To think she should have let them hold the guinea pigs?

[YouMiserableCow]

Earlier today me and my two DC's (aged 6 and 8) went to visit a friend of mine. We haven't actually known each other for that long and this was the first time we had visited her house. My friend also has an 18 year old daughter who still lives at home.

After an hour or so my DC were beginning to get reckless so my friend told them that her daughter would be in soon and they could go see and have a play with her daughter's two guinea pigs which my DC got very excited about.

However when her DD did come home, looking pissed off and in a bad mood anyway, she said "no" to letting them hold her guinea pigs as she didn't know them!

My children are very gentle and were looking forward to seeing them only to be let down.

AIBU to think she could have at least let them have a quick cuddle? My DC love animals but haven't got any pets of their own.

Well your friend had no right to decide what yo do with someone else's pets. And they are live creatures not toys so I can understand why the dd didn't want to let strangers hold them as they are fragile and can be skittish.

However I'd have probably let them have cuddle befire the dd got home as I'd know your kids would be ok to so so.

Given the friend had said the children could see the pigs and the dd was rude I would have over ruled her and let them hold the animals.

YABU

The owner of the guinea pigs has the responsibility for them. If she's present it's her choice who holds them.

Itsfab I'm not sure letting them hold them when she said no would be a good idea tbh. I was just upset for my DC.

YABU - The guinea pigs didn't belong to your friend but to another adult who doesn't know you and your children as well as your friend does, so access to them is not something that your friend can promise without arranging it in advance.
It sounds as if the daughter had had a long day already by the time she got home, and the last thing she wanted was to be ambushed as soon as she had got in the door and asked to supervise two young children around her pets! She may have had other plans or just wanted to unwind rather than getting involved with your children.
Although you believe that your children are gentle, 6 and pre-hyped about 'playing with' a small animal is not likely to be all that gentle - imagine if you came home with your DCs to find that your DH had invited over a friend with their Great Dane and Rottweiler and promised that your young DCs would now go outside and play with the dogs (as the dogs were getting restless and over-excited sitting nicely while they talked) and you might get a sense of the feeling of foreboding the 18yr old might have had about the idea.

I think you have to put this down to teenagers and their moods.

They are often a law unto themselves.

I agree with NameChanger

If they'd been my pets I would also have refused. I would also have been cross about the promise being made by someone else.

Animals are not toys, to amuse children. Guinea pigs can be hurt easily and are quite shy. It's not the same as a cat who can land on its feet and run like the wind away from children.

It's a shame you and your children were disappointed, but the promise should not have been made.

Guinea pigs are delicate and scare easily some of our adult friends aren't allowed to hold ours let alone children!

So you had rowdy kids that were then supposed to be allowed to hold small delicate animals? I would have said no as well tbh.

You said your dc were "getting reckless" and "very excited" so probably not in the best frame of mind to hold a small animal really.

Even leaving aside the animals part, how would you like to get home after a bad day to be told that you had to entertain some children that you don't know and hadn't invited?

YABU, pets are not toys.

Sorry, I also think the owner was right. Her mother was unreasonable to say something like that in front of the children.

I've had a number of guineas over the years, even the calmest wouldn't have been keen on being cuddled by excited, unknown children.

Yabu for reasons mentioned above. I agree with her dd re letting two children who not used to animals holding her pets. Sounds like her dd is a good pet owner.

Yabu.

Sorry, another Yabu vote here.

Both our piggies would be nervous of any strangers, let alone over excited small children with no experience of handling animals.

One would make her displeasure known by loud squeaking, the other would most likely bite & wriggle free putting both herself & the child at risk of injury.

DH actually invited our neighbours grandchildren round to meet our GPs about 6 months ago. For various reasons it was an unmitigated disaster, but now everytime they visit we have them shouting over the fence for our DD (who is only a year or so older but was very upset & unimpressed) which is a massive pita.

Never again.

Only DD's two best friends (both of whom have small pets themselves) are allowed to handle our piggies now.