to buy ds (2.9) two guinea pigs?

[fullofregrets]

DH thinks DS is too young for pets. Granted we have a rabbit and a cat but the rabbit is alas very unpredictable and aggressive so I won't allow DS near it. Cat is more placid but generally lives outside and in conservatory and sleeps all the time.

DS loves to look after things and when we went to the farm last week he say stroking a guinea pig for over half an hour and asking about what it ate and where it lived etc. I know it was partly novelty but he genuinely got a lot of pleasure from the little creature. When it licked DS's hand DS said 'Ahhh! He likes me! He's giving me kisses! I'll look after you little piggy.'

I think DS would be quite into helping with feeding and grooming even though he is only little. Obviously I would be ultimately responsible and would clean them out and supervise DS with them to make sure he doesn't hug them too hard. DH says DS is too little to properly appreciate a pet. I think learning to care for something and look after it can only be a good thing.

Wibu to get two female piggies for DS? Hamsters are too small and generally piggies have a gentle temperament from past experience.

What you have to ask yourself is do you want to buy yourself two guinea pigs?

If the answer is yes, then go ahead.

There's no point in bringing a 2yr old into the equation at all.

I can't let my 3 year old handle our gp's at all, he's to small to understand how gentle he needs to be.

Pigs are wonderful but they are not toys. If you want them then buy them for yourself.

just as a warning my dc now 5 went on about wanting guinea pigs and so we brought 3 and he spent 2 weeks cuddling and now could not care less! as previous poster said if you want some go for it!

Maybe I'll wait another year then. I don't really want them for myself, I mean I know I would have to look after them and that would be ok but I was only considering it because I thought DS would get something out of it really.

My dd let the the guinea pig jump from her arms it broke it's leg had to be put down and cost me 200 quid, caused an awful lot of upset, I think 2 is way go young, take him to a petting zoo every now and then, much less hassle.

Tbh we have 3 piggies and although they are really my daughters, I do all the donkey work.. cleaning, clipping, grooming etc, she's 7 and she's still to young to handle them without supervision.

Also they are a massive allergen, I loved ours but had to give them away because every time I held it I broke out in hives and started wheezing after the novelty wore off with the dc I had to get them out for handling etc because I felt so sorry for them but needed piriton every time, worth checking that your child isn't allergic.

Thumbs down for piggies then. Stick insects instead? :)

Nah, get some Hissers (Giant Cockroaches) instead . Less likely to break their legs that way. They really are quite sweet (yeah, I got some for my DS when he was 5 to see how he was at looking after pets - turns out he's crap as expected, but I love them and was more than prepared to look after them when he lost interest - they really don't take that much looking after tbh).

my 2 pigs died when i was 7 took another 10years to find out one ate the other, then died itself, my parents told me they were too noisy so went back to the shop! so noooo don't do it!

They are sweet MyCar, I used to have along haired one called Squeak, he sadly went to guinea pig heaven when he was nearly 8.
I only had one though as he was a male and I inherited him from a friend when he was about three. He lived in the house though so had quite a bit of company. This time we would probably get two females but they will live in the back room, still inside but more out of the way than squeak was. If we get them that is, and not the giant cockroaches which do sound charming!

One ate the other?! That is horrific. I know gerbils sometimes eat their babies and I believe male guinea pigs will eat their own offspring also but to eat a spouse and then die?? Horrific! The cockroaches are sounding better and better.

Eight. That is the age I've told DS he can have some pigglies.

Although I kept three successfully for years (we had a female GP who we mated with a friend's GP and she had 3 babies, friend kept one) and I don't remember doing grooming or clipping or anything like that. We cleaned them out, put them in a run in the garden and sat with them on our laps a lot

I would wait a few years as I think it would be very hard for a 2 year old to resist the temptation to picking up and cuddling it. It could become quite frustrating for him.

Fish are great pets at that age, Very visual and easy for the child to get involved with the feeding etc.

They also eat each other though Purple.
Maybe I will try and find pets that are not cannibalistic.

was horrific! my mum said something to do with them being same sex even though pet shop said not, or something? was a long time ago but i was still upset when i found out 10 years after the event. not heard of any other cannibalistic pigs so who know's!

Buy a dog. They are the best pets. Guinea pigs don't come and snuggle with you on the sofa.

How about sea monkeys? :o

One of my pigs toe nails grow and absolutely extraordinary amount patti, I must cut them every other week

oooh I'd forgotten about sea monkeys! Specks of black that float around a bit and then die.
I'm starting to think about getting a Furreal pet instead!

Squeak was much less trouble than a cat, dog or rabbit. I used to cut his toe nails and his hair and groom him. Then he would sit on a fleece on my lap and squeak and squeak and squeak. He was very noisy, even for a piggy. He was extremely cute. He looked like a small English Sheep dog. He was really friendly too. That was why I thought maybe a piggy would be a good pet for DS, I've only ever encountered nice ones. Although I know they are timid at first. Rabbits are just too unpredictible, I would never have another one. We had some lovely house rabbits growing up but the one I have now is very highly strung and aggressive.

YANBU. Yes you will look after them but your DS would get a lot out of it - and as he gets older he might help more :)

If you do, make sure you get Rex piggies! They are the most placid and gentle kind :) don't get a bloody abersinian (sp?!) they are cute but have a big personality and can be a bit mischievous and bitey!

My DD is nearly 3 and we have had 2 GP's since last May. She helps clean them out and is very good at sitting with them on her lap. She also likes to help feed them.

I think children should be brought up with animals as it teaches them very valuable lessons.

If you do decide to get some PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get them from a rescue centre. That way you can ensure they are healthy, have been neutered (if needs be), and will get on. You will also ensure they are not pregnant. Have heard too many horror stories of piggies being bought from shops and a few weeks later delivering babies (hence why rescue centres are full).

We would probably get them from a breeder, my dad had two rescue piggies and they are mental! I think they have been closely inbred and despite lots of handling they are still really really skittish. They chatter their teeth in alarm and trying to groom them or cut their nails is very difficult.
I worry about the background of rescue piggies, I would like them to be reasonably placid else DS won't be able to handle them at all. Also I would not wish them to become more stressed, my dad's piggies prefer to be left alone together in their house or run. They really don't like being handled much at all.