Hi,

I usually hang out over on the dog forum but wonder if someone here could help me.

I'm thinking of getting a pet for my classroom, and thought a guinea pig might be a good option. However, I don't really know anything about them!

I'd love some general advice or links about whether a piggy might be ok as a classroom pet. I guess the things I'm concerned about is whether it would be too stressful for them, if they'd be ok left alone over weekends (any longer and I or someone else would take them home), if they smell much, and if they can live inside ok. Also, is a single guinea pig or a pair better?

And is there anything else I need to know about them?

Thanks

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For that reason I feel that no animal makes a good classroom pet, I'm sorry but personally I don't feel the classroom is the best place for animals.

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no, guinea pigs are too big to be classroom pets!
guinea pigs need a big hutch, and they need to live in pairs.
BUT
then again,
at my school we had guinea pigs, Nono and Toto and everybody loved them!
they had a outside hutch on the lawn so they could graze during the day and have enough space to run around, and every weekend one of the students took them home and looked after them. but the poor things must have been so stressed coz during the day everyone would be talking around them and yelling and sticking fingers into their cage

i am not a fan of having anything like that as classroom pets- how about you get hermit crabs or fish?

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Have to say I agree with B3rnie - not a fan of keeping pets in classrooms.

Especially not something like guinea pigs - they are a social species and need to be kept in at least pairs, need a massive cage (at least 2x4 foot, preferably bigger).

They don't particularly smell, they can (and should IMO) live inside, but they are often shy little critters and may well find a classroom environment far too stressful.

Finally, I don't believe any animal should be left alone all weekend routinelly!! What if the water bottle leaks and the cage floods, or they end up with nothing to drink? What if they injure themselves or get ill? Too many disasters waiting to happen.

Not to mention guinea pigs have quite complex dietary needs - inc a range of fresh veggies daily, which you wouldn't be able to provide over the weekend.

Sorry that's not the answer you wanted, but thats my honest opinion.

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"For all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams it is still a beautiful world"

Sorry but I agree with everyone else, guinea pigs as classroom pets is not a good idea. If they get ill they can go downhill really fast and are well adapted to hide when they are ill, you could finish school 1 day, walk in the next morning to find they have passed away.

I can't say I'm a big fan of class room pets, but it does help to teach a little bit of responsibility. Anything like a pet mammal can be complicated to care for so I wouldn't suggest them, but other types of animal can be kept easily and are not as common as household pets. Maybe fish, stick-insects or giant african land snails?

Sorry we can't give you the answer you want.

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Adopted by:

Ginge - Abby guinea piggy
Bubbles - English crested piggy
Mackenzie - English crested piggy
Skit - Standard (but cute) piggy
Max - Ragdoll x cat
The Rainbow Fish
Rest in peace my lovely furfamily that are no longer with us.

We had giant african land snails, stick insects and fish.

We also had a budgie for a period, but I wouldn't recommend that!

The snails, insects and fish were all very popular, despite a lot of parents thinking their kids wouldn't like them. They were easy to look after and helped with lots of different projects.

You could consider those?

in a word.... no


no animal should be left alone for more then 24 hours, max, especially not on a regular basis

guinea pigs are very social animals and need to be kept in pairs

they can be very shy around people, especially loud young children, and they are actually very fragile, if a child were to handle them to rough they could easily snap their backs

piggies can also be VERY noisy, and will interrupt the childrens learning

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Thanks everyone - this is exactly what I wanted to find out. I think the classroom is a great place to. Teach children about the responsibility of having a pet and all the associated things, but obviously not at the expense of the animal. Thanks for all your help

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We had a pet gerbil in my first school we took turns in taking him home at weekends he died at my house he was something ridiculous like 7

Guinea pigs are great pets to share with children as they dont kick like a rabbit. However they are still fragile and shouldn't be left unsupervised with kids.

The RSPCA now have education officers why not contact your local RSPCA and see if they will come out to your class

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My daughters class borrowed our stick insects as they have been learning about pets.

They are a great teaching tool and you can still teach the children about the responsibility of keeping a pet as they need cleaning out and feeding privet regularly. They are suprisingly good fun to handle (in a controlled situation) and they can come out into large trays for closer hands off inspection.

One did escape and turned up on the white board though

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