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Original poster

Help...I think I might have just killed the kids' guinea pigs...

26 replies

anais · 02/08/2003 22:28

I know this will sound really trivial after some of the stuff on the board, but...I think I might have just killed the kids' guinea pigs. I went to give them some fruit earlier and pushed it under the wire of the run. I've just been out to put them to bed and they've gone. Out under the wire. I feel awful. What am I going to do? I've gone to get a torch so I can look for them and it doesn't work and I've got no b**y batteries to go in it, I've gone out with an electric light and stretched it as far as I can, but the garden's not secure on 2 sides - it goes into other gardens and they're either gonna be eaten or get out onto the road and be squished. What am I going to tell the kids???? OMG I can't believe this is happening, on top of everything else at the moment. Life is shit.

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M2T · 02/08/2003 22:34

Are they quite tame guinea pigs? I mean are they likely to stray far or perhaps just go for a wander and return to their cosy bedding and food?
I know our rabbits used to escape regularly, and although they were difficult to catch they never strayed far from there food.

Do they have a favourtie food that they won't find rummaging in the undergrowth? My rabbits went for bread and butter.

Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 22:41

They're not that tame as we got them at a year old from people who had basically left them in their hutch most of the time. I've put some food out for them - carrots and cucumber, haven't got any brocoli which is their favourite. I don't hold out much hope though. One of my neihbours has a jack russell

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M2T · 02/08/2003 22:43

The Guinea Pigs probably won't go near the garden with the dog coz they'll smell it. But I think you may be surprised by them. They will most likley turn up tomorrow sniffing about their cage for food.

How long have they been out?

Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 22:48

Possibly nearly 3 hours now - that was when I went out and gave them the fruit - and I am so kicking myself for not getting them in then.

You're probably right about the dog. I will get up early and hope they have returned.

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JJ · 02/08/2003 23:05

Anais, we used to have gerbils when we were little and them getting away was part of life. It wasn't terribly traumatic as I remember it they just got away. It's not like they died. (And they didn't die we had gerbils reproducing in our garage for a long time)

I am so sorry and hope it goes over ok with your kids. You don't have to tell them about the terrier aspect.

Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 23:11

Thanks JJ. The thing is they are their first real 'pets' other than the cats, and it's all my fault. I feel like the worst mother in the world right now. I certainly won't tell them about the dog. I just feel awful that they might have come to some harm because of my actions - me who has spent half my life campaigning against cruelty to animals. I would never have wished harm on them

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M2T · 02/08/2003 23:20

Anias, my dp has been soley responsible for the intimely demise of 3 budgies!

We had a budgie for a year that never talked or tamed despite our best efforts. I had had budgies as a teenager and always found it easy to tame them, but this one was never happy. So we bought him a companion. It was another male despite being told it was a female. They didn't bond. Anyway, do went to bed after feeding them. he got up early for work, opened the back door and it flew out! It was gale force winds and still pitch dark , the poor thing would've been half way to Norway by lunchtime!!

So we got another one, which was a female. They LOVED each other. DP decided one summers day whilst I was at work to take the cage outside. Left the bleeding door open again and the female flew away. The original budgie stopped eating and died a week later.

DP is banned from having a budgie.

Don't feel bad. They are more rebust than you may think. I'd definitely put up a few posters tomorrow. Are they male or female? Males will sniff out the nearest female guinea pig and set up home outside its hutch. Someone else might find them.

Good luck.

Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 23:25

Thanks M2T. They are little boys, so you might be right about the females. We've only had them a few weeks though, so I have no pics or anything, but I will definately give the pics a go. Thanks for the advice, I will let you all know what happens

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Jimjams · 02/08/2003 23:31

I had a rabbit when I was 7- whio escaped and was killed, BUT I got very it very quickly when I got another one (about a week later). I even gave it the same name. Guess I'm just trying to say young kids are pretty fickle. Hope you find them though.

PS My rabbit escaped becuase my grandad had made his hutch and the holes in the wire were too big- bet he felt great!

ScummyMummy · 02/08/2003 23:35

Oh sorry to hear this, anais. Pets can be so v traumatic sometimes. Our cat ate the gerbil when I was a kid and it was my fault and I still feel guilty. But then again my kids were psychopathically and horribly fascinated when the goldfish died recently so you may not need to worry as much as you are on your babies' behalf... I hope life feels better soon anyway. x

Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 23:36

You're probably right Jimjams, I'll probably take it worse than them. I'm not sure I want to get them replacements - in some ways the piggies are more trouble than they're worth (mainly because they haven't been handled enough by previous owners, and so aren't very friendly( but I'd never wish them any harm

I've been promising the kids a dog for weeks - since we found a stray. We fell in love with her and then traced her owners and had to give her back. So maybe if the piggies don't turn up we'll have to make a trip to the RSPCA and get them the promised doggie....

Oooh, I feel awful even thinking that. But we are going to get a dog anyway...

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Original poster
anais · 02/08/2003 23:37

Thanks Scummy

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Tinker · 03/08/2003 00:13

My mum killed our hamster when we were kids. We had it in a biscuit tin with holes in the lid and it was able to nudge the lid off. Before going shopping, my mum put the kitchen bin on top and it suffocated. She told us it must have escaped and gone behind the cooker. We used to to put food out and look out for it for weeks. She didn't tell us the truth until years later. Hope your guinea pigs come back anais but, well, your kids will be ok. We have forgiven our mum

Original poster
anais · 03/08/2003 00:16

Thanks Tink.

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Original poster
anais · 03/08/2003 13:31

Just to let everyone know (for anyone who's interested)...after a restless night, lying awake listening to every noise and wincing every time a car went up or down the road, interspersed with dreams of guinea piggies, I got up at 7am this morning before the kids were awake to look for them. I went out not knowing quite where to start looking....and there they were sat in the middle of the lawn munching on grass as if there was nothing unusual going on at all. Catching them, of course was a different matter. Little buggers. I had to chase them round the garden for 10 minutes before I caught them and thye put up a hell of a fight! They have been left in their hutch today to think about their actions () while I repair the run. So, a happy ending. Thanks for all the supportive messages while I was panicking last night!

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JJ · 03/08/2003 14:01

Excellent news.

mears · 03/08/2003 14:07

Good news Anais - we never did find our rabbit Tango who disappeared from the garden. Kids got over it though - heartless bunch!

janh · 03/08/2003 17:29

Oh, I am glad they turned up, anais! We lost a guinea pig when someone left the back gate open and ours was never seen again () so I didn't like to mention it while they were still missing!

I'm glad yours had more sense than ours.

Jimjams · 03/08/2003 19:17

awww good news anais

Jimjams · 03/08/2003 19:17

awww good news anais

Jimjams · 03/08/2003 19:17

awww good news anais

bossykate · 03/08/2003 19:49

anais, i'm really pleased for you, that's great news! was getting quite anxious last night, but had no advice to offer

M2T · 03/08/2003 20:06

Great news Anais!

Original poster
anais · 03/08/2003 20:25

Awww, thanks everyone!

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Eulalia · 03/08/2003 20:54

Glad they turned up anais! I have a bit of a funny story. Years ago me and boyfriend were looking after friend's child's hamster. They left it at our house. One night it escaped. We hunted high and low but feared that it had got outside. The family were due back the next day. We felt awful having to tell them that their hamster had run off due to our neglect. So we decided to tell them that it had died and we bought another one for the child. Obviously we didn't try to fool the child that it was the same hamster and he seemed to realise that hamsters died and was happy with the new one and they took it home.

A happy ending.

... then a couple of days later I heard this scrabbling noise behind the sofa and blow me it was the hamster! It hadn't run away at all and was obviously just hiding somewhere. So we had to keep a 'dead' hamster that didn't belong to us... and hide it in the cupboard when the family came round!