There are small animals around which are cute and furry and make wonderful pets for children (and adults). For many people a dog or a cat is a very serious commitment and a dog or cat is often too large to be the perfect pet for small children.

And you need to be aware of the risks of dogs as pets for small children. Some children have been savaged by their own dog, even a small one.

I personally think that one of the best small animals that makes the ideal pet for young children is guinea pigs. We have a guinea pig for my own daughter and she absolutely loves him.

They have some huge advantages as a pet. They rarely live much longer than around 5 years, so you won’t be looking after the guinea pig after the kids have left home. They are cheap to buy, usually under $20, they are cheap to feed and don’t get sick as often as other animals. They are warm and furry and like company and will happily sit on your child’s lap in the evening being petted.

Although a guinea pig is a small and a quite cheap pet there are still some things you need to think about before you buy one. The first of these is how you will house him.

Generally guinea pigs live in what is normally called a guinea pig hutch or a guinea pig cage. Guinea pig hutches or cages are normally kept outside and are often built from timber and wire, though metal is useful and easy to clean.

The guinea pig hutch should have a sleeping area where he can sleep free of rain and wind and where he can snuggle up and keep warm. And there will be an outside area where he can exercise and play free from predators.

You shouldn’t use wire on the floor of your hutch as a guinea pig  can get a condition known as bumble foot from walking on wire.

It’s not hard to build a hutch yourself relatively cheaply. Most store bought guinea pig hutches are way too small and if you build your own make sure you build a much larger than those you see in the pet shop so he has plenty of room to exercise daily.

All guinea pigs need plenty of roughage in their diet. It is not difficult to feed them but you do need to learn about what they should and should not eat. Hay is a staple as well as fresh green vegetable leaves although lettuce and cabbage should be avoided as they have a tendency to cause diarrhoea. Guinea pig’s love grass.

You need to understand that once you buy one, (or more), guinea pigs you are committing to cleaning out their guinea pig cage  regularly, as young children will rarely do this do this well. And you also need to ensure that he is regularly groomed to keep his hair in good condition and free of knots. This of course is part of the fun.

So if you’ve been thinking about buying a pet for the children, why not consider a small cute and cuddly guinea pig which will make the ideal pet. Just make sure you provide him with a nice big guinea pig hutch to live in and plenty of the right food.