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.

Despite the fact that guinea pigs are small cheap pets there are still some important matters to think about before you get your first guinea pig. And the first of these matters is how you will house him.

They are housed in what is called a guinea pig hutch or cage. The hutch is usually kept outside the house, though not always, and is primarily constructed of timber and wire, though metal is also a good material for construction of hutches.

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.

Most guinea pig cages that you buy in pet shops are too small for the purpose. It’s quite easy to make your own guinea pig cage and it’s not expensive to do so. If you are making your own make sure you make it as large as you possibly can so that your guinea pig has lots of room to play and to exercise.

They are cheap to feed and not difficult to feed but you do need to learn a little bit about what they need to eat and what they don’t need to eat. They need plenty of hay for roughage, will happily eat a wide range of fresh green vegetable leaves such as broccoli or spinach as well as fruits like apples and pears. Some foods should be avoided such as lettuce and cabbage which can give your guinea pig diarrhea.

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’re looking for a small, soft and cuddly pet for the children consider a guinea pig. He is the perfect pet provided you house him in a good large guinea pig hutch and feed him properly.