are guinea pigs smarter than rats

Guinea pigs are smarter than some folks give them credit for. Rats are staggeringly intelligent, they can learn their names, learn to do tricks, and can be very affectionate pets. Guinea pigs are small and mobile. Their small nature makes them perfect for domestication since they won’t take up large spaces in your home. ... And compared to other rodents, Kaplan observes, rats are tidier than guinea pigs and less likely to bite than a hamster. Guinea pigs easily remember tracks and ways, making them very efficient when solving mazes. Although certain rats have more brain neurons than hamsters, they still canât hold a candle to guinea pigs. Rats are far less expensive to care for than Guinea pigs. Don’t get discouraged if they aren’t able to learn all the tricks in one day. When it came to picking them up... they would bite! Guinea pigs also can remember various tones. They will eventually walk through the hoop for their treat. But rats are definatley way smarter … Rats are very social animals, often using high-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear to communicate with each other. Rats were the second most abundant group of animals to be killed. Rats are very social animals, often using high-frequency sounds that humans cannot hear to communicate with each other. Dolphins, crows, apes -- you know the drill about smart animals. "Oh yeah? Generally, guinea pigs are bigger than rats, so the amount of space that they require is bigger. If not from a shelter, look in your local papers, look at the notice boards in your local vets' surgery, look at the grocery stores' ad board, all of these are great places to find a new pet, and usually they cost a LOT less. Now this is apparently very rare but every time we went to get them out of the cage, they would run and hide. However, their small sizes also make them anxious creatures that are afraid of falling prey to larger animals. But in saying all of this, can you afford the initial costs? Teaching them to stand up straight. It makes it possible for them to learn their names and respond to the owner’s voices. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. Here’s how you can teach them: Teaching them to walk/jump through hoops. How do they compare to other pet rodents you can adopt when it comes to intelligence? According to researchers, rats are able to find a good pattern and stick to it, and they’re less likely to second-guess themselves than humans. They can learn how to pass the ball back and forth with you. Through repetition, they will learn to pass the ball back. It is a significant member of the rodent family and â¦ ... "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. "Guinea pigs are smart, too!" Rats are the overlooked and under-loved poor relations of the rodent world. Are Guinea Pigs Smarter Than Other pet Rodents? Anyway, for a rabbit or GP, you need to have at least one room completely bunny-proofed, there musn't be any wires loose anywhere, and unless you want to spend 2 hours trying to get Thumper out from behind the TV, there shouldn't be any small gaps (You'd be very surprised at what gaps pets can fit into). Dolphins, crows, apes -- you know the drill about smart animals. But rabbits and guinea pigs are still more intelligent than learning tests and brain size would make them seem. According to researchers , rats are able to find a good pattern and stick to it, and theyâre less likely to second-guess themselves than â¦ Again, like dogs, there are some smarter rats and some less smart, but even they make adorable and loving pets. Food: Rats are omnivores while guinea pigs are strict vegans. As with chinchillas, guinea pigs have teeth that grow continuously. Rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, chinchillas, mice, hamsters, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and ferrets are all common small mammal pets that we routinely treat. When we got them out they would run onto our backs.. which was fun. The recipe for success? Thankfully, guinea pigs are not prone to sickness. And began to rust. Night-loving. They also remember different voices, and their names so that they will immediately respond to a call from their owners. Are Rabbits Rodents? We love to talk about them all! Some of those things include: The first thing is their ability to trace their steps. On the other â¦ They need 1/8 cup of pellets, 1 cup of veggies (with lots of vitamin c), and unlimited hay every day. id say rats, and male rats can smell a bit, but to be honest you get used to it. Rabbits and hares belong to the family, Leporidae, which is one of the two families in the order Lagomorpha. This is why it is so important to have more than one rat together. Often rabbits who get their teeth â¦ The absolute BEST place to get a new pet from is a shelter, the RSPCA always have young animals that have been handed to them after their first owners were irresponsible enough to let them breed, then they get overwhelmed at just how fast rabbits, rats and GPs can multiply. Pigs are actually smarter than dogs you can just look at the top 10 smartest animals there you go. They will recognize the gesture and begin to stand upright. They become attached to other rats and recognize their own family members but rats also easily bond with their human owners and make for affectionate pets. guinea pigs tend to be shyer, however are tamer once they have been handled over time compared to hamsters. For example, when I had my own Guinea Pig, Iâm sure he could tell when he was about to be fed and â¦ Still have questions? Once they are used to this response, you can train them to follow other commands. It's also important to note than many people are â¦ Guinea pigs were much quicker to display courtship behavior than their wild counterparts. Rats, however, can go one step further than their feathered friends. An Australian raven perched on a rail. Rodentia is the largest group of mammals that includes mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, prairie dogs, chipmunks, squirrels, muskrats, beavers, chinchillas, and many others. As such, they are usually able to find their way back home especially if they don’t stray too far. 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According to some experts, pigs are probably the smartest and also the cleanest of all domesticated animals, even more so than dogs and cats. They can be distracting. Another study challenged the guinea pigs and cavies in the Morris water maze, a circular pool where the animals swim around to find a hidden platform. Guinea pigs (cavy) have perhaps been kept the longest as pets among rodents. Although they seem to have smaller brains than other rodents. So if they’re that smart, how good is their memory? Another factor is their ability to remember each other, voices, and gestures. Rodents in the Lab. They're also a lot smarter than you might realize. While some rats have more neurons in their brain than hamsters, but still they do not compete with â¦ So not even mother is safe from getting impregnated by her own just-born kids. And, sadly, a rat doesn't live very long, whereas Guinea Pigs can live anything up to 15 years. My piggies have never ever bitten me and, in my opinion, they don't smell bad. In addition to these, guinea pigs also adapt to new surroundings better than other rodents. It’s impossible to ask how smart are guinea pigs without comparing them to other rodents. However, if this is your sister's first pet, and you want something that is quite low maintenance, buy a pair of rats. For this reason, it is not advisable to keep just one pet guinea pig. why are there in an increase in rats in my neighborhood. Luckily study’s have already been done to shed some light on this subject. Have a treat in your hand and hold it high above their head. Well i would chose rats because in my experiencxe they are smarter easeier to train, easier to introduce a third or however many you want and they are in my experience again easier to tame. And hamsters personally look better than rats. ANSWER: Several studies have shown that pigs are even smarter than dogs and cats, and they are able to solve problems quicker than many primates. They charge you a ridiculous price for pets, they don't sell the right equipment for them and they don't care what happens to you or the pet the second after you've stepped out of the shop. The cage absoloutly stank after about 2 days after cleaning them. They actually have somewhat of an attention span and are affectionate. Altogether I have had 50 in my life. Guinea pigs..sometimes let you pet them...mostly they hide, scream and ####. Hamsters are generally nocturnal. All of these attributes show that guinea pigs indeed are smart and have excellent memories, but how smart are they compared to other pet rodents? Sadly, if you want a happy pet, as far as bunnies and GPs go, pet shops don't sell hutches or cages anywhere nearly big enough. Over the years I've adopted small pets like hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs. They are also very active and move around a lot and this usually confuses many of their owners. Guinea pigs require much more food than rats do. I've had both and I prefer rats. I have 10 guinea pigs. Guinea pigs can easily trace the path they have walked on before. Guinea pigs were also found to be more cautious during the research mentioned. I don't know whether this is the case for all guinea pigs, but both of mine seem to be instinctively toilet trained as they only ever do their 'businesss' on a piece of newspaper! [=. I completely agree; Guinea Pigs are MUCH smarter than is commonly perceived. When a strange object was placed in their vicinity, they took longer to approach it. It’s easier to move them around for play and hutch maintenance. By the end of the study, it showed that guinea pigs were more intelligent than the other rodents. Scientists have used rats in psychology experiments for more than one hundred years, due in large part to the similar structure of their brains to the human brain and their decision-making abilities. Once they are used to you, your voice, and their names, they will follow that voice when you call them. I used to have two female rats. Many people consider â¦ The guinea pigs’ intelligence level definitely separates them from other rodents. When it comes to the question do guinea pigs have good memories, several of their attributes show that that do. Guinea pigs need regular nail trims to keep their feet healthy. Guinea pigs, for example, have brains about 13 percent smaller than those of similarly-sized cavies. Rats are social animals. Luckily study’s have already been done to shed some light on this subject. Guinea pigs are sturdy and durable. Rats and mice are highly intelligent rodents. Repeat this until they understand they can nudge it back to you. I've owned BOTH! [dropcap] Octopus vs. â¦ They are expensive but that is all worth it in my opinion. Hamsters are better if you get a normal one because they are more calm and dont bite do not get a dwarf hamster. Pigs are not social, are very loud, skiddish, and not very friendly. 2. Rats will be more active than guinea pigs, but guinea pigs live longer. The research was done by a German team and it showed that guinea pigs can grasp new lessons faster. They’re also believed to know that they should move with their owners. Both guinea pigs and rats are good pets. :) Good luck with whatever you choose.. Guinea pigs are late bloomers though, this means you can only start training them when they are over 6 months old. Guinea pigs should be kept in C+C cages (they're pretty hard to arrange in the UK, but it can be done, and will be much, much cheaper than buying a tiny little cage in a pet shop) to find more info about C+C cages, I'll give you a link at the bottom of my answer. Rats are the smartest if you're looking at capacity to learn. Lightly nudge the ball towards them with your hand or fingers. Rat Are Social Animals . Rats are really stinky, especially males, and they are known to bite. Fish[/dropcap] Get your answers by asking now. They can be trained to do tricks. Since guinea pigs roamed in the wild in groups of 2-7, it is advisable to have guinea pigs as pets in similar strength. The training was done using the reward method, they were taught to follow some instructions in exchange for something that they liked. It’s generally advised that guinea pigs are better for adults and older children, generally people over the age of ten or eleven. The cage was cleaned every 2 days and yet it stunk! Be sure to give them breaks when trying to teach them anything, they can still get stressed out easily. I love my piggie and I hate rats, but rats are very smart. To be honest, I'm not very fond of GPs, and I absolutely love rats. Remembering Your Voice, Gestures, and Tone. Just give them some time, your guinea pigs are definitely smart enough to figure out. While historically they served as a foodstuff for the native Inca people, they were imported to Europe as early as the mid-16th century, shortly after Spain conquered Peru.As an oddity from the New World, they were afforded a special status, and seen as house pets, rather than vermin or food. They’re usually able to learn new tricks and commands fast, but you have to use the right techniques when training them. They â¦ We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Still give them treats after some tricks so they can still feel rewarded though. hamsters are more sociable and playful. They like to play around at night so keeping them in your bedroom may not be a good idea. i want ot buy one, but i want him for my sister, so it has to be fluffy, not biting, and good smelling. ( Dolphins. Guinea pigs are larger pets than mice and hamsters, but still very small and portable. However, other rodents showed more aggression towards similar rodents. Identifying and remembering the tone of your voice. So, how smart are guinea pigs? To get them to do this, start by calling them when you want to give them their favorite treats or food. They need plenty of places to hide and explore, and being rodents they will tend to destroy their toys and tunnels as … Many squirrels, such as flying squirrels , have â¦ Their ability to solve problems, like the pig I.Q. â¦ Students can rest easy knowing â¦ Is THAT what you're basing rat intelligence on?" Their ability to solve problems, like the pig I.Q. Rats and mice are highly intelligent rodents. )Pigs are smarter than any other domestic animal.. Their ability to solve problems, like the pig I.Q.. test on The Joy of Pigs, is well-documented, and they are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs or cats. How do They Compare to the Other Rodents? I can't give you a percent as there is no standardized scale of intelligence or method of testing small animals. Despite their smaller brains, guinea pigs, at least, seem to have escaped the trap of dumb domestication. Hi, I'm Mason, I've kept small animals as pets since I was 8 years old. Go for a rat or a lizard. A pod of dolphins swim in the ocean. They need plenty of places to hide and explore, and being rodents they will tend to destroy their toys and â¦ And they did draw blood! And, while rats are much smaller than elephants, they have excellent memories. Guinea pigs require much more food than rats do. Thank you Chris, yes guinea pigs are smarter than some people think. Did you know that many guinea pigs can learn simple tricks? They are natural students who excel at learning and understanding concepts. Guinea pigs best learn a lot later than cats and dogs – while dogs are best trained when they are only a few weeks old, the time is right for guinea pigs when they are nine to ten months old. Guinea pigs ire very low intellect. Retracing their steps coming from outside back indoors is a much harder task, which means they should not be left alone outside. Actually, dd has just come down and read this; I'm afraid you can't have them as she loves them (apparently) even though I would love to have someone else clean and feed them etc. We are passionate about having them as friends and pets. They will instead start to understand the gestures. If you’re a new guinea pig owner or even an experienced one, knowing exactly how smart they really are will help you get to know your guinea pigs on a deeper level. The positives about having guinea pigs is they are most of the time just wanting to be petted and love floor time and you can make cages for them that can last for years and years to come, â¦ With both tasks, the subjects were â¦ Rats Can Be Smarter Than People The study: Ben Vermaercke and his colleagues at KU Leuven gave two cognitive-learning tasks to lab rats and students. That goes for when they’re inside and outside of the house, although it will be significantly easier for them to do it indoors. While each of them requires various levels of â¦ Being prey, other animals can attack them as they try to find their way back in. Rats have a similar number of neurons as hamsters. Like said earlier, guinea pigs attain sexual maturity within the first six weeks of their life. We had to give the two up because they just weren't the pets for us.. we weren't getting any enjoyment out of them and they didn't seem to like us at all. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Here, we are specifically talking about socializing with other guinea pigs. Training your guinea pig is an excellent bonding opportunity. Fish, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs were the only other animals to be killed during testing. Domestication seems to lead to smaller brain sizes, too (though brain size is an imperfect measure of intelligence). Since they seem to respond better to things related to food, you should always use food as a reward after they learn a gesture. Try to get them to go through the hoop to get the treat. Not once have I been bitten by a guinea pig! You can try to train them to be quiet to help them avoid predators when they’re outside but you should always be close by to monitor their movements. Rats are a lot tidier than Guinea pigs and are less prone to bite than are hamsters. In this article, we're going to tell you about rat intelligence and how they're much smarter than you might think. When it comes to buying your pet, please, never buy one from a pet shop, these places are absolutely scandalous. Scientists have used rats in psychology experiments for more than one hundred years, due in large part to the similar structure of their brains to the human brain and their decision-making abilities. They might not even be able to learn one trick in a day, it may take days or even weeks depending on their learning speed. As well, if you choose a guinea pig with long fur, you will need to groom the fur at least weekly to prevent matting. 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