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Post by Alix on Feb 12, 2005 22:16:43 GMT
The time has come to shed some light on Class Pet Pigs. Unfortunately my sister is in a class who's teacher has Class Pet Piggies. These pigs are absolutely to die for, and they're gorgeous, they are very very sweet. Their cage is tiny! I can understand that this is to do with the children having to lug the cages home every weekend (poor piggies having to be shipped around to so many different homes so often!!) Ok, this is the cage.  This is Mini-Me  This is Steve (looks like Baby!!!)  And my Dad says he's going to go up to the school and discuss their living arrangements. Hopefully something can be arranged, because they live on straw generally (in the green box thing) and have newspaper UNDER the wire of the other side. The newspaper was dark yellow when I picked up the cage from the school, and the straw was a deep shade of yellow too. The shavings we put in there, and gave them some proper hay. They've even started squealing for veggies in the morning! Poor boys.. |
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Post by Clover on Feb 13, 2005 9:14:54 GMT
Oh good for your dad aL! I'm very sad and dissapointed in the teacher, they should have done some research about how to take care of guinea pigs. I believe a noisy school class room is an awful enviroment for guinea pigs and even worse to be shipped around like a parcel to god knows where, every weekend. Even if the school 'insists' the guinea pigs stay in the classroom, they wouldn't be able to have free range time so at least they should provide them with an enclosed run. It sounds like the cage is very neglected to. The boys look at least plump and healthy, considering what they have to put up with.  |
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Post by skipperdoo on Feb 13, 2005 9:44:26 GMT
Do they have access from the tub right through to the wire area? I think education would be the key to improving their situation. I think rather than worry abot the cage size at the moment, which is adequate if they get outside and cuddle time, the wire and fresh bedding needs to be addressed ASAP. They do look rather cute and healthy. Glad you and your Dad are going to try to rectify their situation!  |
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Post by Bean on Feb 13, 2005 16:20:21 GMT
Aww they are lovely - it's a shame their care isn't close to being up to scratch so lots and lots of luck improving their environment and getting their carers better educated.
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Post by skipperdoo on Feb 13, 2005 16:46:17 GMT
How about a temporary (or permanet) fix for the wire area ...just make a corplast base and set it inside?
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Post by Alix on Feb 14, 2005 9:58:05 GMT
I will put together a list of places the teacher can go for information on piggies and cage sizes, general care etc. Even having it a class project where she gets the kids into groups that research the different areas - feed, housing, play, handling, medical care etc.. plenty for the children to learn too.
The pigs get LOTS of attention. They are clean in themselves and healthy and love people which is a credit to the way they are supervised, but I thought even if I gave them my cubes to make an indoor play pen for during the day.. as my pigs don't need it during the winter, and I can get some more.
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Post by Clover on Feb 21, 2005 6:09:05 GMT
Oh thats a good idea aL about the teacher hopefully turning their care etc into a project. How old are the children aL?
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Post by Alix on Feb 21, 2005 7:25:46 GMT
The kids are all 9, turning 10. I'm almost done with the page of info, and pages for them to visit. I might just List Treen's site as the main one, as it has all links to great piggie info..
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Post by Izzy on Feb 23, 2005 18:21:48 GMT
They are such gorgeous piggies! I hope the teacher takes your advice and improves their care. Let us know what happens.
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Post by rap5645 on Mar 1, 2005 21:36:36 GMT
They are cute! I have two that look just like Steve.
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Post by Clover on Mar 2, 2005 7:00:27 GMT
Do you have any photo's rap5645? Hope things are improving for them aL |
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Post by crittermom on Mar 19, 2005 19:42:43 GMT
My feelings on the topic. I've been a pre-kindergarten teacher for 20 years, and have seen all manner of classroom pets kept in sad conditions and mishandled by children. Any pets I've had in the classroom belong to me, and go home with me only, no exceptions. The problem arises when a pet is seen as belonging to the school in general, rather than a particular teacher. Then you do see the teachers pawning off the animals to kids' homes during vacations, or worse, leaving them alone all weekend. And from years of experience I can say with confidence that most do not send the animals home with kids as a lesson in responsibility, but rather because they don't want the responsibility themselves. My feeling is that if you don't wish to take on the primary care of the animal, you need not have it in your classroom in the first place. There are many other ways to teach responsibility to children. Actually, the reason I have piggies in my room is so that the children can develop nurturing qualities under my direct supervision, and observe MY responsible pet care so that they will see by example what is good and right.
My rules are:
Only the teacher is allowed to open the cage.
Likewise, only I can lift them out, carry, and put them back.
The children sit on the floor and pet the pigs in cozies on their laps under my direct supervision.
My boars are very sociable and tame....they've been in the classroom since the age of five weeks and are quite used to hubbub and activity. I'm sure they're comfortable because they spend a great deal of the day out of the hidey houses, standing up on their hind legs at the cage wall, and generally roaming about and lounging. From time to time they'll wheek and bring the children great delight. I have a folding playpen which sets up easily for supervised floortime as well. Their school cage looks similar to the one pictured here, but when they're home with me weekends and holidays they have a 3x6 C&C. So.....a class guinea pig can have a happy, healthy life -- with an educated and responsible owner.
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Post by Clover on Mar 21, 2005 11:26:20 GMT
Firstly, I just want to welcome you crittermom to Wheekers. Thanks so much for sharing your views. I wish all teaches had your very responsible attitude towards classroom pets. Your boys sound very confident and contented which is excellent. I'm sure the kids in your class have learned such alot about caring for a piggy and how to be a responsible pet owner . Do you have any photo's of your boys, it would be lovely to see them. |
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Post by Bean on Mar 21, 2005 12:07:26 GMT
Welcome to Wheekers Crittermom!
I too wish all teachers had your attitude to their classroom pets.
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Post by crittermom on Mar 21, 2005 16:06:06 GMT
Thanks for the welcome! And I really didn't mean to sound defensive or self-righteous; I've just heard too many in the guinea pig community condemn classrooms and daycares for piggies. I like to present the other side of the coin, though I will be the first to agree that much needs to be done. Actually, the worst thing that happened to any of my pigs (a pair of boys I had some years prior to my current ones) was when we had a surprise blizzard on a weeknight and the roads were shut down the next morning. After some frantic phone calls, the parish priest agreed to walk over to the school and look after them. So - their breakfast was about three hours late, but that was it. The priest grew very fond of the pigs and came to visit them often the rest of their lives. My boys' names are Ben and Jerry, and they're a few days short of their first birthday (which they'll be celebrating at home with me on our Spring Break). I'll try and have my husband help me with pictures later.....I'm not much good at that sort of thing!  Looking forward to chatting with you all. |
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Post by crittermom on Mar 21, 2005 16:17:30 GMT
Oh yes, I forgot to explain that although the boys' school cage is similar in size to the one pictured, it has a smooth bottom (not wire). Since I've become a C&C convert I'm trying to think of creative ways to give them a bit more space, though it will be a challenge as the classroom has limited room.
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Post by Bean on Mar 21, 2005 16:29:19 GMT
After some frantic phone calls, the parish priest agreed to walk over to the school and look after them. So - their breakfast was about three hours late, but that was it. The priest grew very fond of the pigs and came to visit them often the rest of their lives. Aww that's so sweet! When I first got my two original girls and it turned out one was pregnant, I wasn't initially sure if I would be able to keep them all (of course I did in the end...!). A teacher I knew through someone said that if one was dark she'd be interested as one of her classroom piggers had died and she wanted to replace it so the kids didn't get upset. Before I'd even thought about it, the remaning pig also died so she changed her mind and I didn't give it another thought. I later found out (and believe me, I wouldn't have even considered sending one to a new home without making sure the new owners were up to scratch) that both had died at the school over weekends. She's just been putting extra hay, pellets and water in and leaving them to their own devices from Friday afternoon to Monday morning. Poor things. After a few stories like that, and seeing how some are housed/ handled/ passed around etc. you can't help but worry about classroom pets, but with the right and responsible owner, it can certainly work, as you prove. Ben and Jerry - what cute names! I'm suddenly hungry for ice cream too! *runs off to the freezer* |
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Post by kitty on Mar 21, 2005 17:12:49 GMT
Yes, thanks Crittermom for being responsible. I always cringed when the kids would take animals home-who knows what they did to them? And I thought the poor things were probably traumatized by living in a classroom in the first place, but yours sounds okay! We did have a hamster that lived to be 6 in a pre-school room, though how it stood it here was beyond me. Let us know what happens with these lovies aL.
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Post by Clover on Mar 22, 2005 10:22:54 GMT
Thats a heartwarming story about the parish priest crittermom and that he wanted to keep visiting them afterwards to.
What a very sad thing to happen Treen. Even so called piggy lovers think its alright to leave them alone all weekend don't they!
We had Gerbils in our class room when I was at secondary school. They always seemed to have clean cages, food and fresh water. I think the teacher used to take them home every weekend.
If you need any help posting photo's of your boys crittermom, please let us know.
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Post by Bean on Mar 22, 2005 10:31:45 GMT
We had class gerbils too - I remember having them at home during one holiday. We'd already had gerbils of our own so knew what they needed, and of course took great care of them anyway. But the way who had them during holidays was allocated like a prize, not on who actually knew how to take care of them.
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