It's a commitment.

We had two but are down to one. With two, I had to clean the cage twice a week to contain the smell. Also, the cage needs to be located in an area where your family is routinely.

The cages they sell at the pet store are not big enough. This is the smallest one I would recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Homes-for-Pets-171GH/dp/B001NJ0DPY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1420557306&sr=1-2&keywords=guinea+pig+cage

Does anyone in your family have seasonal allergies? If so, before getting the guinea pigs, buy a big bag of the Timothy hay that they will absolutely need. Bring it home and place a large quantity in the open in the area where the cage will be and see if anyone has a reaction or it brings on allergy symptoms.

On this snowy day I just want to add, it is so nice having a guinea pig as I do not have to walk him in the snow today!

I have posted before but here goes. We bought a bonded pair two years ago and one of the piggies died within six months of some unknown illness. Our remaining little guy is cute and cuddly and has never bitten anyone nor has he Peed or pooped in anyone's lap. Which is great for a rodent! I think he is a great pet and recommend getting a guinea pig if you are unable to get a dog or a cat. That is our situation as my husband and son are both allergic to dogs and cats and strangely enough, gerbils, but not guinea pigs. We have our pig in a huge cage and rather than using bedding we put a water proof felt cloth on the bottom that we wash every week. we have three of them that we alternate. We got our pigs from Petco. They were not neutered and that is why I never got a second pig friend again when the first one died.

We just got 2 for Christmas for our 4 and 6 year olds. So far, they are big hits. Calm, fun, friendly. Great pets. One nibbles a little, it doesn't hurt though. My Bro's family had two that died within a year. They said one got some sort of skin disease that was 'ugly' and died shortly thereafter and the second followed right behind.

Super easy and nice with kids. Perfect pet. Are you prepared for 5-8 years of caring for them?

No real problems with diseases or bites with diseases that I know about, though you would have to treat yourself as with any animal bite.

There is already a thread on here about the pros and cons of rodents. Get a big enough cage - there are some nice examples on the internet, but the best is a Cand C which are easy to clean. We love our pig - at the moment we only have one. Just remember to handle them a lot so they become tame and give them floor time out of the cage. Highly recommend Peter Gurney's book. You'll also need to identify an exotics vet. Pigs in shelters can often have lice - they will make you itchy and slightly red, but they don't want you. They just jump on you and don't stay. Easily treated with drops, but many people don't know this, so they think they are allergic and send their pig to a shelter.

Some options are: Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, Small Angels Rescue in Mount Airy (they had several nice pairs, and you won't need to wait for an adoption meet like MGPR.) And then there is the local animal shelters: Washington DC , Montgomery County and IMO, it is easier to adopt from Alexandria than Arlington. They are great pets.

Any piggy owners out there? Pros? Cons? I had one growing up and loved it. I know she got lonely when we were out of the house which is why I want a pair who can entertain eachother. We would play with them every day and we would supervise our kids with them, but mostly they would be playing with eachother during the day.

What places do you recommend? I see Metrolpolitan rescue has them.

Are there any dangers if you get a piggy bite? Any rodent diseases to worry about?