People need to understand that hamsters are nocturnal little creatures, so they like to be up at night and they like to sleep during the day, which is not when most children want to play with them.
They also are not a very long lived animal… . Hamsters live a year and a half, two years tops, so depending on how old your child is ... can they deal with the consequences of losing a pet.
Guinea pigs, as opposed to that, are a relatively long lived and rugged little pet. They can live six, seven, eight, nine years. They tend to be awake during the day and sleep at night, they have a little bit more personality, [and] they’re a little bit easier to deal with.
Mark A. Beebe, D.V.M.
Veterinarian
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