Guinea pigs best learn a lot later than cats and dogs – while dogs are best trained when they are only a few weeks old, the time is right for guinea pigs when they are nine to ten months old. However, if this is your sister's first pet, and you want something that is quite low maintenance, buy a pair of rats. Show me a guinea pig that's as smart as Pizza Rat!" ... Each rat has his or her own personality. Food: Rats are omnivores while guinea pigs are strict vegans. Females usually get on better than males), Rabbits and GPs are somewhat more expensive (or not, if you or someone you know is handy with some ply wood and a hammer), as they need both a hutch and a run (they need at least 4 hours of exercise a day, and no amount of hutch space is big enough for a rabbit to live in full-time). Guinea pigs have been used as pets since the 16th century and are some of the cutest wild animals you can have in your home. Are Guinea Pigs Smarter Than Other pet Rodents? Rats are more intelligent then hamsters, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits and lots of others. Guinea pigs..sometimes let you pet them...mostly they hide, scream and ####. The recipe for success? They can learn their own names, and they can be easily trained to use a litter tray like a cat, which is cool! Learn more about their brains here! The cage was cleaned every 2 days and yet it stunk! Night-loving. Guinea pigs can easily trace the path they have walked on before. Give them the treat when they reach a straight posture. If you keep guinea pigs as pets then you may have to take them with you somewhere, like if you need to go to the vet or run errands. Domestication seems to lead to smaller brain sizes, too (though brain size is an imperfect measure of intelligence). They 'popcorn' when excited. Both animals are fluffy, and cute...And if they're well handled, happy and healthy neither should bite unless hugely provoked. Rats are staggeringly intelligent, they can learn their names, learn to do tricks, and can be very affectionate pets. The ⦠Rats are very social animals, often using high-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear to communicate with each other. Squirrels may get a bad reputation for their daring attempts at crossing busy roads, but these rodents are actually smarter than they look. Despite their smaller brains, guinea pigs, at least, seem to have escaped the trap of dumb domestication. While some rats have more neurons in their brain than hamsters, but still they do not compete with ⦠Which doesn’t seem like something a smart animal would do. Guinea pigs require much more food than rats do. The absolute BEST place to get a new pet from is a shelter, the RSPCA always have young animals that have been handed to them after their first owners were irresponsible enough to let them breed, then they get overwhelmed at just how fast rabbits, rats and GPs can multiply. Students can rest easy knowing ⦠Guinea pigs are actually very intelligent pet rodents, they are able to understand some gestures, respond to their names and identify various sounds. They can be trained to do tricks. Thank you Chris, yes guinea pigs are smarter than some people think. Rats are considerably smaller than dogs, but they are at least as capable of thinking about things and figuring them out as dogs are! Guinea pigs, for example, have brains about 13 percent smaller than those of similarly-sized cavies. Can Guinea Pigs Learn Their Names and Identify Voices? A pocket pet is a small, pocket-sized pet mammal (sometimes also categorized as a small and furry in the pet industry) commonly kept as a household pet.The most common pocket pets are rodents such as hamsters (golden hamsters and dwarf hamsters), gerbils (Mongolian jirds and duprasi gerbils), common degus, fancy mice, fancy rats, common chinchillas, and guinea pigs ⦠:) Good luck with whatever you choose.. Guinea pigs thrive on it, live for it, and do quite poorly without it. Once they are used to you, your voice, and their names, they will follow that voice when you call them. Rats are very social animals, often using high-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear to communicate with each other. I don't know whether this is the case for all guinea pigs, but both of mine seem to be instinctively toilet trained as they only ever do their 'businesss' on a piece of newspaper! However, their small sizes also make them anxious creatures that are afraid of falling prey to larger animals. [=. Some of those things include: The first thing is their ability to trace their steps. Scientists have used rats in psychology experiments for more than one hundred years, due in large part to the similar structure of their brains to the human brain and their decision-making abilities. Rats are smarter than most dogs and can do ⦠This is believed to be a part of their survival skills. Pigs are smarter than any other domestic animal. In general, guinea pigs learn stuff much ⦠Guinea pigs are small and mobile. This is why it is so important to have more than one rat together. They made adorable noises. Rats have a similar number of neurons as hamsters. At first, they won’t know what you’re doing, and that’s okay. Another study challenged the guinea pigs and cavies in the Morris water maze, a circular pool where the animals swim around to find a hidden platform. Well i would chose rats because in my experiencxe they are smarter easeier to train, easier to introduce a third or however many you want and they are in my experience again easier to tame. Rats, however, can go one step further than their feathered friends. And, while rats are much smaller than elephants, they have excellent memories. In fact, some people believe that pigs are ⦠If you want a pet to hold and cuddle, a guinea pig would be better. ( Dolphins. Like said earlier, guinea pigs attain sexual maturity within the first six weeks of their life. There a lot of different toys that are available for gerbils to have that they will like to play around with. They are natural students who excel at learning and understanding concepts. Hold the hoop in between yourself and the guinea pig. They also don’t show aggression towards other guinea pigs even if they are unfamiliar, because they can identify their similarities. They charge you a ridiculous price for pets, they don't sell the right equipment for them and they don't care what happens to you or the pet the second after you've stepped out of the shop. Pigs are not social, are very loud, skiddish, and not very friendly. ANSWER: 10 of the smartest animals on Earth Ravens. Rats and mice are highly intelligent rodents. Guinea pigs can live up to seven years while hamsters can live up to three years. It’s impossible to ask how smart are guinea pigs without comparing them to other rodents. Guinea pigs are not climbers so a low 30 cm wire barrier keeps them safe and happy. Teaching them to stand up straight. The guinea pigs’ intelligence level definitely separates them from other rodents. ( Rats. You can easily identify them with their names and they will come to you. They will start to leap through it to get to their treat. You could probably go on and say that rats, as pets, have received a bad rap! ⦠Like learning any new skill or trick, it takes time. Are Guinea Pigs Smart Enough to Learn Tricks or Commands? They can be distracting. While repeating it, slightly raise the hoop higher and higher. This means they have an easier time learning tricks and commands. I can't stand them, they're the most boring things in the world. They also can catch on and learn a few tricks faster than some other pets. In another study where rats where given a choice to opt out of a test if they didn’t know the answer, they did so, “which suggests that rats, like monkeys, but unlike pigeons, may be aware of what they do,” according to the researcher. But rabbits and guinea pigs are still more intelligent than learning tests and brain size would make them seem. why are there in an increase in rats in my neighborhood. You guessed it, lots and lots of guinea pig treats and veggies. Retracing their steps coming from outside back indoors is a much harder task, which means they should not be left alone outside. Guinea pigs can be taught how to stand upright, Here are some tips to get them to do this: Teaching them to pass the ball. Luckily studyâs have already been done to shed some light on this subject. Oh, and rats eat with their paws, guinea pigs don't. Rodentia is the largest group of mammals that includes mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, prairie dogs, chipmunks, squirrels, muskrats, beavers, chinchillas, and many others. Guinea pigs are a better choice for younger children than hamsters. So not even mother is safe from getting impregnated by her own just-born kids. Since guinea pigs roamed in the wild in groups of 2-7, it is advisable to have guinea pigs as pets in similar strength. Often rabbits who get their teeth ⦠Anyway, for a rabbit or GP, you need to have at least one room completely bunny-proofed, there musn't be any wires loose anywhere, and unless you want to spend 2 hours trying to get Thumper out from behind the TV, there shouldn't be any small gaps (You'd be very surprised at what gaps pets can fit into). "Guinea pigs are smart, too!" Guinea pigs are late bloomers though, this means you can only start training them when they are over 6 months old. Yep, almost like little dogs. Guinea pigs are intelligent rodents that can be taught many things. It is a significant member of the rodent family and ⦠I love to learn and talk about them basically every day. They are expensive but that is all worth it in my opinion. You can have dd's guinea pigs if you like. Reply. Now this is apparently very rare but every time we went to get them out of the cage, they would run and hide. According to researchers , rats are able to find a good pattern and stick to it, and theyâre less likely to second-guess themselves than ⦠Rats, however, can go one step further than their feathered friends. I can't give you a percent as there is no standardized scale of intelligence or method of testing small animals. 2. They need 1/8 cup of pellets, 1 cup of veggies (with lots of vitamin c), and unlimited hay every day. ⦠In addition to these, guinea pigs also adapt to new surroundings better than other rodents. Like all rodents, Guinea pigs are naturally nocturnal. The more times you do these tricks with them, the better they will become at performing it on command. Next, hold your hand up without the treat in the same way. ⦠It makes it possible for them to learn their names and respond to the owner’s voices. They ⦠They will recognize the gesture and begin to stand upright. It’s impossible to ask how smart are guinea pigs without comparing them to other rodents. Are Guinea Pigs Smarter Than Other pet Rodents? They are also very active and move around a lot and this usually confuses many of their owners. Rats are staggeringly intelligent, they can learn their names, learn to do tricks, and can be very affectionate pets. Guinea pigs can learn how to go through hoops easily if you teach them correctly. When they notice the treat they will try to reach up and get it. Over the years I've adopted small pets like hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs. And they did draw blood! Guinea pigs are smarter than some folks give them credit for. Fish[/dropcap] This is why it is so important to have more than one rat together. Hi, I'm Mason, I've kept small animals as pets since I was 8 years old. But there are some toys like hammocks that are usually not marketed for gerbils. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I have 10 guinea pigs. Often rabbits who get their teeth stuck will struggle and break their neck if their teeth don't break first. Through repetition, they will learn to pass the ball back. "Guinea pigs can't eat fucking pizza!" If you can smell ammonia the guinea pigs' health is in danger. How do They Compare to the Other Rodents? As well, if you choose a guinea pig with long fur, you will need to groom the fur at least weekly to prevent matting. Are Rabbits Rodents? They will eventually walk through the hoop for their treat. Guinea pigs (cavy) have perhaps been kept the longest as pets among rodents. And, sadly, a rat doesn't live very long, whereas Guinea Pigs can live anything up to 15 years. Rodents in the Lab. But rabbits and guinea pigs are still more intelligent than learning tests and brain size would make them seem. With both tasks, the subjects were ⦠They actually have somewhat of an attention span and are affectionate. Identifying and remembering the tone of your voice. Guinea pigs are larger pets than mice and hamsters, but still very small and portable. For example, when I had my own Guinea Pig, Iâm sure he could tell when he was about to be fed and ⦠They will instead start to understand the gestures. The positives about having guinea pigs is they are most of the time just wanting to be petted and love floor time and you can make cages for them that can last for years and years to come, ⦠Have someone else who isn’t a family member do the same. i want ot buy one, but i want him for my sister, so it has to be fluffy, not biting, and good smelling. So if they’re that smart, how good is their memory? Remembering Your Voice, Gestures, and Tone. Rats and mice are highly intelligent rodents. Lightly nudge the ball towards them with your hand or fingers. Here at Pocket Sized Pets, we love small animals! Many squirrels, such as flying squirrels , have ⦠... And compared to other rodents, Kaplan observes, rats are tidier than guinea pigs and less likely to bite than a hamster. Dolphins, crows, apes -- you know the drill about smart animals. They sit still on your lap (our rats woud run from us) and they are just generably more cuter than rats. Both guinea pigs and rats are good pets. Rat Are Social Animals . Favorite Answer. Although they seem to have smaller brains than other rodents. But rats are definatley way smarter … They are cute and fluffy, but they're also very smart. When it came to picking them up... they would bite! Fish, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs were the only other animals to be killed during testing. Still have questions? We love to talk about them all! When it comes to the question do guinea pigs have good memories, several of their attributes show that that do. Did you know that many guinea pigs can learn simple tricks? Guinea pigs were much quicker to display courtship behavior than their wild counterparts. For this reason, it is not advisable to keep just one pet guinea pig. They need variety and don't like being bored. "Oh yeah? Luckily study’s have already been done to shed some light on this subject. Guinea pigs need regular nail trims to keep their feet healthy. The other family is the Ochotonidae, also called the pika family. Rats are the smartest if you're looking at capacity to learn. Their cognitive abilities can be compared to ⦠Here, we are specifically talking about socializing with other guinea pigs. They can smell... so cages need to be cleaned every 2 or 3 days. According to some experts, pigs are probably the smartest and also the cleanest of all domesticated animals, even more so than dogs and cats. You can tell theyâre ⦠Vet bills, insurance, and vaccinations are expensive. Guinea pigs (scientific name: Cavia porcellus) or Cavis as they are widely known, originated in the Andes region of South America. But there are lots of animals that are smarter than you think. Rats are the smartest if you're looking at capacity to learn. If a guinea pig escapes, it will never return. They need plenty of places to hide and explore, and being rodents they will tend to destroy their toys and ⦠We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. In this area, guinea pigs are smarter than other rodents. While historically they served as a foodstuff for the native Inca people, they were imported to Europe as early as the mid-16th century, shortly after Spain conquered Peru.As an oddity from the New World, they were afforded a special status, and seen as house pets, rather than vermin or food. Not once have I been bitten by a guinea pig! It’s generally advised that guinea pigs are better for adults and older children, generally people over the age of ten or eleven. I completely agree; Guinea Pigs are MUCH smarter than is commonly perceived. I've owned BOTH! How do they compare to other pet rodents you can adopt when it comes to intelligence? Choosing Guinea Pigs Based on Their Sexes. Yep, almost like little dogs. Rats are far less expensive to care for than Guinea pigs. My piggies have never ever bitten me and, in my opinion, they don't smell bad. 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