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not sure what to do

  • Thread starter Thread starter LucyJK
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LucyJK

my friend has 3 GPs she got 2 from a pet shop - she thought 2 girls but it turned out 1 was a boy so obviously they produced babies. she gave 2 of them to her sister whilst she kept the other one to go with the mum. so she has 1 boar separate and 2 sows together.

thats not my concern, thats just the background

my concern is, she has 2 young children (18mths and 3yrs) the 3yr old is how shall I put this, hmmm, very livley and not very well disaplined so does whatever she wants basically !

she has free run to the piggies and get them out constantly, unsupervised and very roughly, she carries them about all the time and throws them into the run. my friend even said she only puts them down when she goes to bed and the piggies actually lay in the hutch panting ! the other day I was horrifed as I was in the garden whilst unbeknown to me she had the GP in the house with her. suddenly we heard this GP screaming and I mean screaming !we went runniing in as Grace (my 4.5yr old daughter) came running out very distressed saying **name of child** is really hurting the GP we ran in and she was squeezing the GPs tummy (like toy) saying look it squeeks !
my friend half heartly told her off but didnt take the GP off of her, my friend just laughed saying I'lll be surpprised if they last the year ! I was totally shocked !
my children know they are only ever allowed to even open the hutch/run if I'm there and then i place the GP on their laps, they are supervised the entire time.
I just dont know what to do as these GPs are just used as toys :( its so difficult as she is my best friend
 
Oh no that is a difficult situation for you but the poor piggies can't be treated like that. Could you not mention your concerns to your friend? xx
 
Ive tried but she just laughs and says I'm too precious about animals. also she had GPs before me so thinks she knows whats best etc..

I'm so worried for when she comes to my house as I dont want her handling mine like this ! My kids are made to do it as I explanied above and I would hope other chidlren would be the same, but this girl really is naughty ! Glenn (my hubby) said under no circumstances is she allowed to touch ours and i need make that clear from the word go. Ive been puttiing her off coming round as i really dont want her scaring Rosie as my kids have been so very good/quiet/respectful with her
 
I'm so sorry this is happening and I'm so sorry for the poor piggies:(.
hmmm well my advice is not easy as i truthfully wouldnt care about a friend if they allowed that to happen to a defensless animal,i would report her and if nothing gets done then maybe go for a visit with extra large pockets;) and certainly do not put up with it in your own house,it it does happen at your house show them the door
 
it is a very difficult situation, parenting is a very touchy subject with most people as is the care of animals and rightly so. I rescued a yorkie from my best friend when i was 13, he was getting beaten up by one of the other dogs in the household and hiding under a bed most of the time and i would have him for recuperation. I (plus very understanding parents) then made the decision that people can fend for themselves and animals can't so decided i would not return benji to them unless they did something about the other dog, neutering, behaviour training something, they did nothing so i kept benji our friendship was never the same again but benji did not have to live in terror. He had 13 wonderful years with us and he was my best friend.

Basically you need to give the mum a stern talking to about her responsibilities towards the animals in her care and how her lax attitude upsets you as you do not think animals are disposable (last a year! makes me very cross!)

I would also point out to your children that what so and so children does is not acceptable behaviour - just incase they think it is a good idea to copy
 
lovelygirl said:
I would also point out to your children that what so and so children does is not acceptable behaviour - just incase they think it is a good idea to copy
Click to expand...

my kids know its wrong and even they comment about **childs name's** behaviour with the GPs! we have loads of animals heres (like a small farm lol) my kids know the animals always come first and they have to be 'as quiet as mouses' around them !

I will try and talk to her again
 
There is no way in hell i would let that monster near my animals! you could use the argument that you do not want yours or their guineapigs to catch anything off each other and thus she can look but not touch! But i agree with bonnie i would not want to be friends with someone who allows her children to abuse animals. Just because you have had animals a long time does not mean you know more than another person who has done lots of research but has been keeping guinea pigs for a shorter amount of time!
 
Oh Lucy that's such a tough one and i would be like you - really unable to watch the behaviour.

Personally I would say to her when or before she came round that you do things differently and that children are supervised for short gently handling (like at farms and wildlife centres). Then if (and it's a big if) you DO let the little child hold your guinea they do so under strict supervision with guidance from you on correct handling as it sounds like mum doesn't give a stuff and clearly isn't educating her children properly on how to look after animals.

What an awful situation to be in. I would be so tempted to have a barney but that wouldn't solve anything really would it.

All you can do is make sure your guineas are as well looked after as possible, try talking to your friend again and supervise if any handling is allowed at all.

Think about or plan what to say to her beforehand as if your emotions get in the way it could not work out how you want and you don't get the message across that you want to.

Good luck honey
 
great advice although I'm not sure this kiddie should ever go near the OP's GP's.
I know you look after your piggies and thats what you have to focus on but this is animal abuse and needs to be dealt with so they dont get away doing it to future animals too,i hope all goes ok let us know what happens xxxxxx
 
also shes on about purposely breeding from her again so that she can give the piggies to her friend for their kids mallethead

I'm going to work out what to say and then try and tell her, thanks for all the advice xx
 
wish you all the best in your endeavour to re-educate your friend on looking after and caring for animals, and please please dissuade her from breeding from their piggies and tell her all about the rescue piggies that need new homes and if her friends would like piggies that they should consider rescue as you had such a positive experience with them!
 
she knows my views on rescues as all my pets are from rescues, I never ever buy from pets shops and she knows I have strong views on this, which she laughs at, she cant believe I go through the trouble of visiting them on a few occassions and go to the trouble being homechecked when you can just go to the pet store a get one in 10 mins !

I told her I saw Snowy on the thurs and she said oh are you picking her up on the sat then ? I said no we have to visit her 2 more times then be homechecked and she just laughed and said go to the pet shop for gods sake its just a guinea pig !
 
I know not everyone feels like this but I would put my GP before a best friend anyday, animals can't stand up for themselves really. Horrid children, I would give my friend what for and damn what she says. Sorry but I can't stand people letting children treat animals like that and then laugh it off.

Joy xx
 
Hi Lucy, What a difficult position to be in, I can totaly sympathise with your situation,
My husband and I saw my next door neighbough and good friend at the time who was 3months pregnant get her eldest son (age7) for christmas a baby rabbit,
We knew the little bun was out in his hutch in all the winter weather and the boy was not bothered about the rabbit one bit, and wondered what to do also.
Then when she had to go into hospital for 3 mths after having triplets, neither she or her husband had asked anyone to look after their rabbit Tommy so we just took him and kept him in our house, they did not ask about him, we had decided on no account would we give him back, I just told her we had taken Tommy in,
she was not bothered I think she was glad,
Sadly Tommy died when he was a year old, the vet said it was probably due to his poor living conditions when he was a baby, We had got very attached to Tommy and if we could go back we would have taken him away sooner but these situations are very hard and it's all a matter of conscience,
May be try to drop into conversation that little creatures are not as strong as she thinks they are and that vets bills are expensive etc or take her a book round if you have one about g'pig care
Good luck and I hope you can resolve things
 
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I'm sorry too to hear about this situation, the thought of someone squeezing a piggy like that makes me feel sick inside. I don't know what you can do except try to educate her children if they are at your house, and be thankful that you've done such a good job on your own children!

Sophie
x
 
i think you have great restraint, because if i was in you shoes i would have taken the piggies from them a long time ago!

i have 3 children, and my youngest is 2, but he understands he can't just pick the piggies up, and we have created an enclosure for our piggies, with a gate and lock, and if he wants to look or cuddle them, he has to ask, which is the same for my middle son who is 5. I would NEVER leave either of them un-supervised with my piggies, and my 5 year old is really good, and understand quite a bit.

i think you need to tell her what is happening is wrong, and if she won't give you the piggies, report her. If she isn't stopped she is going to breed more piggies, and whos to say, her darling child won't kill one of the babies, throwing it into the run.

good luck, and let us know how you get on xx
 
Oh what an awful situation to be in, myself personally I wouldn't be able to contain myself, but then not everyone is like me and I do tend to say exactly what I feel in the most diplomatic way possible though some do stretch that and I just go for it.

I am disgusted at the way she lets her children treat their guinea pigs, what kind of example is she to them and I guess that if she has such little regard for animals then her children are going to end up no doubt growing up as inconsiderate adults with no respect for animals or other human beings. No doubt they will probably follow in her footsteps and history will repeat itself.

I have two small children and they will not even be allowed to touch them unless it's with adult supervision, animals and children can have wonderful relationships and it can bring so much to a child to love, care and respect animals and it sounds like with your own children you're doing a fantastic job and the rewards for all of you are ten fold.

I just hope something gets sorted and quickly before it becomes an even worse situation.

Good luck,x
 
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