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Small pets

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Original poster

Pet day at school - ds wants to take a pig - I'm thinking its a bad idea yes?

22 replies

BonkeyMollocks · 26/02/2013 16:48

As mine are singletons it would mean just taking one -I'm leaning towards LittlePig as he is more tolerant and confident ... if we did!

However, I'm thinking the noise/smells of other animals/buckets of kids and being away from BigPig would be rather stressful - not to mention BigPig at home on his own probably wheeking the place down.

Am i right in thinking it would be too much?

Other option is Dhammy - however I strongly suspect he will sleep through the lot and be rather boring .

And what bloody school thinks a 'Bring a pet' day is a good idea????

OP posts:

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/02/2013 17:55

I suppose it all depends on how long they want the pig there and how it would be superviced.
If you were able to take Little Pig and keep him in a safe carrier, let him come out for a cuddle with just a few children at a time.
I agree a classroom would be a frightening place for a guinea.Even though he's used to your DS and his friends at home, that's on his turf.

All it takes is a child to mishandle him (Oh he's done a pooh ,yuk, and hoist him back).
Or, heaven forbid drop LittlePig (And your pig is a super-jumper too)

My boars would miss each other if they were apart. One of the saddest things I saw was when I caught GP2 from the run and put him in the Pighouse. GP1 ran round wheeking frantically.

Hammy might be a better proposition?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/02/2013 17:56

My DD would love BringaPet Day.
She's have the boars there before their feet could touch the ground

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/02/2013 17:58

Or take your equine friend.

They'd NEVER do PetDay again

JollyYellowGiant · 26/02/2013 18:02

What a stupid idea. We have fish. I'd love to see their reaction if I sent DS in with a 3ft fish tank in a wheelbarrow.

RedToothBrush · 26/02/2013 18:03

If there going to be other animals there. REALLY BAD IDEA.

Someone decides to let your boy say hello to another guinea pig... You either get a fight or someone else get rather more than they bargained for in about two months time!

To be perfectly honest, the whole idea, is a bad idea. Its not in the best interest of any animal, even if its a dog.

I tend to side on the fact, that its actually quite cruel to put a pet in a position where they are going to be crowded and stroked by an entire class of children. Its just not fair to them.

I'd be questioning the school, about what this teaches the children and how they are considering animal welfare, which is more important to teach rather than a show and tell.

weegiemum · 26/02/2013 18:06

I think I'd probably let dd2 take girlpig1 who is very, very sociable, but it would mean I sat all day with girlpig2 on my knee because she would be lonely!

I have a soft spot in my heart for bring a pet days though. When I was 6 (we're talking 1978) we had one. I took my tortoise (yes, I did say 1978 it would be banned these days). Tommy the tortoise peed all over my teacher!! I'd never known him to pee before (tortoises just have wet poos, not much pee) but he did it in style, possibly cos he was stressed.

After that my teacher (here's looking at you, miss Parry!) has to waer a dinner lady's overall for the rest of the day.

I was celebrity no1 in the entire infant school for weeks

Original poster

BonkeyMollocks · 26/02/2013 18:41

I am actually considering taking the Shitland!

Thing is getting him there at 9am pony and trap not a option! Plus its being held in the hall....

The idea is that its a hour long - you stay with the animal and children can pet and ask questions...not hold! He would be with me at all times! ( I wouldn't trust anyone else with him). So by the end of this if I took LittlePig, he would be overloaded on Parsley (to keep him in a good mood) and I would most likely be covered in pee and poo!

I'm talking myself out of it! I agree that its a daft idea but I don't want ds to feel left out especially as we have a small zoo .

Maybe I can grab a snail or summit on the way down and keep him in a tub for a hour with cucumber then put him back on the way home??

@ weegiemum

OP posts:

fortifiedwithtea · 26/02/2013 19:07

I grew up in the 1970's too. I can remember class assemblies where pets were the topic and animals were brought into school. I was never allowed to bring in my cat . She would have loved the attention of all the children. My house backed onto the infants and she would worry to go out into the playing field to be fussed over. Everyone knew Fluffy. I know original name but I was 4 when I named her. However she hated all other animals and was known to be very fierce with neighbours cats and dogs. So it would not have been a good idea to have brought her into school.

I think it was done when DD1 was in the infants but the kids only took in photograghs. We didn't have any pets then.

Bonkey you will be a legend if you take a shetland pony to school .

Original poster

BonkeyMollocks · 26/02/2013 19:10

See thats a better idea! Photos!
It means the kids can talk about what the animals are like at home,where they live, what they eat etc etc and everyone is happy!

I have always wanted a snake (or similar bald animal) called Fluffy!

OP posts:

guineapiglet · 26/02/2013 19:22

Hi all - yes, being a, um, slightly older person, I can remember the days of school pets ( late 60s early 70s) it is where I first fell in love with guineas, the school had about 8 of them in cages in the school yard, and each class was allowed one to care for and feed. I used to take them out onto the school playing field and let them run around but it did start a life long love for them.

The nearest thing to bring a pet to school day happened at our village church some years ago, it was a bloody disaster, with creatures ranging from squawking chickens, petrified mice and hamsters, barking dogs, the ageing donkey who pooed all over the floor, etc honestly, it was a nightmare. Our primary invited the local vet to bring in a selection of animals, which the children did enjoy, but they did get very over excited ( the kids not the animals) and Im not sure the small pets enjoyed the experience at all. Photos, videos, little films about your animals would be wonderful, but your little GP2 might never forgive you if it all goes pear shaped!!!! :)

guineapiglet · 26/02/2013 19:24

PS I agree with fortified if you take the Shetland in and it poos in the school hall, the children will remember it forever, and you will definitely be a school legend, they will sing hymns about you ( and you will be invited to school plays and concerts for ever!)

alarkaspree · 26/02/2013 19:28

Oh I thought you meant a real pig .

A dad from dd's class did bring in a real pig to school a few months ago.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/02/2013 19:34

On holiday we met a boa constrictor called Fluffy (entertainment/brought for the children sort of thing)
He was an albino and was the most beautiful lemon and white colour.

And he ate guinea-pigs as a treat (Rabbits have too much protein - more of an occasional treat)
DD was

FernieB · 27/02/2013 11:50

Also remember a pet day at school in the 70's. As I was between rabbits at the time, I was given the task of presenting a talk on someone else's hamster who slept through the entire thing and was dull.

Glad my DD's are past this stage, but they would have loved it. Previous bun would have attacked everyone and been expelled. Scruffypig would love the attention - he likes it to be all about him.

Bonkey definitely take the pony - it could be Blue Peter with the elephant all over again (really showing my age there).

FernieB · 27/02/2013 11:51

70 - Current Bun is pleased to note that a boa constrictor would save him for a special occasion

scaevola · 27/02/2013 11:55

I've never had this particular torment inflicted on us.

But if it had been, I think I'd have dropped DC off in playground with DCousin's goat and let the staff sort it all out.

stealthsquiggle · 27/02/2013 11:59

That idea would get so out of hand at DC's school. Loads of farm children. Ponies would be the least of it - I am pretty sure at least one child would want to bring their Hereford bull. They already had a real donkey who took part in the nativity last year, and the climax of Sports Day is the dogs race .

SanityClause · 27/02/2013 12:35

Pet Day is a stupid idea!

If children want to take pets in for "show & tell" and the parents liaise with the teacher, that's fine.

At my DDs' junior school, a zoologist used to come in and bring some animals, and show them, and discuss them with the children. That was once a year, and he brought different animals each time. The cost of this was £1 per child. Well worth it!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 27/02/2013 13:25

A few years back we took the DC to Butlins and there was a couple who brought animals in (all with a sad story)
There was a skunk , but when they made it illegal to remove the scent glands, the breeding days for this skunk were numbered. So she ended up being re-homed.

And a large monitor lizard (called Dave ) who was kept in a tank, not cleaned or handled. He got a new lease of life being rescued and visiting Butlins.

My DC loved it, they still remember the animals, and the message behind their stories.
Something like that is far safer and makes a bigger impact than Pet Day.

guineapiglet · 27/02/2013 14:00

LOL 70 at a python called fluffy and a monitor lizard called Dave - brilliant names! You are right, this is how children learn about and remember animals, specially chosen ones, cared for by experts, who have the patience to explain. I always worry about the owls and birds of prey who I often see on 'demos' fund raising for their respective sanctuaries - do they enjoy it? Is it cruel to them - but all the handlers I have met and talked to seem so caring and 'in love' with the creatures, it is difficult to tell. I guess better for them to be in the wild....but as you say, for some it is a new lease of life

Bonkey you must let us know how it all goes!

fortifiedwithtea · 27/02/2013 18:26

guineapiglet afew years back there was a meet British wildlife day at a museum in a nearby town. There was a guess the weight of the hedgehog competition. A live one that had been rescued as it was too small to hibenate. Being a guinea pig owner, I made a very educated guess and won the huge prize toy cuddly dog . DD2 was delighted. On the way out, the security remarked what a lovely doggie he was and what was his name. "Woof" replied DD2 . Woof still goes to bed with her every night .

guineapiglet · 28/02/2013 12:25

Fortified - LOL! - Well done on winning the prize, I never win anything - and Woof sound lovely.

Don't you think we should be using all our stories and experiences for the ultimate guinea book, I love reading about your experiences with OB and all the stories on these threads, - we could use Kritiq's photos to illustrate and lots of tales of all our pigs. We are wasting our talents ladies, honestly.

PSBonkey did you make it to pets day?

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