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How do I convince my parents to let me get a Guinea Pig with a cat and 2 dogs?

Ciara Marie

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(Forgot to mention this but I currently own a cat, and we also own a Siberian husky and Jack Russell Terrier- who wouldn't hurt a fly and is different to the one in the story)

Hi whoever is reading this, I really hope you can help me. So I've always thought Guinea Pigs were adorable but recently I started looking a bit more into it and I've fallen in love with them, so I did plenty of research to see if I was capable of caring for one, because I'm only 14, and after hours of non-stop research, I'm confident in my ability of caring for the gorgeous creatures and then came the problem of asking my parents and this is where the hard part comes in, I told my brother and sister about my research (Both are older than me might I had). I was going to wait until my Dad came home to talk to him first, but low and behold, when my mother entered the room, my sister blurted out, "Ciara wants a Guinea Pig!" and from that moment on, my stupid sister had effectively ruined my chance of getting a Guinea Pig, because my mother responded with "No, no more animals are coming into this house".

Although they had allowed my sister 2 hamsters (Both of which had died within 2 weeks), one around Christmas time after she had gotten a cat, (That one was eaten by our Jack Russell after she left the cage door open) and the other one which had died because it kept climbing up to the roof of the cage and jumping down, eventually we found him dead and we presume it was because he took too many falls.

But anyways, I talked with my mother later on after I had finished my research and she said she would look into it. (Might I add, during my 'Presentation' I had flipped out because a moth had landed on the screen of my laptop and then my mother squished it against the screen of my laptop, leaving a moth corpse and blood on it, and then I 'gave out' to her and freaked out even more, although I did apologise afterwards, my idiotic sister was in the room and asked me "Are you really sorry? Or do you just want a Guinea Pig?" Making the situation even worse.) And then when my father came home, I showed him the same research and he flat out said no, and refused to talk to me saying I couldn't even look after my cat properly. I messed up even more when I tried to explain the financial situation to him, We had discussed a new phone or a good laptop for Christmas and my birthday (Earning half of it myself) as they are near, and I said instead of a new phone, I could get a cheap upgrade from the one I have now. When he continued to say no, I questioned him why and when he continued to ignore me, I got flustered and kept asking him why didn't he even think about it, then he asked me what my mother said about it, and I said that she said to talk to you, which she didn't, (I have no idea why I said that I'm so stupid sometimes D<) And then I couldn't take him ignoring me and I left so I didn't get stressed out and have a panic attack, so I went into the kitchen and continued my research to try and fix it when my parents stormed into the room demanding to know why I lied to them, at first I didn't know what they meant and then my dad said I lied to him about what my mother said, and I tried to explain myself, but he ignored me and kept giving out to me, and calling me a compulsive liar, I did the worst thing possible in that situation and said "It must be genetic, I'm your daughter" And then he said to me "Don't even think about a rodent coming into this house, or getting a phone or laptop, you don't deserve it" and then walked out with my silent mother in tow. I've been feeling like crap ever since and now I'm writing this desperately looking for help, I know they'd happily take in another dog. Is it worth fighting over? I would love one and I have everything sorted, so that all I would need is to buy what I need and my parent's permission and support. I really hope someone can help, my parents tend to gang up on me in these types of situations and make me feel terrible, Please respond soon. X Ciara.
 

DroidGuineaPig

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I don't know how you could convince them. It sounds like your sister is a horrible animal owner. BTW I can relate to the sister problem mine are killer.
 

bpatters

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Well, you need to go back and do some more research, because guinea pigs are herd animals, and they're definitely happier, healthier, and more active when there are two of them, and not just one.

Second, buying a pig is a bad idea. Pet store pigs are bred and raised in horrible conditions. They're often sold ill, mis-sexed, with parasites, and the baby sows are pregnant. It's much better to find one at a rescue or shelter, but a reputable rescue won't let you adopt just one pig.

Third, guinea pigs are expensive pets. When they need a vet, a regular dog and cat vet won't do, and you'll have to find an exotic vet. They're scarce, and expensive. Most of us keep several hundred dollars, or more, in a vet fund in case out pigs become ill. Will your parents pay for those kinds of vet bills.

And last, your posts will get more responses if you'll break them up in to smaller paragraphs. Large blocks of text are hard to read and follow, and many people will consider them tl;dr (too long, don't read).
 

Ciara Marie

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I've researched everything I could possibly research on the internet and either adopting them from someone else or buying them are my only options because I live in a country where shelters only have cats or dogs. I plan on raising €250 to start out with as I've already looked for 2nd hand cages, and I've found one that comes with food, bedding and hay for €30, the rest would go towards a vet fund and I would earn more to keep adding to it. Also, I looked around for quite some time to find an exotic vet near me and finally found one a little outside my area and it caters for Guinea Pigs. If I can get my parents on board and they can try to see it from my point of view, they would contribute somewhat as they prefer if I pay for things I want myself. Is there any way I can edit my post? I'll definitely change it into smaller paragraphs, thanks for the tips though. x
 

Ciara Marie

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I don't know how you could convince them. It sounds like your sister is a horrible animal owner. BTW I can relate to the sister problem mine are killer.

My sister is horrible, I cannot stand her. She currently owns a Siberian Husky and hardly spends any time with him, only to feed him twice a day and put him in his bed for the night (If we don't he'll howl at 3 am because he's scared) and she complains about it. He loves it when I go and play with him but the problem is as much as I adore him, I just prefer Guinea Pigs and I would love to have a pair of my own to dote over and spoil instead of swooning over pictures and videos on the internet.
 

DroidGuineaPig

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At least my sister dosent abuse her pets but she is pretty annoying.
 

Ciara Marie

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UPDATE:

There is no point in anyone trying to help at this point, I've stayed up all night researching even more and it's currently 7 am, I cleaned the entire kitchen and brought up my parents a cup of tea each and I apologised asked them to review all the other research I did, which resulted in my getting yelled at and being told I "Have zero disregard or respect for other people" and They were disgusted that I would lie like that. I'm sorry for wasting anybody's time.
 

Ciara Marie

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UPDATE (broken link removed) !:

I spoke to my father after he had a drink or two today and he said as long as they stay outside I can get two sows! My mother is still not on board and doesn't think I can manage them, although I'm sure she will grow to love her first two granddaughters. Any chance this thread could be deleted?
 

bpatters

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No, we don't delete threads. And we do NOT recommend that guinea pigs be kept outside. They're sensitive to hot temperatures, and there's no way to protect them from biting/stinging insects.

My suggestion is that you wait until there's room in your house, or until you're on your own, rather than getting two guinea pigs that will kept in unsuitable conditions.
 

pigger123

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I wouldn't recommend getting guinea pigs in such an unsupportive situation. They really should not be kept outside, and they can be quite high-maintenance and expensive.
 

Ciara Marie

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I wouldn't recommend getting guinea pigs in such an unsupportive situation. They really should not be kept outside, and they can be quite high-maintenance and expensive.


I babysit and have quite a bit of money saved up, also the shed I would be keeping them in is frost-proof and it's safe from predators, the only thing I needed was my parent's permission and I would be able to get them. Also with my lack of social life, I would be very capable of caring for them.
 

DroidGuineaPig

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Is the shed insolated?
 

Fay

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Welcome to the forums! :eek:

I would strongly suggest that you wait to get guinea pigs until you're older for several reasons (and please hear me out):


  • The household you are in is not supportive of having the guinea pigs there, this could lead to all kind of problems. For example if they decide to take them away as punishment which would be unfair to the pigs, or when you need to drive to an exotic vet miles away and they can't/refuse to do so, or you simply do not have the funds to pay for their medical care yourself which can get over a thousand dollars and you'd rely on them to pitch in which they may not, or they may simply force you to keep them in less than optimal living condition which is also unfair to the pigs.
  • You shouldn't really keep them outdoors, even if the shed is big enough, predator proof, and temperature is kept at an appropriate level because guinea pigs are prey animals. They are extremely good at hiding illness and the truth is that if they're not in a busy part of the house it's really easy to miss early signs of illness which can end up being fatal. While the shed wouldn't be the worst place in the world it's definitely something to consider. You would have to spend many hours in there every day to really get a better feel for their overall health, would you be willing and determined enough to continue doing so reliably? If your answer is yes 'but' or 'maybe' or if there's the slightest doubt you'd not visit them regularly several times EVERY DAY then wait until you're older and have your own place.
  • I don't know how old are you are but considering you need your parents permission you are likely to be younger, maybe teens is my guess? (apologies if I'm wrong). Have you considered where you might be in 2-5 years from now? When you go off to college or university you might not be allowed to keep them on campus or in student housing, or if you moved into a no-pet apartment which could potentially be your only option, or would you just leave them at home for your parents to look after which brings us back to point one. You may also not have the appropriate space to keep two guinea pigs. A normal pet store cage is not big enough (see here for cage sizes: https://www.guineapigcagesstore.com/about-candccages) - Plus you might be so busy with classes and study that you cannot give the pigs the attention and care they need. Remember guinea pigs generally live 5-7 years or even up to 9, you need to think of your future situations before committing to such a long term setup.

On top of all that it's easy to underestimate how much care, expenses, and time looking after guinea pigs actually takes, make absolutely sure you know the full extend. They're not like hamsters or cats who are much lower maintenance and easier to look after despite how some places claim pigs are good starter pets (They are most definitely not). If you're still truly confident and sure that you could pay for their expenses, have the appropriate space for them, have the time for them, and are able to take them to a proper exotic vet when required for the full duration of their lifespan. If you're completely honest with yourself and say you could truly do this and the answers are still yes. Then I would recommend reading the links on the following thread thoroughly and again check that you could provide all of this (as some information online and at pet stores are unreliable or even completely false): https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/113176-Information-for-new-guinea-pig-owners

If you are still sure after reading all that information (again) then you might be able to convince your parents by demonstrating how responsible you are to your parents. Use your own money to pay for all the supplies you will need (except for the food in case they still say no). Stop constantly asking them but instead SHOW them you can be responsible. Do your chores and help with the other pets in the house. Stop lying to your parents as well, even if you didn't mean to it shows lack of consideration which they might be concerned about as a sign that you aren't ready and responsible yet for your actions.

Then MAYBE they might in a few months or a couple of years from now allow you to have guinea pigs if you stick to your responsibilities. If you don't feel like you want to have to do all that to show you can look after them then maybe you just aren't ready for your own pets yet. If still yes, Just be aware that as long as you live in their house and are dependent on them they are entitled to say no and they might never say yes and they are well within their rights to do so. You shouldn't continue to nag them about it constantly, you're just going to make them less likely to support it. Show you can be mature and responsible enough to look after these pets independently. That's all I can really recommend.

If worse come to worse and you prepared and they still said no in a year from now. You can just keep the supplies you bought and when in a few years you move out on your own (which you could start working towards now) you can get some pigs of your own then. Remember these creatures rely entirely on you for their care. Stop for a moment thinking about how much YOU want them and think about how much you can give THEM the best possible care they deserve. When you're a pet owner, it's not about you, it's about the pet's well being. You just get the perks of having a cuddly creature to love.

Hope all this helps, I know it's pretty harsh but I'm just being honest and asking you to think about the important questions here. I hope very much you can work something out if guinea pigs are something you truly want. Just again make sure you keep in mind what is best for the pets and not what you want most, it's their well being at stake and that may get sacrificed if you bring them in a pig unfriendly home. If you truly care about pigs you'd put that at the forefront of all your decisions.

Good luck!
 
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Dancekavy05

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It took me a year to convince my parents. I had to save, and I paid for almost everything, I'm only 13 and I even paid $50 for two pigs. I made 4 PowerPoint's and spent my evenings researching information. But I finally got them! Just keep researching and asking and, possibly, a little sucking up... But don't give up and good luck!!!
 

lunarminx

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Where is the Jack Russel that ate the hamster? No matter, the Jack Russel you have is a natural born hunter who can jump extremely high and climb very well. Their natural prey is about the size of a rabbit and guinea pig. I wouldn't trust a small animal around them. I wouldn't get a pet only to keep it outside either. Wait a few year, you will be grown, have you own place and can have the pets you want, in your home like you want.
 

jaycriae

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Everyone else has already added really good responses, I'd just like to second the thing about your life plans. I got two sows when I was 14 and a third at 16, and now I'm 18 and graduated in June, but still plan to live at and go to school from home primarily because of my pigs (cost, being close to a vet, and how hard it'd be to move them).

If you do end up getting guinea pigs, I encourage you to spend at least an hour a day with them and to prevent your sister from ever interacting with them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

CavyMama

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Just adding my two cents - Everyone has given some great points so far. I would just add that it would be hard to and irresponsible to bring an animal into a home environment that was this unsupportive of its presence. If your parents aren't on board with you having one (other than to agree as long as you keep it outside), what will it be like when it comes time to take the poor thing to the vet? If your parents aren't on board completely with you having a guinea pig, how on board do you think they will be with driving you out to the vet? Or for paying for portions of vet bills, supplies, food as these will end up costing more than you realize. My suggestion is to wait. Wait until you are living on your own and can budget your own money to afford a guinea pig in addition to any financial responsibilities you have. Ask people you know who have them, how much they spend per month on taking care of their pig. You might be surprised.
 

DEATH

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You're so young, don't worry. You will have plenty and plenty of time to get a guinea pig. Especially if you start working in 2 years (if you're gonna be 16) then you can even buy your own guinea pig. You sound really mature for your age and your typed English is much better than most of the people's on the internet. But maybe you should try to talk to your parents in a way that puts them in your shoes. When they were kids they probably wanted something really badly but their parents didn't consider it fully. You can at least ask them if you can work for it, or if you get really good grades or something (ya know) if then you can get a couple of guinea pigs. They're not gonna let you just get another "toy" unless there's something in it for them, like seeing you work your butt off at school to show that you really, really want it. But not something like doing household chores, because that's something every household member should do. Houses ain't cheap :p
 
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