Pets

Question
I am thinking about getting a pet. I am looking at Guinea pigs and rats. Which pet would be more sociable when taken out of the cage? Would rats be too jumpy to hold, or are they supposed to be held? Would guinea pigs move around outside of the cage once they get used to thier surroundings? Finally, should I get 1 or 2, and what gender should they be?
Thank you.

Answer
Hello Ari,

You have some difficult questions to answer because I don't really know you personally.  I can just give you some background about each animal and let you make the decision yourself.

I will start by saying both rats and guinea pigs are very sociable animals with their owner and inside their cages.  Female guinea pigs and female rats should have another female litter mate.  Usually male guinea pigs and male rats should be housed by themselves.  2 Males can be housed together and some people are very successful at that but normally the 2 males will fight.  I do believe male rats fighting is a bit less common than 2 male guinea pigs unless there is a female rat near by.

I have both pets and I think my rats are way more sociable with me outside their cage than my guinea pigs are.  My guinea pigs will play outside of their cage but not like my rats do. My rats like to play with me, my guinea pigs play with each other.  

Rats LOVE to be held and played with by their owners.  They will sit on your shoulder for hours.  They will sit in your hand and be perfectly happy there.  Guinea pigs will stay still when you hold them just the same. They act very calm and relaxed once they get use to you when you hold them.

I always recommend female rats or guinea pigs.  They are more mild tempered and more friendly.  Plus, when you don't have a lot of time to play with them, they at least have a litter mate to play with.

It all depends on what you personally are looking for in a pet. It's all about how much time you have to devote to them and what you are actually looking for.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

Good luck!
Amber