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My parents don't like rodents, but i really want a guinea pig.

aces girl

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I don't want to sound spoiled or bratty or anything, because I'm not. Before, I had my sights set on a hamster, but then I learned they were not very friendly, and I wanted a pet I could cuddle and play with. My friend offered me her guinea pig for free because she doesn't have the time for her anymore, and when i said this to my mom, she didn't freak AS much as she had with the hamster, but she stil said no rodents. I am old enough and responsible enough to care and pay for it, yet they still won't let me get one. I really don't know what to say anymore, I would keep the piggie in my room, although my sister might not like that. I can't say I will try to always get straight A's because I do that anyway. What should I say to my parents? They hate rodents because they say they are dirty and only show up in very dirty conditions (as in wild rats and mice, which are totally different from pet cavies!) Any help would be great! Thanks.
 

Basil&Clover

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TRy printing out some fact sheets about guinea pigs. Maybe if your mom knows more about them, she will change how she thinks about them.
 

auburnmare5

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Show her facts, how rewarding it is to have a guinea pig. You learn alot and get love from an animal. Show her pictures of what they are like and how they live. It may change they way she thinks they actually live.
 

dra&pigs

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Oh Gosh, I had the same problem with my mother. How about suggesting a "trial period?" Set an amount of time that the trial would last. Have your friend bring over the guinea pig and set it up in your room (preferably with food, bedding, ect.) Then prove you can take care of the guinea pig and that it doesn't smell, and that they really aren't like rodents at all. That might help, and it can always go back to your friend. (I don't mean to sound mean, I'm just thinking about it from your parents point of view). Hopefully this will help.
 

PixieStix

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Will you not be receiving any financial support for the pig? They are not cheap, starter pets like many people believe. Not only do the veggies, hay, etc add up, but vet bills can easily be hundreds of dollars. If your parents aren't supportive of the pets, will you be able to handle a huge vet bill if an emergency does happen? If so, start saving a vet fund incase the pig does need a vet visit. In addition, they do require quite extensive care as you are learning.

Guinea pigs are great pets for some people, don't get me wrong, however I've always found hamsters friendlier, tamer, and cuddlier. Pigs can be skittish at first, and many hate to be picked up (requiring chasing around the cage first). Not to discourage you at all, but not all pigs are the cuddly type.
 

calymo

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I have been having the same issue with my parents, specifically my mom. I found that asking for a specific reason/s works best to show you why they don't want one. My mom thought that they tried to escape like most hamsters do ( we have had bad experiences with escaping hamsters and rats). She also thought that they stink terribly, so I told her the truth about how they don't. If you find out what they have against them, you can probably convince them otherwise. Good luck!
 

ms pixie riot

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I don't live with my parents, haven't for a long time, but they own the house I live in so I still needed mama's approval before getting piggers. What ended up working was taking my mom to meet some guinea pigs. She thought they were so adorable that she absolutely fell in love, and we brought home Sid and Nancy the same day!
 

Haley0489

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Guinea pigs are so "anti-rodent" in my opinion. Whether or not they belong to the rodent-family or not, they're nothing like a hamster, rat or mouse. Wild rats and mice are considered 'pests', but how many stories are there of a guinea pig infestation?

I actually think of them as more of a "small dog" type. While they aren't all "cuddly" they will sit with you for a little bit; while a hamster usually doesn't understand the concept of "lap time" and won't sit still.

Guinea pigs are intelligent and truly have personalities all their own. They understand you and your sounds. They learn to do tricks and that certain sounds or actions mean dinner time. They can be potty trained and understand words/tones like "no!" While they most likely won't "love" you like a dog, they do enjoy your company and neck rubs.

Guinea pigs are very expensive. Everyone I know thinks I just "spoil" my pigs, which I do, but a lot of what they think is "spoiling" is necessary care. A six foot cage, good bedding, food ordered online, hay, multiple vet visits, a huge plate of salad every night. These aren't things I "choose" to do, they MUST be done. I didn't have my first guinea pig until I was eighteen years old and I'm glad I didn't. If I had one as a child I know it wouldn't have gotten the care it needed. The pet stores just don't know how to care for a pig properly, and most people think pet stores know it all.

Are you willing to get your pig a friend? Guinea pigs need to be in pairs, they're a social animal and the majority of them get very [obviously] lonely by themselves. Some don't mind being by themselves, but those are rare and I said majority. Will you be able to talk your mom into not one but TWO pigs? That's a bigger cage, maybe two if introductions don't go well. Are you willing to split a large C&C or build another to house pigs that may not get along? Do you have space where you can provide at least an hour of "floor time" so the pigs can exercise? Can you adopt the second pig from a reputable guinea pig rescue and not adopt from Petsmart or Petco? I'm not sure if you've read, but pet stores are AWFUL to their pets and if you buy one from Petsmart/Petco, it's more than likely going to be sick and die if it's not treated.

These are all things you should read up about before getting a pig from your friend. If after reading everything you still think you want one, print out all the information you can and show it to your mother. The only way to convince a person is to teach them, and even then she may just not want a guinea pig in her house, and then you'll just have to accept her decision.
 

aces girl

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i've read up on guinea pigs a lot, and next year my sister is going to college (we share a room) and my parents just told me last night that they are going to put our beds back into bunk beds, which would mean lots of more room for the piggie(s). Sadly, until then space is a little limitied, but I am looking at every square inch of our house to find the right spot that is big enough. Even though I'm not old enough to get a job, I make quite a lot of money to support an animal or two. Hopefully, if my parents start falling in love with them, then they may buy some extra stuff for them, but if not, I can still care for them the way they need to be.
 

Res Judicata

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How do you make your money? How much? (Rhetorical, you don't have to answer that) Is it enough to cover the vet bills? I spend over $350 once on one pig in one visit. Is it enough to buy food, bedding, whatever else the pig needs out of it? I'm not asking these questions to be mean, just want to emphasize (like others) that these cute little furballs take money. I just hate seeing kids get pets their parents won't help finance, and the pet has to go, or ends up very sick or dead because of lack of money. Kids don't need their hearts broken and a pig doesn't need to go through that.
 

Arielle72

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Just to reinforce how much vet bills can be, I have spent in the past 2 weeks, $200 on vet bills and meds for my pigs and they have a follow up appt in another 3 weeks for at least another $100. I got my first pig in FEb and the second in May and the initial cost for both + cage was around $100. Since then I've probalby spent at least $500 on vet bills (not very healthy piggie) and $15/week on food (veggies, hay, pellets)

The pigs are officially my daughter's pets, but she's 8 and certainly can't give them the things they need. Seh does help considerably by cleaning cages every week and feeding them every day.
 

Alusdra

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I guess the first question is: are your parents against you getting a pet at all, or a rodent pet? If it's any pet, you have a lot more work in front of you. You might want to consider waiting until you're on your own (assuming you are only a bit younger than your sister, soon you will be off to college, too.) It's a lot harder to find housing that allows pets and you can't have them in the dorm rooms. If they are totally against any animal, it is very hard to care for the animals you get. Think about where you're going to be for the rest of the pet's life (~8years) and if you will be stable enough to commit to this animal. It's not fair to your friend's pig if in a few years you turn around and have to get rid of it for the same reason she did.

If it's just rodents- maybe you should just look into other sorts of pets. Rabbits aren't technically rodents. You could try convincing them to get one of those instead (sometimes this sort of argument can really cheese off parents, though). Or maybe a lizard? Bearded dragons are similar in size and care to guinea pigs and are generally more cuddly. You would have to be able to deal with occasionally feeding them bugs, but mostly they are vegetarian. Or maybe a snake? Small snakes are great fun to hang out with. They might not actually have affection for you, but they are very willing to wrap around various parts of your body and chill for hours on end. If you feed them frozen mice, no live ones will enter your house. Or go traditional. Dogs and cats generally go over much better and parents are usually willing to have them as 'family pets' so that you get to see them on your breaks from school and don't have to stress about finding housing that will allow them or feeding and caring for them while you're busy with school.

Maybe you're set on the guinea pig- bring up the other ones anyway. My parents usually ended up relieved with whatever pet I settled on and got because of the alternatives I proposed. This works exceptionally well if you propose a new pet based on their critique of the one you really wanted. (Eg: Me: I want a hamster. Mom: It will escape. Me: Ok, how about a 80 gallon fish tank with ciclids? Mom: It will leak and that's too big. Me: Well, maybe some frogs? Mom: They are slimy. Me: Snakes aren't slimy. Mom: Eeek! Snake! Me: Well, how about something more normal, like a hamster? Mom: Yes, please dear gods, get the hamster!)

Also discussing all the information- positive and negative- of all the pets (especially the one you really want) will help your parents a) see that you really know what you are talking about and are responsible and b) that whatever it is isn't so bad, after all.

Whatever you end up on, make sure you have at least one instance of spoken approval before you get the animal. And make sure you have plans for the life of the animal and the care it will need. Especially with exotics, I would not leave your parents in charge of it for extended periods of time. They don't have any interest now, they won't get more later, and you don't want to get a call right before a final that you had better drive 3 hours to come get your animal before it dies from neglect. Because you'll have to do it, and trust me- that's not fun in the least (happened to me, so it's not rhetorical).

Good luck!
 

aces girl

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our vet is pretty much our neighbor and is really nice and her prices are reallly low! We had found a stray kitten and brought her there, and she cut the price in half. She also helped us nurse an injured turtle we had found back to health. And I babysit a lot, (and get paid pretty good!) and I do tons of chores around the house that my parents pay me for, I have also pet-sat two dogs and their six puppies (soo cute!)
 

dra&pigs

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Well, just to double check, try searching around and find the lowest prices on good-quality hay, food and bedding from a place you can trust. You should also probably set a fund for vet bills like PixieStix said. Its a good idea-I'm just a kid to, and my mom will willingly pay for food, hay, bedding and a few pigloos and such, but she refuses to pay vet bills (we have a young puppy, a cat and we foster kittens) because she has to pay for all sorts of vet visits already. So my allowance and any extra money go for the pig fund at the bank. Enough that when one of my pigs had a bit of an emergency about a month ago, I could pay for the initial visit and follow-ups as well, something my mom appreciated.
 

MCR_Rox

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Are you SURE you will be able to afford taking care of your guinea pig? Vet expenses can be extremely expensive. Plus, if you cannot drive yourself, your parents may be unwilling to drive you there. If you are to convince your parents to let you have a guinea pig, make sure they understand the costs of having one and that they will be responsible for taking it to the vet. If they cannot take it to the vet, it will die when it becomes sick. You will need to take it to the vet some time or another. I've heard horrible stories about how parents were unwilling to provide the simplest vet care. Also, be sure to research a lot. If you haven't already, I recommend reading Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig.
 
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