[webhouse]

My nieces want to get a guinea pig and I would wonder if they didn't. Guinea pigs are really cute by nature. My brother and SIL are OK with that and they plan to buy the kids a pair of guinea pigs. Do you have any experience with these pets?

[Hyacinth]

I've got quite a bit of experience with guinea pigs, and they make fantastic pets for children. Even if handled infrequently or roughly, it is very rare for a guinea pig to bite - their nails are typically riskier than their teeth, so always keep them trimmed and blunt. If they're set on a towel with a head of lettuce, they'll happily nibble away while the kids pet them.

As a side note, guinea pigs are fragile little critters and little kids can be less than cautious, so supervision is always necessary.