Paula
Pigaholic Extraordinaire
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2007
- Posts
- 6,024
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2007
- Messages
- 6,024
Not anywhere, that I can find, is anyone actually saying this. The point that's been made is that the thought and research that this gal has put into these pigs is far and above that of most GP owners who pick up a pig at a pet store or a classified site and then proceed to leave the animal(s) in a tiny cage and more or less neglect it or them. THAT is to be commended and the idea shouldn't be shot down *only* because of the fact that she plans to keep them in a classroom for some of their lives.I just HATE the statement that "oh well what you're doing is better than most so it's fine".
A couple other thoughts after reading some of the replies ... RE Stuffed animals instead of live guinea pigs: I don't think there's any way to demonstrate proper care or consequences with stuffed animals. Part of what she said she was hoping to do was set up learning experiences with the kids, which included building ramps and bridges ... there's no way to see if the pigs actually use/enjoy them if they're just looking at stuffed animals. I understand why this is a popular suggestion but it doesn't seem to me that its a very realistic one if you consider the objectives she's trying to reach in reading her original post.
RE: Personality of the pigs involved: I might be mistaken but I think this was her point when she said the pigs would be living with her over the summer and she'd be getting to know them and then either the males OR the females would go to the classroom. I took that to mean she's planning to assess their personalities and see which group/pair would be better suited in this environment.
RE: Kids taking the pigs out of the cage themselves with or without permission ... Couldn't this be easily resolved with a padlock on the cage?
And then, as to the inevitable notion that 5th graders are the worst possible age group for classroom pets because of their risk-taking behavior ... To me, it seems that there would be an argument against ANY age group and in the absence of really any other valid concern (or the valid concerns having valid solutions) ... to me that just seems like a last-resort fallback. If they were 1st or 2nd graders, they'd be too young to appreciate it; if they were middle-schoolers, they'd be too old to appreciate it. And the 5th grade range? Well, they're wild! To me, the 5th grade range seems like a good point to introduce the potential responsibility of taking care of pets and in doing so in a way that the kids aren't directly responsible, it seems like a great way for them to learn compassion for living creatures. Like I said, it's a lesson they may not learn anywhere else in their lives.