 Image © ullisoo; Flickr.com "Mommyyyyyyyy!! He's so cuuuute!!! Can I have him? Pleeeeease?!" The squeals of an excited child are hard to resist mid-moment. But before you allow your child to adopt a guinea pig, be sure it isn't just a phase. I knew my daughter was interested in caring for a guinea pig for more than a second because she took the time to educate herself before the fact. From the moment she first laid eyes on one, she set out on a mission to learn all she could. Helping your child adopt a guinea pig is about much more than making the purchase and gathering the necessary supplies.
Prepare in advance. Before you ever bring a new guinea pig home, be sure your child understands how to care for one ahead of time. Check out books at the library and read them together. Your child can also read information on the web from trusted sources and organizations. Take your child to local animal shelters and be sure there is interaction between the child and the guinea pigs. Your child's reaction, as well as the reactions from the guinea pigs will give you an idea of whether your child should adopt one. What does my child need to know? Aside from dietary needs, proper housing and bedding, and fresh water, there are plenty of other things your child needs to know. The proper room temperature is also key. Consider the age of the guinea pig as well as any special needs. Your child also needs to talk with the appropriate licensed professional both before and after adopting the guinea pig. There are many things besides regular feeding and care that your child should know. Some pet stores and animal shelters offer classes kids can take about proper pet care. Can my child sign the adoption papers? This will depend on the location where your child adopts the guinea pig. Most likely, even if your child can sign the papers, the signature of a parent or guardian also needs to be present for anyone under the age of 18. When my daughter adopted her guinea pig, she was able to sign the paper as the pet parent. But as her legal guardian, I also was required to sign. This is to ensure that an adult is held responsible for the proper care of the animal. Where should we adopt a guinea pig? There are a whole host of options when it comes to adopting guinea pigs. Many people purchase guinea pigs from pet stores rather than from a reliable breeder or shelter. Our family prefers to adopt animals from shelters for many reasons. Many times the animals sold via pet stores have been victim to mass breeding, mistreatment, and other issues. Aside from knowing we have saved a life, our family appreciates the fact that the animals in shelters have been vetted. Most will come with a medical guarantee of some kind, assuring that the animal has been checked by a licensed and certified professional. Does my child need to have experience with guinea pigs first? While it is not always a requirement for adoption, it's smart to educate your child beforehand. This helps prevent certain issues from arising and it's also best for the safety of the guinea pig, as well as your child. Adopting a guinea pig should be treated with as much care as adopting a child. Adoption is more than just taking home a cute and cuddly friend. It also means responsibility for that guinea pig's life. The moment you and your child sign those adoption papers, the guinea pig becomes a part of the family and family is for life. *Always contact a licensed veterinarian for the health of your animals. The information above is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified professional and is derived solely from the author's own personal experiences.  Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved Time to clean the guinea pig's cage for the first time. But do your kids really know how to do it? They need to be taught step by step to ensure that the guinea pig stays clean, healthy, and happy. Cleaning the cage seems simple enough. While teaching my kids to clean the guinea pig cage, I realized there are important things to remember so that the guinea pig is safe at all times.
Put the guinea pig in a safe temporary location. Guinea pigs are very good escape artists. So they should be in a secured location that is safe for them to play in. An extra cage or hutch works great for this purpose. You also may want to use a guinea pig playpen. Show your child how to be sure there is no way for the guinea pig to escape. Kids also need to know that supervision is important during the cage cleaning, unless the guinea pig is in a securely locked cage. Show the kids how to disassemble the cage. As you take apart the cage, show the kids how it is done with each step. It may take longer when you have to explain things. But it will be worth it when the kids gain the knowledge to do it for themselves. Some cages simply pull away from the base tray. Others may only allow for the bottom tray to slide out while the cage stays intact. Guinea pig cages and hutches can be a decent size. Therefore, depending on your child's age and ability, you may have to help with or be responsible for the cage cleaning. Having a scoop for bedding removal makes it easier for kids. Since guinea pig cages and hutches are fairly large, it's easier to scoop out the bedding than it is to dump it into the trash. Large kitty litter scoops work great for this duty. Be sure you and the kids are wearing gloves while cleaning out the cage. Be sure all the bedding has been scooped out before moving on to the washing. Give the kids tips on washing the cage. The guinea pig's cage should be washed only with a very mild soap and should be rinsed very thoroughly. The kids need to know how important that is. Guinea pigs can become sick or worse from even a small amount of soap. We like to use an environmentally-friendly mild dish liquid that is chemical free, fragrance free, and dye free. Some choose to use the cage cleaning solution found in pet supply stores. Soaking all the parts of the cage in boiling hot water helps to sterilize the items. Once you wash and rinse all the cage parts, allow it to air dry. This is to avoid it coming in contact with any chemicals, dust, or germs that may be lurking in towels. Show them how to replace bedding and reassemble cage. Once the cage is dry, explain to the kids how to reassemble the cage. If your kids are like mine, they may already know this from putting it together after purchase. We find it helpful to place bedding (and any accessories that go into the cage bottom) in the bottom tray before putting up the top and sides. The guinea pig can be returned to the cage once it has been properly assembled and food, water, salt and mineral licks, toys, and other accessories have been replaced. *Always contact a licensed veterinarian for the health of your animals. The information above is not meant to replace the advice of a qualified professional and is derived solely from the author's own personal experiences. **I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network |
Staff Authors
Lyn Lomasi & Richard Rowell are life & business partners. Owners of the Write W.A.V.E. Media network, they are your content superheroes to the rescue! Running their network, tackling deadlines single handedly, and coaching fellow writers & entrepreneurs to be thought leaders is their top priority. While rescuing civilians from boring content and marketing, they also conquer the world, living the RV life with their awesomely crazy family and telling The Nova Skye Story. They also strive to one day cuddle with lions and giraffes. Until then, they’ll settle for furry rescue kitties and doggies.
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