How many people got there first Piggie as a childs pet?

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Fudgey

Fudgey

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Hi,

I'm relatively new to the boards.

As I've been reading a lot of posts (I'm the nosey type) I can't help noticing how many people seem so against Children having Guinea's as pets.

Our first Guinea Pig came to us living with a Rabbit my Daughter bought them off someone who had bought them as pets for their child and they weren't interested.
I allowed her to get them only because I was willing to take on the care of them if she 'got bored'
Kids will be kids and I've seen it happen.
As it happens Abbie (my daughter) is still very good (4 yrs later) Our piggie population has also gone up to 3.

Does anybody else think like me and think It's irresponsible to let a child have a pet if You (the parents) aren't prepared to take on the care?

Hope this doesn't upset anyone It's just my view.

Tracy
 
I agree it is irresponsible to let a child have a pet if you are not prepared to take responsibility as the parent. I have 4 daughters who all have a piggie each, they all care for their own piggie with my help, and I have 15 of my own.Incidently my first piggie was bought for me when I was 10,I've been addicted ever since. :smitten:
 
Well, speaking from a kids view my opinions might to be different to someone elses, but here we go :P

I think it really depends on the kid and their parents. I have two pigs who live in my own room..however, before we got these, we (as a family) researched them for about nine months, and decided we wanted a pair as a family. My mum helps with everything, she helps to clean them out (if I want her help, usually just do it on my own though ;)), changes there water, gives them floor time while I'm at school, agrees to let me wash their bedding in the washer :D and also feeds them veggies while I'm at school..I also know that she would pay for any vet bills and she would look after them if I was ill :) I think if someones family is like this, and the parents are willing to help if the child "gets bored" then I think that it's okay, as long as it is as a family decision, and not just an impulse buy where the child is "I want a guinea pig! I want a guinea pig!" then the parent gives in and buys one even though they don't want it. ;)

Jane!
 
I had pigs as a kid and my parents taught me how to look after them and I did a pretty good job. 15 years later we bought our toddler one as a birthday pressie as we couldn't think of anything else to get him, as his birthday is so close to xmas and he had a mountain of eveything imaginable left over from then lol. In hindsight it was a silly thing to do and I have fallen in love with them just like I did as a kid and have taken full responsibility for them, Dan isn't even interested in them unless he's smearing them in unsavoury substances(that't a different story and stupid pigs letting a 2 year old near them, they've learnt now tho). Think it's ok for an older child but you really must be prepared for them losing interest as it isn't fair on poor piggis to be neglected just because novelty has worn off. there are too many beautiful pigs out there looking for new homes just because people can't be bothered any more.
Nikki xx
 
We had pigs as long as i can remember. Although my parents looked after them mostly. My mum didn't let me clean out the cages because i didn't do it properly aparently. ::)
So, even though i did all the cuddleing and loving, my parents did the day to day care. I hate ads that says kids lost interest/wanted for my child. Because ultimatly they have to realise that 99.99% they(the adult)will be the primary carer.
 
That's exactly what I'm meaning When ads say Child has got bored etc etc.

They shouldn't have got the child one in the first place if thats where the poor things end up.

The parent should have taken responsibility in the first place.
 
I was given my first piggy at about 8 years of age and have been hooked since :smitten:

I was fully incharge of their care, feeding, cleaning etc although my parents did pick up any vet bills that we had.

all of my pigs now that I have are mine and my children help when they feel like it, I will not pressure them into looking after them until they want to do it for themselves without having to remind them.

my children love all our animals but none of them are ready to go it alone

but I will be supportive when and if they want too ;D

karen
 
I think it depends on the child as to whether they can provide care or not. Ultimatley, the parents are responsible though. Even the best child carer in the world can not take on the sole financial responsibility of a pet.

My first piggy did not start off as mine! My little brother wanted a piggy after watching Dr Dolittle. My Mum initially refused knowing it would be a matter of days before he was bored of it. I was 16 at the time. My Mum and I then agreed that my little brother could have his piggy but actually I would look after it - this was my way of getting a pet I wanted without having to buy a cage etc ;D

Little Rodney came from a pet shop a few days later and, as predicted, my brother was bored within about 20 minutes and Rodney became mine. I then saved up my money to get 'her' a friend and my obsession grew from there!
 
I have been a piggy owner since the age of 12. i only really started caring about animals then, i was just coming out of the 'cute and cuddly for a while' stage where i loved a pet for a certain time until i was on to something else. I'm ashmased of myself for being like that. :embarassed: When i first got my piggies, it was because when our kitchen was getting done we had the fish in the living, and my idiot of a mum thought it was ok to leave the fish in a bowl in the shames room as a cat.....what an idiot....and well the cat was hungry :o Anyway, i walked into the house to see my fish's organs and blood and left over head's spilled all over the kitchen, hall and living room. This was on november. My mum told me we could get a rabbit, but after seeing my friend's rabbit it scared me! :-\ so i asked if i could have guinea pigs instead. In Februaury i found a resounable sized hutch, and bought it off EBAY. Then we kept going to pets at home to see if they had any piggies that were girls. No. So i searched the net, and by now the hutch had arrived and was filled with woodshavings and hay ready for the new pets. And found a breeder not to far away were i bought loving Coco and biscuit. In Late October i joined the forum. ;D but it depends on the age of the kids.
i think young kids should have sea monkeys, they cost a fiver, fed once a week, and never need cleaning out, but they grow up and live and kids feel they doing something responsible. it helps prepare them for a pet with more responsilblity
 
I first owned a piggie when I was 11 my best friend got me hooked and the rest is history. When my daughter was 5 I brought her a guinea pig she loved him and so did I. Even though I brought Snoopy2 for Alicia I knew all the cleaning and care would fall on me the parent and for 6 years I did it. When my son aged 4 asked me for a pet piggie I did not feel at that time I could cope with it I had a new born baby at that time. After three years and still asking for a piggie and me now wanting piggies we brought Hamish and Bumble. I am the main carer as I knew I would be and my 7 year old son adores his piggie and helps do the veggies but runs a mile at cleaning them out, but his 4 year old brother was out there scrubbing thier cages with me today and loved it.
 
I am and have always been a great animal lover give me animals over people any day, mum said I cared for anything that was ill, I'm the daft one that when my son kept doves let one with abroken leg stay with us and took it to the vet with a £30 vet bill for it to be looked after kept it safe and warm until we let it out when the flew off never seen again mIck said words got round Michelles the soft touch, so my 5 kids have grown up with the same or similar attitude ( hubbys like me as well a big softy) so ifd your kids see the great respect given to animals from an early age they too will be like that my 17 year old was inconsolable when he hit a rabbit ( it run off and he spent ages looking for it to check it out) I did tell him it was probably hiding laughing his head off at him, when my 13 year old saw a rabbit with myxy he was furious it was a man mad virus, how can any man do that on purpose was his reply, what I'm saying kids learn from their parents so if brought up to repect naimals there should not be any trouble even when mine got to teens they still spent time with them, my 21 year old son took his 2 year old daughter to say goodbye to cahrlie our dog when he died last year at the crematorium he wants her to know and respect animals now Kassidy is a little maggot to people but to animals she as gentle as a lamb telling her dad off the other day max was trying to sleep so sssshhh,
 
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