Hamsters or guinea pigs, which is a better pet for modern day pet owners? This is a question that many are discussing. Personally, as someone who has owned many hamsters and has heard from friends what guinea pigs are like, I think hamsters are better. One reason I think this is because generally, guinea pigs are more smelly than hamsters. Guinea pigs can be smelly for many reasons, some examples include a bad diet, the guinea pig is sick, they are struggling to groom themselves, or their cage is left uncleaned for too long, just to name a few. However, there are some solutions to these problems. The guinea pig owner needs to make sure their guinea pig gets a good diet and they also need to keep track of how often they are cleaning their guinea pig’s cage. Typically the only reason a hamster would be smelly is because their cage goes too long without being cleaned or because the hamster has poor hygiene. There are a couple of ways you can make sure your hamster stays smell free. For example you just have to make sure their cage gets regularly cleaned (about every once a month). There are some cons to hamsters too, one being that the average life span is unfortunately only  around 2-3 years, whereas the average lifespan of a guinea pig is 5-7 years. So, if you want the one that will live a relatively long life, I would choose a guinea pig.

One guinea pig owner states, “I think guinea pigs are better because they are so cute and have a strong personality. Hamsters just hide in paper and can be snapped in half really easily.” He also says that one con of guinea pigs is that unfortunately, they do poop a lot, so guinea pig owners have to be extra tentative to cleaning their guinea pig’s cages. 

Lilian Vejar, a previous hamster owner, had this to say when asked which was better, guinea pigs, or hamsters. “I think hamsters are better, they are cuter and they have more memes. Some pros of hamsters are that they don’t need nearly as much attention as guinea pigs and they also go on their wheels a lot, which is entertaining to watch.” However, she also says there is a con to hamsters, “hamsters can sometimes bite if they are provoked.”

So, which is really better for modern day pet owners, guinea pigs, or hamsters? There really is no valid conclusion, it all just comes down to personal preference.