Can my cat catch diseases from my guinea pig, and vice versa?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This will depend on which type of infection but generally not. Usually animals get infected from the environment and not directly from other pets especially when it is a different species but again, this depends on the type of infection. Good luck!

Julius- what a great bunny name. Yes one concern with housing rabbits together with guinea pigs is the bacteria Bordatella bronchispetica. This bacteria is a common cause of respiratory infections in guinea pigs and when living in close quarters, can be spread from a bunny carrier to the guinea pig. Because of this, and because of their different nutritional needs, modes of communication, and risk of injury I would not house rabbits and Guinea pigs together myself.

Attention is less of a problem with guinea pigs, they will definitely not die because of that. the main problem will be the cat though, this is usually not a great match, unless your cat will not be bothered by the guinea pig at all. at least in the beginning i recommend putting the guinea pig's cage in a room where the cat cannot access.

Toby should be safe from your cold, as most viruses are species-specific and don't cross from one to the other. That being said, be careful to wash your hands before and after you handle him for both of your protection.

This is a great question, and I am so glad that you are considering this prior to getting new pets! There are some diseases that can be passed from hedgehogs to sugar gliders, and actually, they can be passed to humans as well! The first is Salmonella, a bacteria. Hedgehogs can harbor this bacteria as part of their normal bacterial population, or flora, and may not have any signs of illness associated with it. But, sometimes they can pass this bacteria along to other animals or humans, and those animals or humans may get sick. I would advise washing your hands thoroughly after handling your hedgehog or when cleaning up after him/her (or the cage, food/water dishes, etc.). This can help to decrease any chance of bacterial spread. The second is dermatophytosis, or ringworm. Again, hedgehogs can harbor these fungal organisms and not have any signs of carrying them. Most of the time, people or other animals do not "catch" this from hedgehogs if they are healthy or don't have immune compromise. But, it can happen, so again, please follow the same guidelines as outlined above to help keep everyone safe. I hope this helps, and thanks for your question!

Thank you for your question about your guinea pig. There are cases where herpesvirus has been spread to rabbits - this has been through kissing or having close contact with the mouth. I would not recommend that your mother, or anyone, kiss your guinea pig due to the risks. As far as the antiviral medications that you are referring to, yes, many of them are tested using laboratory animals, including guinea pigs. I hope that this helps to answer your question, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, they can get a lot of different diseases that go from infections, immune mediated diseases and even cancer. If you are concerned your guinea pigs are not doing well, make sure to have them evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!