What Makes a Better Pet - A Guinea Pig or a Hamster?

Is a Hamster or Guinea Pig Easier to Care For?

If you’re looking for a new animal, one of the main factors you should always consider is their ease of care. If you’re a busy individual who spends most of their days going out and about, getting an animal with high care needs certainly wouldn’t be the ideal option. Luckily for you, both hamsters and guinea pigs are fairly simplistic when it comes to their care.

When looking at what they require, guinea pigs and hamsters have almost the exact same needs: a balanced diet, safe housing, and regular cleaning. The only difference is the scale of these. As hamsters are significantly smaller than guinea pigs, the extent of their care is smaller too.

Housing and Cleaning

Hamsters may be small, but they do require a significant amount of space. The recommended minimum is 775 square inches, but in most circumstances, they will require much more. Hamsters are a species that love to burrow, so you’ll want to guarantee you can find a safe wooden substrate that can maintain their tunnels. They also require hutches and hides just like guinea pigs, and toys to occupy themselves. 

Guinea pigs need a minimum of about 8 square feet for their enclosures, with plenty of hides and toys. Piggies are less picky when it comes to their bedding, and you can use various wooden substrates or fleece liners. 

The ability to choose what bedding does make cleaning much simpler. Hamsters and guinea pigs will need daily spot cleaning and a weekly deep clean, however, as the only viable bedding option for hamsters is a loose substrate, this will need to be fully moved and replaced weekly, which means you will be going through bags of bedding fairly frequently.

For guinea pig fleece liners, they can easily be thrown in the wash and dried without costing you an extra penny.

Diet

When it comes to diets, hamsters do tend to be easier. They primarily will need some pellets, and the occasional veggie or fruit treat. Due to their small size, food supplies do tend to last longer than guinea pig’s do, but they are much more restricted on the types of vegetables or fruits they can have.

On the other hand, guinea pigs do have a few extra requirements. Guinea pigs need a mixture of fresh veggies, hay and pellets every day to remain healthy which, understandably so, takes a bit more time and effort out of your day. Although, the process of prepping your piggy’s meals can feel somewhat therapeutic, and who doesn’t love the squeaking sounds of joy when you bring them their dinner?

How Much Do Guinea Pigs and Hamsters Cost?

One of the main things to consider is the hamster vs guinea pig cost. Overall, the costs for both animals remain relatively similar. As they have similar husbandry requirements, they will have similar costs. The only variation in costs will be with food and bedding. Guinea pig food costs will be on the higher side, primarily due to the food, and hamster bedding costs will be on the higher side due to their requirement of burrows. So, in the end, the final costs end up the same.

Are Guinea Pigs Louder Than Hamsters?

In full honesty, guinea pigs do tend to be louder than hamsters. Guinea pigs are incredibly social animals who love to have a chat with anyone who will listen. They have a variety of different sounds and squeaks to express how they are feeling. Hamsters tend to be rather quiet when it comes to vocalisations, and only squeak when feeling stressed or threatened.

However, hamsters may not be vocal, but you are bound to hear them scurrying around at night. Hamsters are nocturnal animals, and will spend their nights digging in their tunnels, snacking away, and running around. If the night-time rustling is something that would get on your nerves, then guinea pigs are the better choice for you.

A hamster having a snack

Do Hamsters or Guinea Pigs Like Being Held?

Most hamsters do not enjoy being held at all. Most hamster breeds you will find as pets are solitary animals, so will be uncomfortable around other hamsters and humans. If you’re wanting an animal to cuddle up with on a rough day, then guinea pigs are your best option. They are nervous at first, but once you have built trust with them, then they would love nothing more than to have your pets and attention.

Guinea Pig vs Hamster Lifespan

Animals are a big commitment, and looking at how long they live should be one of the first facts you research. Just like most small mammals, hamsters have a relatively short lifespan and on average live up to 3 years. This can make them a great option for non-committal folks who aren’t interested or able to have an animal long term. On the contrary, for us animal lovers, we want to have as long as possible with our furry friends. Guinea pigs live on average 5-8 years, making them a great option for those who are interested in keeping small mammals but want to keep them around for as long as possible.