The little things I’ve learned about looking after a pet guinea pig

Lots of us have a family pet, such as a dog or cat that the whole family enjoys.

Ideally, everyone helps out with its care, but I’m sure in most cases, it’s the grown ups who end up doing the heavy lifting (as well as the poop lifting!)

Smaller pets like hamsters and rabbits tend to be purchased more exclusively as the children’s pet.

They beg and promise they’ll look after it properly; a tale as old as time.

When I was small, my parents allowed me to keep all manner of rodents such as hamsters and gerbils.

Not all at the same time, mind you.

Over a period of a few years, I went through about a dozen furry friends. In hindsight and much to my regret, I didn’t always care for them properly.

There was a lack of information back then and perhaps a sentiment that small pets were disposable.

When I was 9 or 10, I had a single guinea pig that lived in an old tea chest.

I fed it lots of vegetable peels although I don’t think we ever gave it hay to eat.

I also have some memories of being a little experimental with that poor piggie’s diet.

‘I wonder if it likes rice krispies…’ Far from ideal and no wonder the poor thing didn’t live long.

When my daughter Lucy declared that she wanted guinea pigs for her First Communion a few years back, memories of my own rodent misadventures came flooding back.

I agreed to let her get some, under the strict agreement that she would do a much better job caring for them than I did.

I was candid with her about the fact I hadn’t done a marvellous job as a child and urged her to aim for much higher standards of care for her piggies.

‘Yes, yes, of course,’ she said.

And mostly, she has risen to the challenge.

Mostly.

There have been periods of time when it’s been too cold or she’s been too busy, and the duty of care has fallen on me.

I don’t mind doing some guinea pig penance – I deserve it.

But in lots of cases, I imagine that if parents don’t actively participate in the care of caged beasties, their care inevitably falls short.

A cat or dog doesn’t be long letting you know when it needs fed, but the inhabitants of a little hutch at the bottom of the garden are truly at our mercy.

I wouldn’t recommend any parents to agree to their child getting a caged animal unless they have some degree of interest in its care too.

For all my preaching about caring for pets properly, one of Lucy’s guinea pigs recently got very sick.

The experience of running to the vets and watching Lucy cry sad, worried tears the whole length of the dual carriageway prompted this week’s article.

Exasperated, I told family and friends that the guinea pig needed to get bladder stones removed, if you don’t mind.

The main response was, “Would it not be cheaper to buy her a new guinea pig?”

Yes, yes it would.

But we have to care for our pets.

They are not disposable.

Thankfully, Lucy’s piggie pulled through and is back chomping on hay along with its little pals.

Three things I’ve learned the hard way: A single guinea pig would be very lonely in a tea chest.

You can’t feed rice krispies to a guinea pig.

If your guinea pig gets sick, you have to take it to the vet.

In so many ways, we hope our kids will be better humans than us – the way they care for their pets is as good a place to start as any.

Louise Flanagan is an admin of Letterkenny Babies Facebook page and the author of the children’s book series, Dragonterra and Dream Beasts. www.dragonterra.ie.

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