Thank you to those of you have actually given me advice, and not rant on me about me calling my puppy stupid!
If you thought I was ranting, that wasn't what I meant. Didn't mean to offend if I did!
Here are some more ideas:
If I were you, I would start out by thinking about any chores that you have around the house. Say that you're responsible for taking out the trash and cleaning the kitchen counters every night after dinner. Then, you take out the trash as soon as you finish eating, and go the extra mile on those counter tops. And if you have any chores that you aren't required to do, but are asked to do occasionally, try taking those up as all the time chores.
Do you get an allowance? If you do, how much of it would you be willing to spend on guinea pigs? If I were you and I had to, it would certainly help if you told your parents that
you would pay for the pellets or fresh veggies. If you have already committed to this, then fantastic! If I were your parent, I would more than appreciate that!
Also, be very proactive in this process. Say that you're on GPC and you see some information about nutrition. (I'm sure that you already know this), but you go, "Mom! Did you know that guinea pigs can't have iceberg lettuce?" Your mom might not know that, and she'll be impressed by the fact that you have been researching.
And just telling your parents, "I've been doing research," might not cut it in your case. While I don't know your parents or you, I'm sure that if you give them a bit of a presentation about what cage, bedding, pellet brand, and other kinds of things that you plan on using for your pigs it would help. Presenting them with your pig budget (if you would be paying for food) never hurts, especially if you know which shops to go to for all of your guinea pig items.
Here are some tips for your 'presentation' to your parents, if you plan on it:
*Start with where you plan on getting pigs. Ex. "The {insert city name here} Guinea Pig rescue has two boars available for adoption!" List any perks. Do the pigs come with their own cage? This is always a plus, though not a necessity.
*Talk about what bedding you plan on using and why it's good for pigs. Ex. "Fleece is good for guinea pigs because it just needs to be swept up every day, replaced every few days, and washed. It is inexpensive, and eco-friendly." or "CareFresh is safe for pigs, and we can go and get it at Example Store that is close to our house!"
*Talk about where you plan on putting the pigs. Building a C&C? Explain the concept to them if they don't understand, and show them some pictures. It can be hard to explain a C&C sometimes, so be patient if they don't grasp it immediately.
*Tell them about routine vet visits. Let them know what would be involved, about a local cavy savvy vet, and anything else that you can compile.
*Tell them about grooming. If you want to get a skinny pig, let them know about the special procedures involved in their care. If you plan on getting a furrier friend, tell them about that. I wouldn't suggest getting a Peruvian as a first guinea pig, just because convincing your parents that you are capable of grooming one might be a bit tough. If you have your heart set on a longer-haired variety, then put a lot of emphasis on grooming.
*Tell them what you will be doing to prove that you are responsible enough to own two (or three) more pets. Taking out the trash early? Tell 'em. Keeping your room clean every single day? Tell 'em. Picking up the pup's poo? Tell 'em. Walking the pup every day? Tell 'em.
You can never go into too much detail about anything above. The more information that you have, the better. If you can draw a picture of a cage layout, then do that. Graph paper helps if you aren't the best artist. (If I ever draw a straight line, I think I'll die of shock!)
Hope it helps. Keep us updated, and post any pigtures! If you need any further explanation on something I wrote, let me know.
Good luck.
