umm, depends how much space you have, etc. I have a cockatiel and I love her.

If you want........

*an animal that doesn't make much noise, guinea pigs and cockatiels can be quiet, but male cockatiels are generally louder than females, though males can talk.

*an animal that doesn't make much of a mess, I'd say that guinea pigs shed more hair, though cockatiels produce "preening dust", which doesn't make too much of a mess. If you have a guinea pig you will have to give h/s a litterpan, which you should clean out about 2wice a week. You need to clean a piggie's cage about once a week. You also need to clean a Cockatiel's cage once a week, and take out the wooden toys and perches and scrub the poop off, which isn't as gross as it sounds.

*an animal that doesn't take up too much space, you'll need to decide between a piggy, which takes a ground cage, about 3ft. by 2ft., or a 'tiel, which takes a cage on a stand, of which the base takes up about 2ft. by 2ft.
The cage of a cockatiel should be big enough for h/s to spread h/h wings, if not bigger.

In all, they both need love, attention, and daily care.

hope that helped,
Devon