They just don't get it

[munchkin]

I'm not real sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes.
I just had an incident here and I'm really mad. Some people just don't get our connection to our piggies. So, here is what happened. My husbands niece came over this afternoon to visit. Well, after about a half an hour or so, I had to go outside to tend to a baby deer we have been feeding since his mother was killed. (Just trying to get him strong enough to be transfered to a local Preserve.) I was gone maybe five minutes leaving her and her two kids in the house. (Kids aged four and two) I assumed she would have the decency to watch her own kids. Boy was I wrong. I came back in to find the lid on my cage opened and both kids on chairs chasing my poor babies all over the cage trying to catch them. When I told the kids to get down and leave the guinea pigs alone, my husbands niece started yelling at me for scolding her kids. When I tried to explain that her kids were scaring my babies and stressing them and that it could actually kill them, she shot back with "Well, it isn't like you can't get another one." I asked her if she could replace one of her children that easily and then told her she needed to take her kids and leave. It took me nearly six hours to calm the boys down enough to even be handled and they are still pretty skiddish. Why can't people understand these aren't just our pets, they are a part of our family.

[RubyPiggie2]

How terrible! I can't believe she did that! I'm not going to blame the kids, they didn't know, I'm blaming their mother. I just can't believe she yelled at YOU. Did she leave when you told her to?

[munchkin]

Yes, she left. The thing that really bothers me is that I wasn't yelling at the kids, I just told them that they needed to get down and leave the pigs alone. I was nice about it, and she flew off the handle. I don't blame the kids either. She should have been supervising them better. The thing that made me mad was her saying I could easily replace my babies.

[RubyPiggie2]

I know! I would have been furious, and am at the thought that someone could think like that. How did she react when you said it back to her about her kids? :l

[munchkin]

Well, it was a typical unfeeling response, "My kids are people, not rodents." Then to top it all off, she called this morning and tried to act like everything was okay again. I was polite, but tried again to explain that these weren't just my "pets." My daughter (age 14) told her she shouldn't come back until she learns how to control her kids. Yea, Amy. Even she gets it.

[Tatalp]

That's terrible! Some people really need to learn that there is a strong bond between people and animals. And rodents are people, you just have to get to know them!

[Slap Maxwell]

Wow, how immature. You need to let her know next time so this dosn't happen again. Set the cage "off limits".

[Lorelei]

... This made me so angry that I broke my pen accidentally ::throws out pen::


But how are the little piggies, are they calmed down now? Would they even remember what happened yesterday? (I"ve always wondered how far back a piggie's memory is).

[GuineaPigGal]

That's crazy! I can't believe that she would actually blame you, out of all people. It was her kids' fault. ::shakes head angrily::

[munchkin]

Thanks for all your concern. The boys are doing much better tonight, though my baby, Checkers, will only go to my husband and myself right now. At least he is coming out of his house now. As to how far back they remember, I don't know. But Checkers seems the most affected by this. Pucker and Pudgey are back to their old selves as of floor time tonight. I'm not too worried about telling her that the cage is off limits. My daughter told her not to come back until she learned to control her kids. Then my husband got a hold of her this afternoon. He is one of those people that can make you cry with just a look. He never has to raise his voice. And since Dani looks at him as a father figure, well, I doubt she will be letting her kids anywhere near my boys any time soon. Hey, Pucker is popcorning. Yeah, I think they are going to be fine.

[daftscotslass]

My boss brought her two kids round to see my guinea pigs. One was 11 and was perfectly gentle. The other little girl was 3 - she kept trying to hug Bracken tightly and I'm sure she would have sat in the cage with them given half a chance. So I sat her down and showed her Bracken's teeth, explaining to her that we wouldn't want to give her a fright as she has very large teeth. She was still allowed to hold the guinea pigs but had much more respect for them after she had seen the size of their teeth.

The chances are that the kids wouldn't have known they were doing wrong. It is their mother's job to make sure she knows where they are at all times. When I was that young I would have been given one heck of a telling off if I'd gone wandering off round someone else's house!

[Ziggysmom]

That was really assinine of her! The whole, "Well, it's not like you can't get another one." really takes the cake.

I know this isn't popular opinion on this subject right now, but having 3 kids myself...there is a BIG difference between animals and kids. Now, before you start shaking your head, understand that I have a ZOO and my kids are taught to respect and handle each one gently (they older two hate the animals, so they don't hold them anyway). They have to listen to my telling of their antics and watch me fuss over them like they are kids. Having nearly lost my oldest boy twice, I know there is a HUGE difference.

[munchkin]

Daftscotslass, You got a really good idea there. I am pretty sure showing the four year old the teeth would work since she is old enough to understand and has been bitten before by a Hampster. I'm not real sure about the two year old, as he has just turned two and is still very young. However, it is certainly worth a try.

Ziggysmom, I too understand there is a difference between kids and animals, My oldest daughter, now 19, has suffered from diabetes since the age of 11. We have had many close calls from her as well. My husband actually did lose his first child due to Rhyes syndrome. Believe me we know the difference. But my animals are as much a part of my family as any person. Each animal has a very distinct personality and touches us in a different way. As you said, it was very "assinine" of her to say that they could easily be replaced. My point was that even though I could "get another one" it wouldn't be the same.

[Ziggysmom]

I'm so sorry your husband lost his child. NOTHING is worse than losing a child.

It's true that each animal has it's own personality and touches us in a different way. I don't understand people who think all animals of a particular species are the same. It's an especially popular theory regarding rodents and similar small animals. Anyone whose intereacted with two of the same species would quickly notice the difference between them quickly.

[munchkin]

Ziggysmom, My husband sends his thanks for your condolences. It was many years ago and he still recognizes birthdays and the anniversary of his death. It is true, nothing is worse than losing a child. As for my niece, well she has never had a real pet, so I am trying to cut her some slack. She doesn't really understand animals. Her mother had severe allergies and her son, the 2 year old has severe asthma. Pets are out of the question for her. But I am confident that with a little guidance she will begin to understand.
To everyone else, Checkers is doing great this morning. He came running to me at floortime. All three boys now seem to have either forgotten or forgiven the horrible incident. Pucker and checkers are playful and spry again. Pudgy is sneeking around and getting into everything as usual. Oh I wish my camera wasn't broken.

[Sabriel]

They could get a lizard or fish. That way they still learn how to respect life without all the sneezing and stuffy noses.

[TurboPiggy]

Originally Posted by munchkin

"Well, it isn't like you can't get another one."

My reply would have been "Oh, you are absolutely right, what was I thinking? Go ahead and let them scare them to DEATH, I'll run out and get some more guinea pigs later."