Every pet store from California to Maine is likely to have guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils available for you to adopt. They’re some of the most common pets in America and are great for all types of pet owners. However, while these three animals are all rodents, they aren’t interchangeable.
Hamsters are great for first-time pet owners. They don’t live as long and aren’t very social. Gerbils are small in size. They should be adopted in pairs because they’re social animals. Guinea pigs are a bit larger. They’re also social and live longer, making them a longer-term commitment.
If you’re debating over which one of these furry friends you should get, or you just want to learn about their differences, this is the right article for you. I’ll explain their similarities, and differences, and in which cases you should adopt each of these pets.
How Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, and Gerbils Are Similar
You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking there are some similarities between hamsters, guinea pigs, and gerbils.
They’re all small rodents who, out in the wild, are considered small prey animals. They’re all herbivores, which means they exclusively eat plants and other types of vegetation.
All three of these animals also look similar, not just because they’re all small in size.
Since these are small pets, all three have to be kept in cages so they don’t get lost, injured, or scared in your home.
While you can let them roam around your house freely for exercise and for a little exploration, they should be kept in a closed habitat the majority of the time for their own safety.
They all have large front teeth that are useful for chewing. All three of these pets also have to continuously chew or gnaw on hard substances to keep these front teeth filed down. Otherwise, they might become overgrown.
Perhaps the biggest similarity between these three types of rodents is the level of care they require. None of these three animals are considered particularly labor-intensive pets, and none require large amounts of commitment.
Although you still have to be careful about their diest and their environment, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs aren’t as high maintenance as other popular pets in the U.S.A., like dogs or cats.
For example, all three of these pets are relatively self-sufficient when it comes to grooming. They don’t’ require baths or brushing unless they’re sick and unable to groom themselves.
They’re also all very clean animals by nature. While you’ll still have to clean their cages and change their bedding, there won’t be as much of a mess as you might have with other pets.
These three pets are also highly recommended as “first pets” or as pets for children. This is in part because they’re easy to maintain. They are good pets for people with busy schedules or for people just starting to learn how to take care of an animal.
Read Why Is My Hamster Not Moving?
Differences Between Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, and Gerbils
While guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters have some similarities, they’re also very different pets. So, if you’ve had experience taking care of one, it doesn’t necessarily mean you know everything you have to know about taking care of the other two.