Dogs

Dogs have the instinct to hunt small animals, such as squirrels, birds and chipmunks. Dog squeaky toys are supposed to mimic the dying squeak of a rodent. Even if you have the nicest dog in the world, it can hurt the guinea pig. Even if s/he is ‘just playing’, they can accidentally kill the guinea pig, or eat the cavy alive. Guinea pigs are prey animals.

The answer is: NO.

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Cats

Like with dogs, cats are also predators, and the cavy is a prey animal. Cats are very skillful hunters, and they prefer rodents and birds. Even a large guinea pig can end up a cat’s lunch, even if the cat is playing, it can end the cavy.

The answer is: NO.

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Ferrets

Don’t ever put them together! Like dogs and cats, ferrets are predatory animals. Ferrets will kill guinea pigs! They actually sell frozen dead guinea pigs so ferrets can eat them. Ferrets have sharp teeth and a slender, flexible build and can chase around the cavy. They are even known to hunt snakes and animals many times their size!

The answer is: NO.

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Rabbits

Rabbits are very rough and can try to mate the guinea pig, injuring its back. A rabbit kick can injure or kill a guinea pig. Rabbits also have a different ‘language’ and their squeaks have different meanings. Their body meanings are also different.

Rabbits also carry bacteria that give guinea pigs respiratory diseases. Some guinea pigs who ingest rabbit fur develop health problems.

The answer is: NO.

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Hamsters

Almost all hamsters prefer to be alone and don’t have the cage requirements cavies do. They have different verbal and body language, and will see the cavy as an intruder. Guinea pigs can easily harm hamsters and hamsters can injure guinea pigs.

Hamsters are fiercely territorial while cavies are social. Hamsters sleep a lot longer than cavies, who only sleep 3-4 hours a day in quick naps.

The answer is: NO.

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Gerbils

Gerbils and guinea pigs are two extremely different animals, and will view each other as competitors to resources. They have different verbal and body language and can get in a fight because of their misunderstanding of each other’s verbal and body language. A cavy can injure a gerbil, and vice versa.

The answer is: NO.

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Mice

Mice and cavies both carry different germs, and, once again, have different verbal and body language. They are of different sizes and can injure each other badly and stress each other out.

The answer is: NO.

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Rats

Rats are extremely vicious creatures and are the only species other than humans who kill other rats for no reason at all. Rats kill baby guinea pigs and sometimes adults. They can chew through wood and other materials, and have different verbal and body language. Guinea pigs can also injure rats.

The answer is: NO.

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Chinchillas

Chinchillas and guinea pigs are closely related but have very different care and housing requirements. Chinchillas and guinea pigs may fight or harm each other and both have different verbal and body languages.

The answer is: NO.

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Degus

Degus and guinea pigs can transmit diseases to each other and injure each other as well. They are of different sizes and have different body and verbal languages.

The answer is: NO.

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Snakes

No, no, no, no, NO! People feed their snakes LIVE and frozen guinea pigs! A snake will most definitely kill a guinea pig, whether with their venom which paralyzes, constructing which squeezes and chokes, or neither- the bite still hurts! It is torture to put a cavy with a snake!

The answer is: NO.

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Turtles and tortoises

Turtles and tortoises can carry diseases and bacteria, such as salmonella, that can quickly kill a guinea pig. Turtles and tortoises’ bite with their pointed jaws can injure a cavy. Plus, they prefer very different climates. Reptiles are cold-blooded and mammals are warm-blooded. Think of this the next time you see the Wonder Pets.

The answer is: NO.

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Lizards

Like turtles and tortoises, lizards also carry salmonella. Large lizards like the iguana can kill or maim guinea pigs. Bearded dragons have a lot of spikes which damage cavies. All lizards have bites that are painful to rodents. They also prefer different climates.

The answer is: NO.

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Amphibians

There is not a lot of information of this, so I’ll assume that guinea pigs and amphibians should definitely not be together. Amphibians are part aquatic and a guinea pig can dry up their skin. Some very large amphibians can even eat rodents whole. They can give each other injuries and diseases.

The answer is: NO.

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Fish

Guinea pigs obviously can’t and shouldn’t live with fish, but a cavy watching a fish is fine! Just make sure no animal is stressed.

The answer is: YES.

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Birds

Birds are extremely intelligent creatures, and may even try to feed cavies their food. Their squawks may startle or stress cavies. They could potentially transmit diseases to each other and injure each other, but there isn’t as much as a risk compared to the other pets listed.

The answer is: DEPENDS.

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Overall

Overall, guinea pigs should stay with guinea pigs and nothing else. Other animals don’t communicate the same as cavies and are potential enemies or predators to cavies. Larger animals, such as horses, donkeys, llamas, alpacas, goats, cows, sheep and pigs, can accidentally step on a guinea pig. Sometimes you can, under close monitoring, let another non-predator pet interact with your cavy for a minute or so. Make sure the cavy’s cage is secure and the other pet/s can’t get to it.

If you want me to add any other specific pet to the list, comment below!