Animal Welfare Sis in law wants to get one pig, help

[Lisatjuhh]

Hi everyone,

I am pretty new in being a cavy slave.
I have had my 4 guinea pigs for about 6 months, and thanks to this forum I can say that I know so much more about them now.

But straight to the point. My sister in law loves my pigs and she wants to have a piggy too. Only the problem is, she wants one piggy and I already told her that's no good, need to get at least two. But she won't listen, she thinks two is a lot more work than one. And she had as a child at home only one pig at a time.
So my question: how do I get her to understand that she needs to get at least two pigs?

And then her cage she wants for them, it's way to small, 75 centimetres long and 45 centimetres wide.
I don't want to sound so bossy towards her and say that that's no good either.
How to tell her?

Please help me, all I can think is: poor piggy [emoji22]

This is the cage:

Sorry if my English isn't perfect, I'm Dutch.
And is this the right place to ask this?

 

[bpatters]

Suggest to her that she read the following info:

-- https://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
-- https://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html
-- www.cavyspirit.com
-- the stickies at the tops of the main forums here
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...us-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...ur-guinea-pigs!

 

[Lisatjuhh]

Suggest to her that she read the following info:

-- https://www.guinealynx.info/healthycavy.html
-- https://www.guinealynx.info/emergency.html
-- www.cavyspirit.com
-- the stickies at the tops of the main forums here
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...us-Plants-List for what you can feed and how often
-- https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum...ur-guinea-pigs!

Thanks for the info, I'll try my best.
But she's stubborn, so I think she will still end up with one pig in a really small cage unfortunately.
One thing is that I know she will take the pig out a lot. But that's still not enough.

 

[Eric580]

I would try showing her videos of guinea pigs popcorning with other piggies and videos of c and c cages. Seeing is believing and maybe it will convince her. Explain how they can live a longer, happier life and maybe how she wouldn't like living in a house the size of a closet.

 

[Eric580]

Also show her those pretty cages made from converted dressers and bookshelves and how she could decorate the cage anyway she and her child want. I would try to understand her point of view and explain why it won't work, but not in a judging way.

 

[PeanutnCookie]

I saw the cage and I cringed. That looks like a carrying cage.
Like @Eric580 said, seeing is believing. Just reading that gave me an idea.
Does she have the cage already? I might try having your sister come over with the small cage, and have her watch your guinea pigs in the big cage for a few minutes then take one of them and put them in the small cage. Not for very long, of course, maybe 15 minutes? My guess would be the pig will try to explore, but there will be nowhere to go and probably won't fit through that little hole of a hidey thing. Have her watch how sad the pig is alone and in that tiny cage, then put it back in the big cage. She'll see how much happier the pig is in a bigger cage with his/her buddies.

 

[maddy harper]

I hope you can bring her round to realising that she needs to 1 get a bigger cage and 2 that most pigs need company

 

[librarychick]

Do you think it's likely she'll keep it for life? It's possible that she'll keep it, get bored of it in a year (when she realizes her kid won't actually care for it...there are exceptions but 90% of the pigs up for adoption around here are 1 year and that specific reason listed), and then expect you to take it in?

I have had 'friends' do this sort of thing with me. I've never been in a position to actually take their pets, but they almost seemed to get them with a "Well, if I don't like it librarychick will take it." sort of attitude.

 

[Lisatjuhh]

Thanks for all the ideas, I will try my best!
I hope so that I can change her mind.

She does not have a child, I meant to say: when she was a child, they had guinea pigs too, every time only one in a very small cage.
@librarychick I don't think she'll grow bored or something like that, she'll keep the piggy for sure.

 

[librarychick]

Hmm...I'd try inviting her over. Not to lecture her, say something like "So you can see what it's like day to day looking after piggies." Have her come over on cage cleaning day and help you with that, then play with the pigs when they run around. Don't say anything about it, but let her see how much they love running around and exploring. That may convince her.

I find that people come around better if you DON'T pester them, or push your ideas (even if you're right )onto them - no one likes being told they're wrong, or that they need to do something a certain way.

If she does still go through with it you could buy her (or give her) a bunch of grids zip tied together into a playpen as a 'welcome piggy' gift - then show her how it could be clipped onto the cage to expand the available space. Once she gets her pig and falls in love with it she might be more open to giving it more room.

 

[maddy harper]

I hope you can bring your sister in law round to the thinking that pigs need friends...
Good luck!

 

[Comely Guineas]

Tell her to watch this video about the cage being too small: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8DkTrIfTNs

It is the most convincing video I've ever seen

 

[Lisatjuhh]

She has bought the cage...
I hope so that she'll realise that the cage is to small.
She wants to buy a baby piggy and at first it's small off course, but it will grow and I hope that she'll see the cage is way too small when the pig is bigger and can't move in the tiny cage...

 

[maddy harper]

If its a store baught cage then it wont be big enough at all...

 

[Lisatjuhh]

Sorry I didn't respond for a few days, I was sick.

But I have news, my sister in law isn't getting a piggy anymore. She thought about it and in the summer it gets very hot in her living room (where the pig would be) so she didn't think it was a good idea to get a piggy.
So she won't get one. I am relieved about that, but also a little sad cause I do think she would have taken good care of it, if at least she got a large enough cage and 2 pigs.

Thanks so much for your replies and solutions! [emoji5]

 

[maddy harper]

So sorry you've been ill
Hope your feeling better now
Probably wise shes come to that conclusion to be honest...