How do you convince parents

E

EmilyD

Junior Guinea Pig
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I have done alot of research and know pretty much everything about them. I told my parents I like them and every once and a while I would tell them a fact. I have also made a journal of all the things guinea pigs need, what they eat, how to bond, etc. I was just wondering if you have any tips on how I might convince them.
 
Hi Emily, guinea pigs are quite expensive to keep and need a lot of space and often have expensive vet bills. I've spent £350 in the past 2 weeks on one poorly new piggy. My weekly hay/food/bedding bill is at least £30. If you have a job that could cover an unexpected vet bill like that plus the ordinary care costs, or your parents have that much disposable income set aside specifically for pets, and your parents like them and will help care for them, then guinea pigs make excellent pets. If not then perhaps you should wait a few years until you have your own place...
 
:agr:. As tempting as it is to get guinea pigs, you dont want to end up in a situation where you have to watch one die because you cant afford vet bills ( thats if you cant). I have spent since june on one of mine around 2 -£300 its the consultation fees that add up
 
PigglePuggle said:
Hi Emily, guinea pigs are quite expensive to keep and need a lot of space and often have expensive vet bills. I've spent £350 in the past 2 weeks on one poorly new piggy. My weekly hay/food/bedding bill is at least £30. If you have a job that could cover an unexpected vet bill like that plus the ordinary care costs, or your parents have that much disposable income set aside specifically for pets, and your parents like them and will help care for them, then guinea pigs make excellent pets. If not then perhaps you should wait a few years until you have your own place...
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I have a job and I use all the money to go to all of my other animals the problem is my parents think guinea pigs stink and my mom hates rodents. Which does not help.... I have about $200 set aside for vet bills. So money is not a problem I think it is just my mom being scared of rodents but I dont really know how to change that...
 
EmilyD said:
I have a job and I use all the money to go to all of my other animals the problem is my parents think guinea pigs stink and my mom hates rodents. Which does not help.... I have about $200 set aside for vet bills. So money is not a problem I think it is just my mom being scared of rodents but I dont really know how to change that...
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I put about 100 dollars in my bank account every month. The reason it is so low is because my bearded dragon got sick.
 
Ok well see if your mum cant try going to somwhere and hold one maybe👍
 
I dont think $200 is really enough of a vet fund, especially in the USA where vet bills are much higher. If your mother doesnt like rodents, well... its her house! I don't like dogs and if my daughter ever tried bring one home (which she did!) I would have not let her keep it, which isnt fair to the animals or the parents involved if kids try to bring home a pets they know their parents don't want.
 
Guinea pigs are not cheap. I have just spent £100 + on 2 vet visits and 2 lots of eye drops for 1 piggy this last week, a couple of weeks before that it was £70 + on some eye drops and the same a few weeks before that. 6 months ago it was £200 on a life saving operation for one of my piggies. On top of vets bills as @PigglePuggle has already mentioned there are the normal every day costs of hay, food, extra veggies, snuggle tubes and snuggle sacks, extra washing, your bedding of choice .......
 
Unfortunately, your $200 is not enough. If you would go to the FB page of LA Guinea Pig Rescue, one of their rescue needed and emergency CS and their vet cost reached around $3500. The guinea pigs all died as well.

If at the moment you won't have more than you have, I would advice that it's best to postpone getting guinea pigs until you can really afford it and have a place of your own.
 
The best way, I think, to convince them is to be mature about it. Take great care of the pets you already have, which I'm sure you already do :) help out around the house, save extra money to be able to afford all that is necessary with piggies and id give it some time to let the sting of paying for vet fees for your beardie pass. I would also increase your vet fund, £200 really wont go far with piggies I'm afraid. One of my 12 has been to the vets twice a week for the last 4 weeks or so and it's adding up to quite a bit more than that already. That doesn't even count the 1k worth of credit card debt ive only just paid off from one of the other piggies who was poorly a couple of years ago.

Remember when an animal/animals are brought into a home where the responsible adults do not want them, it will be them that suffer at the end of the day. It is a frequent occurrence seeing youngsters desperately reaching out for medical help for their piggies because their parents wont take them to a vet, or have done so much and refuse to do anymore etc. If your parents are not on board, I would wait until you are in a position to be the one who gets to decide what is brought into your own home :) guinea pigs arent going anywhere and they are worth the wait.
 
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I agree with all of the above replies, guinea pigs are a lot of work and require a lot of attention, if your parents aren’t sure yet, don’t give up but don’t pester them about it.
 
Why not try to do some volunteering at an animal or guinea pig sanctuary? That way you get to enjoy being around piggies without making your mum uncomfortable, or the cost of having your own. Unfortunately it's really down to your parent's choice. My son always wanted a dog, but I didn't feel it would work in our life, so he never got one. He's now living with his girlfriend (not because I wouldn't let him have a dog lol), and they have two dogs which he adores. Time will pass, and you can make your own decisions when you have your own place.
 
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