rescue centres, pet stores and guinea pig breeders and they don't cost an arm and a leg. They are also fairly easy to care for and have only the basic requirements of housing, food and water to keep them safe and secure.
