Will I be horrible for not getting DD 9 a pet?

[Zebra]

We did guinea pigs for kids. They were sweet, fun and stinky. Problem we found is we were really allergic to the hay and feeding them was horrible for our allergies.

 

That is a good point, about being allergic to hay!

[katilac]

Oh, and we do intend to get another dog when our current old dog passes away. He's 14 now, diabetic....he probably doesn't have but another year or two. But kids are impatient :)

 

I personally would be very tempted to simply get another dog NOW, it that's what you intend to do in a couple of  years anyway. Yes, more work at the moment, but you already have a dog - it's not that much harder to feed two instead of one, etc.

 

Consider a grown dog and avoid all the puppy issues! When we adopted our cat, the shelter told us that you cannot predict the future temperament of a young animal, whereas with an adult you can more easily see their personality. It was wonderful advice, and we got an animal that fit nicely into the household (and tolerated her two biggest and youngest fans with grace). 

 

 

I tell little ds, "We don't need a whole cat/dog."  

 

My mind immediately kept going, "We'll just get a tail or a paw!" 

 

OP, you wouldn't be horrible for saying no, but you really need to decide ASAP - Christmas is a month away, she'll need time to let go of this wish and become excited about something else. I do think that allowing ongoing research and discussion makes saying no harder, and I wouldn't be above compensating her with an extra or extra special gift or two. 

[lamolina]

Sorry, I have no input on whether or not you should get a guinea pig, but I just have to say that here in Peru they are considered a delicacy. When you see people here who have them in their house, it is only because they are raising them for dinner!

[retiredHSmom]

That is a good point, about being allergic to hay!

My husband is allergic to the timothy hay, but I buy the Oxbow oat grass and it doesn't bother his allergies at all.

 

as to stinky cages, we have had our guniea pigs for 3 years and have had no problem with smells at all.  We change their cage every week.  We use a think layer of care fresh natural in the corners of the cage (they prefer to use the bathroom in the corners and the care fresh is highly absorbent.  then I fill the whole cage with aspen shavings.  I used to use care fresh in the whole cage but felt that it did smell on the 6th and 7th day if you were right by the cage.  The aspen never smells even on the 7th day.  One thought I did have.  We have 2 female guinea pigs.  I did go well out of my way to find females because in my experience male animals have stronger smells.

[Murphy101]

We tidied the cage every single day and a complete cleaning every week, but it still "stank" in the sense that we could smell the bedding and I personally don't like the smell of it even fresh from the package. Just like a freshly poured cat box still smells like cat liter even if it is only clean liter.

[LisainOhio]

This often sounds crazy to people but have you considered a pet rat?  Well actually two because they're social and like a cage mate.   We have had rats for years and they have all been cuddly and fun.  They're easy to take care of and my daughter who is 8 can manage most of the care on her own other than the weekly big cage cleaning which she and I do together.   The other thing that we like is that the rats have always adapted to our schedule.  They go to sleep at night when my daughter goes to sleep.  Our hamster used to run on that darn wheel all night long and it would wake up my daughter.

[ktgrok]

This often sounds crazy to people but have you considered a pet rat?  Well actually two because they're social and like a cage mate.   We have had rats for years and they have all been cuddly and fun.  They're easy to take care of and my daughter who is 8 can manage most of the care on her own other than the weekly big cage cleaning which she and I do together.   The other thing that we like is that the rats have always adapted to our schedule.  They go to sleep at night when my daughter goes to sleep.  Our hamster used to run on that darn wheel all night long and it would wake up my daughter.

 

A rat would be a MUCH better pet I think. She can even train it to do tricks. 

[Vida Winter]

We just got a guinea pig and she is adorable. She is dd's 4H project. You can use recycled paper (Carefresh brand) with a layer of newspaper beneath for bedding.

[katilac]

If you don't look at the tail, those dumbo rats are pretty cute! 

 

I personally can't get past the scurrying rodent aspect, so I wouldn't want rats OR guineas, but if I went that route I'd get a rat. Much smarter and more interactive. 

 

Cats are best of all; sucks that you're allergic! I googled whilst recovering from my dental visit, and found this: http://www.pawnation.com/2013/06/05/10-hypoallergenic-cat-breeds/1

 

Now I desperately want a bengal kitty. 

[momto3innc]

I vote for a second dog now.  Since your other is so much older, I would just go with what you know you will eventually get. 

 

We have had  a guinea pig.  It was okay, but really, compared to a dog, there is just so much less interaction. Even though we did hold her a lot and try to play with her.  And we did have some allergy issues with the hay so once ours died, we did not choose to get another one.  So I would make sure if you have cat allergy issues, that the guinea pig (ours shed a TON) and the hay would not bother you.

 

But for the ultimate question...would I get her one?  Yeah, I would.  If she has asked for this long and it is possible for you to have something in the house, I would do it.

[Susan in TN]

When Dd15 discovered she was not allergic to rabbits, she researched them for 3 years before we agreed to it. We got a bonded pair from a rescue. These particular ones are not very cuddly and do not want to be held, but we enjoy them anyway.

[StephanieZ]

Awww, get her the guinea pig. ;)

 

Guinea pigs are great kid pets. They are cuddly, they purr, they play, they love to snuggle, and they aren't terribly messy. They don't stink. They live long enough to build a bond, but not so long as you are still stuck with it when your dd is in med school. ;) 

 

Forget some silly fleece bedding you have to wash/clean daily! No way! You can use bedding that is made from recycled newspapers. It is pricey, but it is great. You only need to change it about once a week for one guinea pig. Alternately, you want pine shavings (NOT cedar). They are cheap and available in big bales from farm supplies. We used pine b/c of cost, but if you can't tolerate it (??), then go with the recylced paper. I think it's called Carefresh. It's fluffy and soft and absorbent and not odorous. (It's the best, according to the vets . . . But dh is a vet, and we used pine just fine after spending $30/month on litter for a few months at first, lol.)

 

Taking care of a guinea pig requires 15 min/day to play with it, check it's water and food dish. Then, once a week, a half hour to change the bedding. Additional play time is great, of course. 

 

Personally, I'd recommend finding a young healthy "baby" guinea pig from a local breeder. You can probably find someone via facebook or craigslist or something like that. Google up "guinea pig breeder" and your town/state, and you can probably find one. (This is what we do when we want pocket pets for our kids. We've driven 100 miles to get a parakeet . . . but it is the sweetest, smartest little bird, and talks up a storm, and is healthy and beautiful . . . ds got him at the optimum age for bonding, etc. ) Guinea pigs are easy to breed, so all you need is to find some nice person/teen who has a nice healthy breeding pair and is getting rid of the extras. Rescues are all good, of course, but if you get a young/baby guinea pig, you are more likely to be able to raise it to be particularly affectionate and sweet. Plus, the babies are just cute as all get out. :)

 

Of course, if you really, really don't want your kid to have a pet, don't do it. But, if you are open to it, then just reevaluate the care taking plan and make things easier. 

 

Hope it works out!

 

 

 

[Amy in NH]

You know, one thing we did do was get a paper shredder and shred old newspapers for bedding.  I forgot about that.

[G5052]

Mine wanted a guinea pig at about that age. And yes, it ended up being mostly my responsibility. They did the water and food, and helped me with the cage.  In exchange for my part, they both paid some $ out of their allowance (mean mom). There was no issue with finding someone to care for her when we were gone.

 

Later at 12, one of mine got mice from a friend.  It was a good experience because they took 100% of the responsibility at that point and paid for 1/2 of the supplies. But finding someone to take mice. Sigh. The people we got them from went on vacation the same time we did and also moved an hour away. And I found that people don't like taking care of mice. I had three "only because you're a good friend" offers, and finally found a friend of a friend of a friend who actually likes mice.

 

When the mice died (they don't live long), my mouse child wanted rats.  Thankfully the mice people went on vacation, and we had an opportunity to keep their rats. That went fine, but not well enough to get rats.

 

We've always had fish outside in a small pond we built.  They're low effort thankfully.  When the last fish died though (10 years old!), I drained and dismantled the pond. The family had a fit, but I was done with it at that point. We have a large garden, and that's plenty for me.  

[Heather in Neverland]

Our guinea pig was an evil little monster. I would never get another guinea pig.

 

I don't think pets are necessary. We have had cats for years and we love them but if we didn't have them, that would be fine, too.

[Carrie12345]

Since you're allergic to cats, I'm with those who suggested getting another dog. That is, *if* you even want to do another pet at all. I think pets are nice to have, but far from a childhood requirement!

 

We have 2 dogs and 2 cats. It was only a couple of years ago that I sat down and realized they barely span an 18 month age range, which means we're fairly likely to have a pretty depressing run in a few more years! I do hope to get another dog before that time comes to try to minimize that blow. I'm the kind of person who takes years to "replace" a pet. Maybe I have emotional issues, lol. But it took me 4 years to get the kittens after my Toni passed away. My kids are so used to having pets around, they'd hate me if I waited 4 years after any of these guys pass.