You’ll hear lots of different opinions when you’re talking about whether to get a guinea pig or gerbil. First of all, both of these animals are wonderful and depending on who you ask, you’re going to get a different answer. That’s because we all have our own likes and dislikes and we find ourselves most comfortable with one type of animal than the other because its features appeal to us more. This doesn’t make the animal any better or worse than the other.
For me, I’ve personally chosen guinea pigs but that’s me. If you’re choosing a new pet, regardless of whether you’ve raised guinea pigs or gerbils before, there are certain things you should consider before making the choice.
Gerbils are, in general, more active than guinea pigs or hamsters. Guinea pigs, while not as (hyper) active, are a bit untidier than gerbils but bond way better with you as the owner. Gerbils are pretty friendly as well but are timid creatures, and guinea pigs just plain like to be around you more. They’re also somewhat larger and “cuter.” One thing you can count on with gerbils, though, is that they will almost never bite you. A guinea pig probably won’t either but there are more stories of piggies getting aggressive later on in their lives than gerbils.
When it comes to maintenance, pigs I’ve found will cost you more than gerbils. This is mainly because of their size; they eat more, are dirtier and you’ll need one more guinea pig in there because cavies don’t like living alone. This investment is definitely worth it because for me, guinea pigs are easier to teach tricks and are very funny when they do things. This is one of the biggest reasons I chose a guinea pig over a gerbil. Also, if you need a pet that’s active but quiet otherwise, you should definitely take the pig.
