General Mom Trying to Teach "Responsibility"?

[Rayvn]

Okay, a little backstory here. I've been taking care of my Sister's guinea pig for a while now. Well, this mourning Mom decided that my sister needed to learn "responsibility", and from now on she has to take care of her own pet, and I'm not allowed to. Not only that, but I have to check on the piggy everyday (without taking care of it) and if the water bowl is empty, the food bowl is empty, or the cage is "dangerously dirty", I'm supposed to write an X on a chart.

If it comes to five Xs, we're taking the piggy to the Humane Society. I asked if I could just take the piggy if she gets five Xs, and Mom said that I could adopt the guinea pig from the Humane Society. Now, my sister isn't a bad person, but she probably couldn't take care of a rock, let alone a guinea pig. What do I do? it's not as if the Humane Society would give the guinea pig to the same family that just dumped it on them. Besides that, I don't want the piggy to suffer for no reason. Help?

 

[pinky]

Sounds like your mom would rather give up the guinea pig. I doubt that the humane society would allow you to adopt it back once you surrender it. How old is your sister? I think pets should not be the responsibility of a single individual in a family, especially if someone else is willing to share in the responsibility. Did you ask your mom why you can't keep it and care for it yourself?

 

[lissie]

Before writing down each "X", could you remind your sister what needs to be done?
Ask your mom why you can't keep the pig. Also remind her (try to be as nice as possible) that it is ultimately her responsibility to keep the pig. She should not blame it on the child if the pig is not properly taken cared of. It is her job to make sure the child takes care of the pet, and if the child cannot do so, she should be the one taking care of the pet. She should consider herself lucky to have you help her.

 

[Rayvn]

Sounds like your mom would rather give up the guinea pig. I doubt that the humane society would allow you to adopt it back once you surrender it. How old is your sister? I think pets should not be the responsibility of a single individual in a family, especially if someone else is willing to share in the responsibility. Did you ask your mom why you can't keep it and care for it yourself?

My sister is 14 years old. Mom said that I couldn't take the piggy from her because my sister wouldn't take his care seriously if she knew that she could just give him to me. How do I convince Mom that this isn't a good idea?

 

[sillylittle]

Keep it between you and mom, don't tell your sister that in the case of lax care, the piggy becomes yours. Educate your sister on what happens to animals that aren't re-adopted, and explain to her that at her age she should be able to show your mom that she is a responsible person. Talk to mom about rewards if she can go two months without problems (I know that at that age I would have taken AMAZING care of an animal, if my mom would've taken me to get my belly button pierced) Hopefully if she thinks that the pig will go to the humane society, possibly be put down if it's not adopted into a new home, and she will get a reward for doing well in taking care of the guinea, she will step up and take care of him.

 

[lissie]

Can you print out this page and show her?
Guinea Pigs and Kids, Cavies and Children

Quote from the page:

As a parent, YOU can help break the cycle, too. It starts with the LIFE-LONG lessons that you teach your children about animals BY EXAMPLE. When the kids are bored and no longer want to take care of the guinea pigs, the LAST thing you want to teach them is how one dumps their responsibility on the local shelter or rescue so that the taxpayers can pay for the care and rehoming expense or kill the unwanted animals behind closed doors.

 

[pinky]

My sister is 14 years old. Mom said that I couldn't take the piggy from her because my sister wouldn't take his care seriously if she knew that she could just give him to me. How do I convince Mom that this isn't a good idea?

This is the exact reason why pets should be brought into the home as a family pet, not the pet for a child. Adults are mature and responsible to make a commitment to care for a pet but all kids are not. They learn by example. It would be a lot wiser to allow you to care for it so your sister can see what commitment to a pet means than to give it up. That will only teach her that pets are disposable and you get rid of them once you're tired of them.