Step Children and bringing their pets?

[zazas]

Do your stepchildren bring their pets when they are with you? My DDS and DSD are with us regularly and during holidays (up to 2 weeks at a time) they bring their 2 hamsters with them. Is this quite common?

We weren't involved with any decision making regarding buying these pets nor asked if we minded them staying with us.

They problem I have is that they don't care for them at all - feed / clean or play with them - it is up to me to remind them and then do it if they still forget. With 5 kids to feed, I could really do with out this!

They also take up room we don't have, smell and I have to keep the two year old away from them as they bite!

If we go away we also have to find someone to care for them which is not easy - which is why we have them in the first place as their Mother tends to go away as soon as the kids are with us!

I guess I should be accommodating? I personally don't think that they are great pets anyway as they are asleep all day and it is sad watching them in their own cages going round and round in their wheel .