Alternative to guinea pig for dd11

[KATE3003]

Please help! All my dd11 wants for christmas are two guinea pigs; she literally goes on and on and on about it.... It is a bad idea for lots of reasons, not least because we have a mouse killer cat who I think would stalk the cage... I also can't cope with the thought of having them inside through the winter..... I have been trying to suggest some other (non - living ideas) as an alternative...She has a phone, not interested in ipad etc... Has anyone got any wow suggestions please that might make her forget about her guinea pig plan. She has just written me a four page letter trying to persuade me using lots of persuasive techniques (I'm an English teacher..) and I really need to think of something to distract her....

I’m afraid nothing else is likely to cut it, could you compromise with a hamster? This is what I did with dd, I told her if she looked after the hamster I would consider a guinea pig (as I knew she wouldn’t look after the hamster), we have a cat and the hamster stays in dad’s room, the cats not allowed in there.

Could you take her out for the day to something local where there are animals she can play with?

I say it because I was really wanting a bunny recently and knew it wasn't a good idea currently, but boy... the calling xD coincidentally tagged along with my mum to a petting zoo where I got to hold baby bunnies for half an hour or so. And that was enough. Got my fix lol.

Not to say it couldn't have the opposite effect on her of course and make her want them more :/

Otherwise...a hamster maybe? Think you might have to get her something cute and cuddly xD

Hmm..Does she game at all?

Thanks for the suggestions... I really really can't face the small rodent idea; lots of people have said they really smell! Does having the hamster in your dd's room wake her up etc? @Lovemusic33 She does get to play with guinea pigs as her friend across the road has three - that just makes her want one more!!!!

Hamsters do smell a little, not the cleanest of pets. Dd sleeps through anything, the hamster wakes me 🤣. There’s are better non smelly pets to have but most of them are exotic pets (lizards, snakes etc..) which are not for everyone. We didn’t have the space for guinea pigs in the house which is the main reason I refused to get them.

Oh dear :( However much I say that it is not happening, I think she is hoping for a christmas miracle!!! I am trying desperately hard not to give in!

All caged rodents stink and you are forever having to clean their cages. Guinea pigs shit and pee constantly. Cute animals but absolutely horrible pets imho. Lots of people love them as pets, I most certainly did not, and if you have an aversion to certain smells like I do, you will regret it.

As far as your daughter is concerned, why can't you just tell her no? She can beg and plead all she wants, and of course it's hard to see your kids disappointed, but no one can have everything they desire. Disappointment is a huge part of life, and learning to deal with it is a hugely important life skill. You are not going to ruin her life if you refuse to get her guinea pigs.

Tough one. If she were 7 or 8 I'd add to her persuasive letter writing and pressure you to give in as they are the most excellent pets. Too big for cats to be a danger. Sweet natured, easy going. Hugely cute. But they can live for 7 years. She might lose interest in them when she hits adolescence. My DC gave up on their guinea pigs at about age 12 and I cared for them entirely for the last three years of their lives.

Guinea pigs need quite a lot of space (much more than your standard indoor cage) so depending if the size of her room you could say there's not enough space to keep them happy?

Having had guineapigs, I wouldn't want to keep them indoors perminantly. Bunnies are fine for the most part smell wise indoors. But can be a heck of a lot of work.

Hamsters I've only had to look after for others and during a job in a petshop. They aren't bad. Just scoop the pee corner out every day and you can easily go the week without their cages smelling. Just don't get mice, they are very pungent.

I'd say hamsters aren't much work. They are adorable and only live a few years too. Go with a syrian though, the dwarfs can be a bit jittery. Keep it in the living room and you don't have to worry about being woken.

The best pets I have had rodent wise were rats. They were sweet, super intelligent and I used to train them to do tricks. But I get if you don't like Guinea pigs, rats will be a write off.

I begged my parents every year for a dog, there was nothing they could give me to make up for not giving me a dog. I was disappointed, but I survived. I am getting one next year now and nowt they can do about it Maybe give her an IOU for when she is older and has her own place.

You can train rats to use a litter tray too, which I think is cool

Haha, yes that is a good idea @BarbedBloom !!! She can have all the guinea pigs she wants when she is older!!! I think I am going to be strong and say no, I know I would hate it and the smell / mess! Like you say, @Aquamarine1029, she can't have everything she wants but I maybe wouldn't have minded if everyone said they smelt of roses and are no trouble at all!

would you consider a rabbit that stays outdoors? i don't own one but i think they can stay outdoors all year round. or a hedgehog (seems odd i know but my SIL has one and it doesn't smell at all, it is littertrained so easy to clean etc)

My DD and I have just had an 8 guinea-pig cycle lasting eight years (lots of overlap, at one stage we had 5 of them)

DD was 9yo when she wanted "a pet" . I had guinea-pigs when I was 9-22yo , so I wanted them too.

And that's the crux. No matter how she says she wants them, will feed them, play with them . Even if she does you will get a lot of the work. My DD and I shared because half the pigs were mine. But if she was ill, away , a load of homework, I did it . It's just as quick to feed and clean all of them. But if she said "Mum can you do the pigs tonight" then she knew she was on duty next day .

As the adult it's down to you .
They are lovely , but so messy . The hay smells , and gets everywhere .
Ours had a Pighouse (converyed wooden playhouse) and in winter had big cages in the small bedroom. They need a lot of space .

And my DD allergic to GP3 and GP6 (red itchy rashes) .

They have very specific health needs . They go from Well-to-Dead before your eyes and you have to catch illness quickly .
Our last pig had an eye ulcer , I thought she'd have to lose the eye but 4 weeks of drops and gel, she recovered . Saw the Vet on the Friday given the all-clear . Died in her sleep on the Sunday !

You cannot keep them alone but you get to the stage when you don't want to add more . We had three oldies but over 6 months they all passed .

I was in a pet shop a while ago, there was a child wanting "a guinea pig" , the Dad was "oh I'll get you one" half hearted .
I had a quiet word with the Mum about the work involved ,( and there's no !A GP , you need 2 ) I was out at 6.30 sorting their shed to do a safe transfer (they cannot go from warm to cold) . Ours had dry fresh room temperature hay every morning. We took out the dirty bedding at night when they came in.

They had a little heater on 30 minutes before to take the chill off .
You need to store hay and the dirty beddiing .
Loads of newspaper .
I think she realised she would be doing it and didn;t buy a piggie .

My NDN used to keep hamsters , she bred some and had some given/rehomed to her . She said they were lovely .

Do not get a rabbit, can live to over 10 years old and are extremely hard to keep well. They are one of the most neglected pets - especially if in a tiny hutch at the bottom of the garden!!

I have never kept rats but the are much cleverer than guinea-pigs and can climb .

I like my rodents greedy , no climbing and a bit dense .

But rats have the most amazing paws

Hmm just saw you have a predatory cat .

People say rabbits are like vegan cats , I'd say get a cat .

I have two cats now ( my DH said he wanted cats so after years of guinea-pigs we did)

They would be onto guinea-pigs like Flynn , poor little souls wouldn't get a moment of peace .
I think let the cat rule .

Get a royal python. I was resistant but they are great pets.
It's important to get the set up right with temperature and humidity but after that they are easy and docile

Oh another thing (to bolster your reserve)

As everyone advices piggies from Rescue (not a certain well known animal petstore ) , the Rescues won't rehome at this time of year . The ones I got our pigs from would only rehome if you were looking for a new cagemate for a bereaved pig , purely for the sake of the guinea-pig .

We have a blanket ban on prey animals as pets because of our cat. I know lots of people make it work but IMO, Just Say No. It would be a tragedy if Fluffy ate Nibbles and even if they don't, wouldn't her future GP have a much nicer life if it only joins the family after the cat has passed on? And DD has moved out

I think just a flat no to the GP and leave it up to her to come up with a plan B. What's her room like? Time for a redecorate and new accessories?

Thank you for all the advice, I think if anything my resolve has been strengthened!!! We have two cats and one would be fine but, we live at the edge of some fields, and one cat brings back at least one mouse a day. I think the thought of the guinea pigs in the garden or in the house would drive her crazy! ! Dd is upset in her room but I am going to have to be tough. DH is a vet so he was not particularly keen either as he is worried about the future guinea pigs being neglected and unhappy......

DH is a vet? Could he take her to work with him for some work experience, cleaning out cages. It might put her off for life!
Personally I think all caged animals lead a pretty poor existence and although my own children had gps and rabbits, it was a relief when the last one died and I would never recommend getting anything caged.

Hi we've got guinea pigs and they are a lot of work tbh!! I did used to have gerbils and they are really fun and interesting, don't sleep all the time like hamsters and live longer! Also they're from the desert so they don't drink much or smell!! They are really fast though so not totally cuddly

Our guinea pig always lived in the garage and had a big outdoor run.
She came in everyday for playtime etc and spent many happy hours sunbathing in her run
She was lots of fun I adored her but boy she stunk! Maybe a plastic home is better as you can wash it? Our wooden one stank

How funny - my DD, also 11, was also lobbying for some kind of pet for months and months, and realised we wouldn’t agree to a guinea pig or rabbit, also wrote us a long letter with her best persuasive language...asking for fish. So eventually we relented and now have a 28 litre tank and 11 very little fish. You can leave them if you go away, they don’t smell, they can just live on top of a table. You do need to change the water, obviously feed them, and we’ve had one get ill and take about 4 weeks to die. But apart from that, all good!

So how about fish as an option?