Cage My First Cage

[MrWhistles]

Yay for pigs. But what we are not happy about is the fact you are putting YOUR 'wants' before your pets welfare. Did you know that guinea pigs can actually get pretty old? They are like, a two year commitment. Once you've got it, you've got it until the end of it's life. Please, do right by it.

They're more than a "2 year commitment". Guinea pig life span is around 8 years.

 

[iamsnape]

They're more than a "2 year commitment". Guinea pig life span is around 8 years.

As I said in the above post, I accidentally missed the 'not' out of that post cos I was typing pretty quickly and didn't read back.

 

[mufasa]

I think what a lot of this boils down to is that a lot of people decide to get guinea pigs because THEY want to, without considering the animal's needs. They don't mean to be selfish, but they decide they want that cute, furry little critter and want it to fit into their lifestyle. It doesn't work that way with responsible pet owners. You have to be willing to alter your life to work around the animal's needs. If you can't, you shouldn't have a guinea pig (or any other pet) plain and simple. That might sound harsh, but think about it from the guinea pig's standpoint. Why should it live in the equivalent of less than a studio apartment, in solitude from any of its own kind, simply because that's what fits into its owner's life?

I had no clue what guinea pigs entailed when I first got Mufasa. Now my once-lovely sitting room is littered with hay and cluttered with fabric pads and bags of food and pig toys, with the girls taking up a big chunk of real estate, and that doesn't include the swimming pool playpen taking up most of my family room floor. I made a commitment when I got that little guy (and, since he sadly died, to the subsequent pigs) to do my best by them if I bring them into my life.

I know it feels like people here are jumping on you, but they're giving you a dose of reality and truth. Sometimes we don't need to HAVE something just because we WANT it. Knowing the difference, and acting responsibly, is a sign of maturity.