Animal Welfare G-force is INFURIATING me.

[iluvmypigclover]

Though I commend Disney for making a movie about our beloved guinea pigs, its ads like this that bother me:

(broken link removed)

I sent her a very long (and probably a little bit harsh sounding) e-mail, providing links to this website, the cavy spirit website, and guinealynx. Hopefully she'll reconsider. I mean, come on, she wants it to be small enough to fit into a hamster ball? Its called a HAMSTER ball for a reason!

 

[fieryone]

I saw this ad about a week or so ago and also sent her a long email with links to this site and some real world info on what it means to own a guinea pig. Ugh. With the way the ad is worded I'm still not 100% sure if it's a joke or not, but sadly this person (and others like him/her) could be very serious.

 

[iluvmypigclover]

I really hope that s/he is joking. Disney should make a little 5 minute movie and show it before the movie, all about guinea pig care. It would seriously discourage a lot of people from purchasing guinea pigs on a whim.

 

[Skeetersmom]

I live in CT and also sent her an email and posted the information about Guinea Pigs on that craigslist. I received a bunch of replies about the information I posted but never a response from the person looking for a guinea pig.

 

[fieryone]

Ha! Well hopefully the three of us (and whoever else) had an impact and she realized that maybe guinea pigs aren't spies in real life and probably aren't the right pet for her son.

 

[Irishmoon]

If that craigslist gets your blood going, listen to this. I received a Petco flyer in the mail yesterday. I normally dont shop there but with the large amount of different critters in my house, Im always looking for things on sale. Im flipping through the ad and get to the 2nd to last page and what do I see?? A huge picture of a G-Force guinea pig. And next to it a coupon for $10 off a guinea pig! Are you kidding me?!! I was so mad I yelled at the flyer and threw it in the garbage but not before my roommate came running out of his room asking me what was wrong. Stupid movie.

 

[theresaj]

I completely agree with everyone's feelings here. I get so angry, animals are living creatures who need the right love and care not TOYS not birthday presents, not prizes, not playthings..Living creatures!

 

[diane]

I guess I am more shocked that people don't have common sense to explain to their kids that real live animals dont act like that, that it is just a movie and they use computers to do it. I tell my 4 yr old son that and he understands, and when he asks for something out of a movie he gets a stuffed animal version, because I know it is a phase, spend 15 on a stuffed animal and when he soon forgets the appeal I am just out that and not having to take care of a poor creature.

 

[CavyMama]

What the heck? I read the ad and she wants a guinea pig that is "trained" and that "comes when called"? Let's hope it's a joke.

 

[CavyMama]

Okay, this ad made me angry enough to send off an email to this lady. It might be a little harsh but it had to be said. SOMEONE has to shake this lady back into reality.

I'm sure you've gotten many emails about this already but I have to say I am shocked and appalled that you would simply give into the whims of your son and endanger the life of a living creature.

I sincerely hope this ad was a joke and that you are not as ignorant as it appears to think that guinea pigs are trained and will come when called. They do NOT run in balls or wheels. Those things can damage their spine!!Do you even know thing one about guinea pig care? Do you know they can live 5-7 years on average? When your son loses interest in 2 weeks, are YOU willing to take on the care of the poor critter?

If you get one based on the whims of a child, are YOU prepared to take care of it for years to come? They also need at least 7.5 sq ft of space to live in so store cages are NOT big enough. They need fresh veggies every day and unlimited hay.

They also need special veterinary care. Many vets are not well versed enough in exotics and won't take them on as clients. Although they are generally healthy, they can develop respiratory infections, mites and other parasites, bumblefoot, scurvy, ringworm.

Contrary to what you might be led to believe, they are NOT good first time pets for kids. They require high maintenance care and are expensive to own. Cages need to be spot cleaned every day and fully cleaned out weekly. Who will do this? Your six year old son??

I can understand a child not knowing any better and thinking that a real guinea pig would act like one in an animated movie but it sounds to me like YOU are the one who is unclear about the distinction.

SOMEONE has to be the grown-up and say NO when it comes to a child's pleas for a pet based on a movie. Get him a stuffed version or a McDonald's toy of him because God knows McDonalds will jump on THIS money-maker. DO NOT endanger the life of an animal simply because you don't know any better than to say no.

 

[CavyMama]

Sorry guys, I was copy/pasting from my email and I guess the format was off. See if you can read between the code to get what my email said.

 

[theresaj]

I read it and I agree 1000 percent!

 

[CavyMama]

Thanks theresaj I probably should have waited until I had calmed down a bit before writing but I'm passionate about the welfare of guinea pigs and it angers me when people just bring them home willy-nilly as if they are expendable toys.

Let's try this again.

Hello,

I'm sure you've gotten many emails about this already but I have to say that I am shocked and appalled that you would simply give in to the whims of your son and endanger the life of a living creature.

I sincerely hope this ad was a joke and that you are not as ignorant as it appears, to think that guinea pigs are trained and will come when called. They do NOT run in balls or wheels. Those things can damage their spine!!

Do you even know thing one about guinea pig cage? Do you know they can live 5-7 years on average? When your son loses interest in 2 weeks, are YOU willing to take on the care of the poor critter?

If you get one based on the whims of a child, are YOU prepared to take care of it for years to come? They also need at least 7.5 sq ft of space to live in so store cages are not big enough. They need fresh veggies every day and unlimited hay.

They also need special veterinary care. Many vets are not well versed enough in exotics and won't take them on as clients. Although they are generally healthy, they can develop respiratory infections, mites and other parasites, bumblefoot, scurvy, ringworm.

Contrary to what you might be led to believe, they are NOT good first time pets for kids. They require high maintenance care and are expensive to own. Cages need to be spot cleaned every day and fully cleaned weekly. Who will do this? Your six year old son?

I can understand a child not knowing any better and thinking that a real guinea pig would act like one in an animated movie but it sounds to me like YOU are the one who is unclear about the distinction.

SOMEONE has to be the grown-up and say NO when it comes to a child's pleas for a pet based on a movie. Get him a stuffed version or a McDonald's toy of him because God knows McDonalds will jump on THIS money-maker. DO NOT endanger the life of an animal simply because you don't know any better than to say no.

----

Let's see if she responds

 

[fieryone]

CavyMama, your email was very similar to mine. I hope this person responds to someone and fesses up that it was a joke, but I doubt it. I just hope that she hasn't already gotten her precious baby boy that she can't say no to his guinea pig. People like this don't seem to have any common sense at all and they seem to be becoming more and more common.

 

[YayPiggies]

Irishmoon, I COMPLETELY AGREE! Petsmart has one of those too- A picture of ONE PIG with a HAY BALL in a CRUMMY CAGE with a GFORCE PICTURE IN THE BACKGROUND and a discount on gpigs!

I'm so glad that we're all trying to set these people straight! Sometimes I wish I could just sneak into their house at night and steal their pig to bring it home and treat it like it should!

 

[auburnmare5]

What is it that they want a guinea pig or an action figure? I can't really tell.
I really hope that they don't get a guinea pig.
Go to the store and buy the kid a stuffed animal guinea pig.

 

[412enter]

that is the crazyest ad ever! GUINEA PIGS running in hamseter wheels?! that person should know it was just a movie! have the sent an email back? its hard to belive a guinea pig wil come when you call. one more thing does anyone think that (gulp!) he might put clothes on it?

 

[auburnmare5]

Okay, this ad made me angry enough to send off an email to this lady. It might be a little harsh but it had to be said. SOMEONE has to shake this lady back into reality.

I'm sure you've gotten many emails about this already but I have to say I am shocked and appalled that you would simply give into the whims of your son.

I sincerely hope this ad was a joke and that you are not as ignorant as it appears to think that guinea pigs are trained and will come when called. They do NOT run in balls or wheels. Those things can damage their spine!!

Do you even know thing one about guinea pig care? Do you know they can live 5-7 years on average? When your son loses interest in 2 weeks, are YOU willing to take on the care of the poor critter?

If you get one based on the whims of a child, are YOU prepared to take care of it for years to come? They also need at least 7.5 sq ft of space to live in so store cages

They also need special veterinary care. Many vets are not well versed enough in exotics and won't take them on as clients. Although they are generally healthy, they can develop respiratory infections, mites and other parasites, bumblefoot, scurvy, ringworm.

Contrary to what you might be led to believe, they are NOT good first time pets for kids. They require high maintenance care and are expensive to own. Cages need to be spot cleaned every day and fully cleaned out weekly. Who will do this? Your six year old son??

I can understand a child not knowing any better and thinking that a real guinea pig would act like one in an animated movie but it sounds to me like YOU are the one who is unclear about the distinction.

SOMEONE has to be the grown-up and say NO when it comes to a child's pleas for a pet based on a movie. Get him a stuffed version or a McDonald's toy of him because God knows McDonalds will jump on THIS money-maker. DO NOT endanger the life of an animal simply because you don't know any better than to say no.

Very Good! This made my day!!! Very well written. I would like to know if she ever responds.

 

[Cocoa'sClover]

The sad thing about all of this is that it's not just G-force that Disney has recently featured a Guinea pig in.

Both Sky High and Bedtime Stories also had guinea pigs in them. It's no wonder that they decided to do a whole movie with Guinea pigs as the main character's after all of the other publicity.

 

[auburnmare5]

Lately, I have noticed that Disney has done a number of TV shows or movies featuring guinea pigs. A few months ago (or longer), Disney Channel's popular tv show Wizards of Waverly Place had an episode, which they made a big deal about, where one of the kids turned their parents into guinea pigs.
I really hope that there isn't a trend starting here, and I hope that this is where it stops.