Guinea pig and Hamster are two cutie small animal. As we know, both of them has their own charming to catch people’s heart. For you who didn’t know about Guinea Pig, it is a rodent animal. Technically, Guinea pig is related with hamster but still they do have differences. Guinea pig isn’t like pig like literally pink pig that usually you see in TV. It is also didn’t come from Guinea. As appearance, Guinea Pig is like big mouse but smaller than rabbit.
Hamster itself is also a rodent animal. They are living underground and uniquely hamster has different type and also different characteristic. The characteristic also effects to their daily treatment.
To make you clear about the differences between Guinea Pig and Hamster, here is some points that you should know.
- The size
Generally, Guinea Pig is bigger than Hamster. Talk about posture, Guinea Pig tends to length. It is fluffy and rounded. Guinea Pig is also hairy and fatty. It is pretty different with Hamster that has height posture. Their body tend to smaller. Hamster able to ‘stand up’ but Guinea Pig tends to ‘crawl’. Talk about hairy thing, it doesn’t mean that Hamster type isn’t hairy, their hair can be longer but the hair is pretty shorter than Guinea Pig. Guinea Pig is big, literally big. Their adult size is almost as big as young cat so you can imagine how big it is.
- Habit
Both of them has playing and biting habit remind that they are rodent animal. For natural habit, Hamster loves to digging because in wild living they live in underground. It is different with Guinea Pig that can living in the tree. If Hamster is biting to reduce their teeth’s long, Guinea Pig is biting just for eat. Both of them does biting as defense, but Hamster more bite than Guinea Pig.
- Appearance
As appearance, Hamster is similar to mouse. It is different with Guinea Pig because it is like more rounded face. Hamsters have a pointed face structure when viewed from the front, while Guinea Pigs have a more rounded face structure. When viewed from the side, Hamsters have a nose shape that is smaller than Guinea Pig. Guinea Pig has a nose and mouth that is more snout. Guinea Pig eyes tend to go deeper than hamsters. Hamsters’ eyes tend to be larger and rounder, while Guinea Pig eyes are more elongated because they are covered in fur and are attracted to the snout. The front leg or Hamster’s hand is straight on his stomach. While the Guinea Pig’s forefoot is far below.
- Feed
Hamster actually an omnivore but as healthy side, eating vegetable isn’t suggestable for Hamster. That’s because of problem that can effect by vegetable consumed that can also cause diarrhea. Guinea Pig is omnivore and moreover they are coprophages so that’s why they can eat their own poop. It’s little bit disgusting but that’s the fact.
- Character
Hamster more active at the night and they can sleep all day long. It is different with Guinea Pig which is they are more active when the owner appeared. So, whenever you appear Guinea Pig will welcoming you as great as they want.
- The type
Both Hamster and Guinea Pig has some types. From Hamster side, some type like Syrian Hamster, Turkish Hamster, Campbell, Winter White, Rodorovski, and many more that usually pet and raise by human and not. And from Guinea Pig, there are Abyssinian, Abyssinian Satin, American, Coronet, Peruvian, Silkie, Teddy, Texel, and White Crested.
- Sound
Technically, Hamster rare to make a sound. They are silent animal that make a sound just from their activity. Their feet’s move on wheel or when they biting something is pretty much make a sound. It is different with Guinea Pig that often make a sound. Moreover, their sound has some meaning. For example, ‘motorboat’ for content, exploring, or when they out of the cage, ‘purr’ for a happy sign reactiom to being petted, and ‘scream’ for frightened sound.
- Personality
As personality, Guinea Pig is more social than Hamster. They aren’t scare of human and moreover they still calm them touched and petted. It is different with hamster which is they are so shy, mostly from Roborovski.
Both Guinea Pig and Hamster has some special thing inside. As treatment side, both of them has similarity and simple method treatment. But, for Guinea Pig because their size is bigger of course they need larger space. For you who have fur or hair animal allergy, hamster would be more suggestable because of hairy that Guinea Pig’s own. But of you prefer the big one because it is easier to watching and monitoring, Guinea Pig is the winner.
Choosing pet animal must be suitable with what we want. Our preferable and interested must be work together to decide which one that we take at home. Also, consider about budget and space in our home is an important thing to choosing what’s pet we taking home.