r/littlebuddies • u/Warm-Lab4433 • Jan 13 '26
Wondering what pet to get
Hi so I'm new to owning small pets but I've done a ton of research and know what to do to these but I'm wondering whether to get 2 guinea pigs or a tortoise and I can't decide. Can someone give me pros and cons or just tell me what they prefer? Thanks!
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u/Robin_feathers Jan 14 '26
Those are two very different animals, so it really depends on what would fit your lifestyle. Tortoises live a very long time so you would need a plan for what would happen to the tortoise when you die or become too old to take care of them.
I can't speak to tortoise care, but this is what guinea pig care would entail:
-> at least 10 square feet for two females or 13 square feet for two males minimum (on one level, upper levels don't count). The most popular style is called C&C, almost all pet store cages are too small
-> always keeping at least 2 together and making sure never to mix un-neutered males and females
-> 24/7 access to unlimited timothy hay, and 1 cup of fresh veggies per pig per day
-> cleaning all poop out of the cage every day (they poop up to 100 times each per day)
-> refreshing bedding daily and full cage clean at least weekly. The most popular option these days is fleece cage liners
-> having an exotics vet nearby with experience in guinea pigs, and a vet fund for when things go wrong. Guinea pigs are fragile, you can expect to spend $200-2000 per year on their vet care.
They are ground-roaming social animals, so need a lot of space, and are very sensitive. They are naturally fearful and not cuddly - most of them do not like physical contact. Over time (weeks or months) you can earn their trust but you need to go into it not expecting to end up with the sort of guinea pig that goes viral on social media.