I think my point of posting this was to start a conversation about guinea pigs as companions in the classroom. The majority of arguments against the prospect were due to the animals being kept in tiny, dirty cages and getting neglected at night and on weekends...exposed to extreme temperature situations. I wanted to hear thoughts about the other factors (fear - for example). I would like to hear accounts of this causing pets stress, guinea pigs biting kids, documented articles, etc... Because I have read LOADS of research from vets and psychologists about the benefits of guinea pigs in classrooms. But all I have read about from the POV here is that they are at risk of neglect / improper living conditions.
From my experience it seems that guinea pigs/all animals in general in classroom settings have shorter lifespans. Now my experience is in the daycare setting, but still these animals were cared for. I've not heard of a pig living longer than a few years (in my experience/the people I know). My assumption (strictly an assumption) is it's related to stress. I know stress is awful for the body.
Can you post some of the links to that research? I've done a lot of searching in the past on guinea pigs in scholarly journal articles (mostly medical, but I've tried to read everything I can find that mentions them), and I've not come across a single article that talks about guinea pigs in classrooms.
I guess what is really at issue here is...what is the end goal or purpose of having domestic animals, period? Humans domesticated animals for companionship. We "USE" them to be our companions or serve some purpose for us. How can I answer the question "How do I know it likes to be held?" Well...I guess I just know because it isn't biting my hand off? How does anyone know what a guinea pig is thinking? I've read/watched/listened to numerous web items about guinea pig sounds and what they mean. But then someone will turn around and say that the sounds mean different things coming from different piggies. I guess until my herd learns to speak English I will just have to follow my gut and go with "Wheeking / high chortles" =good/happy, "Grumbling, growling, teeth chattering, whining" =unhappy/mad/stay away-put down. I don't put a lot of thought into it beyond that.
Guinea pigs don't really bite very often so just because it isn't biting your hand off doesn't mean anything, and wheeking doesn't automatically mean happiness. To understand the animal you have you must "know" them and casual interactions don't allow for that level of knowing (I'm talking about the kindergarten pig in this case). You should put a lot of thought into learning your animals communication because it's the only way you will know something is wrong. Don't learn other people's animals (the videos online or other sources) learn your own animals.
Humans domesticated the majority of animals as food or transportation. Even guinea pigs were domesticated as a source of food. The only animal I can think of domesticated strictly as a companion is the cat. Dogs domesticated themselves because they viewed us as a food source (they would eat our scraps).
The sad fact is that many irresponsible acquire animals and then can't / won't care for them in the end. So, humans have a track record of not complying with the intrinsic agreement that came with domesticating animals for companionship in the first place. At the same time, many humans also eat animals, destroy their habitats (or support practices that do). Every person I know that is vegan still in someway partakes in a lifestyle activity that in some way, shape or form destroys animal habitats (look at how many products in your home contain palm oil for starters). Let's face it - we are at the top of the food chain and at some point we are causing the death of some other living creature - large or small - just by existing in modern society.
Just because you did in the past doesn't mean you have to in the future. I know several people who are working on creating self-sustaining farmsteads that do not include animal slaughter. That's not to say there is not the need to buy some products off the farm, but moving in the right direction is key.
Animal welfare is a worthy cause; and I commend you all for it. I am an advocate for children, first and foremost. It's hard to admit that. If animals help a student with autism communicate, help a child with ADHD focus, or teach a child to have empathy for another living being...I will use that animal to serve it's purpose - while giving it love & care at the same time. Does it make me a hypocrite to say that? I guess so. But I'm a hypocrite everyday because I use shampoo that has Palm Oil in it, I eat "Cheeze It" crackers and Oreos...both contain palm oil (as does just about every other preserved/packaged food). And I LOVE orangutans and Sumatran elephants, but they are highly endangered due to palm oil production. At the end of the day though, I had quit advocating for the anti-palm oil cause when I found out that palm oil production was giving the indigenous people in Indonesia access to medical care, clean drinking water, and schools. My hope is that enough land will be preserved for the orangutans and elephants (like a wildlife preserve). Such is the case with guinea pigs in the classroom. It might not be the ideal situation for the guinea pigs, but the educated teacher can do everything she can to create a good habitat for the piggies while giving her students an incredible learning experience.
The indigenous people of Indonesia likely have illness and poor water because of the western capitalists who come to exploit their natural resources. If you ever can get your hands on it, the film Trinkets and Beads is about the way oil companies used the allure of western society (education, infrastructure, etc) to get their hands on indigenous lands in the Amazon. What's the point in an education if your homeland is destroyed. Development in the periphery is not about benefiting local populations, but instead on creating dependance to the core countries. If it was about benefiting the local populations they would have access to medical care, schools and clear drinking water without giving up their lands.
Nazgul: I know what the opinion of some guinea pig advocates on this site is...however there are plenty of other platforms that have a dissenting view.