Kids Around Guinea Pigs?

[Rochester Piggy]

Next weekend I will be babysitting my sisters 4 year old girl while she and her husband go away for the weekend. I know she'll love Cali, but I'm unsure of what rules/boundaries to make. Cali's cage doesn't have a lid and is raised about 60 cm off the ground. Can someone with kids help me? I don't have kids, it's just me, my boyfriend of 3 years, and our 7 pets.

 

[Redribbon]

My nieces are 7 & 4 and I from the start I explained lots about Guinea pigs and involved the girls in feeding and cleaning out the pigs for them to gain insight and respect.
Now they pop in and say hi to the pigs like it's no big deal and as a good behaviour reward my nieces get to brush Angus's hair (he tolerates it well!)
All is done under supervision and I think the worst thing is to not allow children near animals as this makes them taboo and therefore far more alluring and at risk of being messed around with.
Another good thing about introducing little ones to animals is that you can help start a life long love for animals and nature.that is priceless and we all know animal lovers are the best people!
Hope all that makes sense!

 

[rome_italy]

children need only getting some good rule: you can tell her what to do and what to avoid; children love animals and have naturally a great respect of them. When I was a little child at school we had a female cat who sometimes made birth to kittens and we children were asked to take care of mum and kittens. I remember the silence in the classroom... and it was a kindergarden (children aged 3-6).
But you have to give a list of dos and donts. You won't have any problem. A child gives troubles only when he is confused because the adult today says yes and tomorrow says no. Strict and firm good and adequate rules will work (not only for the piggie's matter).
I had a piggie long ago, when my daughters were 4 and 0 years old! I had no problems at all...

 

[Lady Kelly]

No climbing into the cage. Look but don't touch. If you want to hold Cali you tell us and you can only hold Cali when you are sat down and she is on your knee.

When mine were indoors and my niece was 3/4 I had similar rules but she was allowed to climb into the c&c cage if she asked me first and I watched her (it was two storey and the bottom floor was something like 6 x 3 or 4 grids)

 

[Freela]

I have kids who were fairly young when we first got pigs. My rules were that guinea pigs were only handled when supervised by adults. The kids could not get them in and out of the cage, that was an adult job. I would get the guinea pig for them, put the pig on their lap while they were seated, and supervise to make sure no one got hurt. At a young age, supervision is important. Young kids can easily hurt (or be bitten by) a small animal without meaning to, so I think 'no contact without a grownup supervising' is probably the best rule for that age group.

 

[Rochester Piggy]

It went pretty well. There was one incident where little Sophia was chasing Cali around the cage. My boyfriend saw, and yelled at her in the super deep voice he only uses when he's really angry. She started crying and wouldn't leave my side or go near Cali's cage for the rest of the day. She did enjoy seeing "Wali poops!"

 

[Stayc1989]

children need only getting some good rule: you can tell her what to do and what to avoid; children love animals and have naturally a great respect of them. When I was a little child at school we had a female cat who sometimes made birth to kittens and we children were asked to take care of mum and kittens. I remember the silence in the classroom... and it was a kindergarden (children aged 3-6).
But you have to give a list of dos and donts. You won't have any problem. A child gives troubles only when he is confused because the adult today says yes and tomorrow says no. Strict and firm good and adequate rules will work (not only for the piggie's matter).
I had a piggie long ago, when my daughters were 4 and 0 years old! I had no problems at all...
View attachment 65880

That is the cutest picture I have ever seen