my sweet fiona is gone

[cavylover2010]

I am very sorry for your loss. It is hard to lose a guinea pig that you loved very much. I have lost a few myself.

[Stacie]

Losing a pet is very sad. I am very sorry that you had to go through it. Although it is a normal part of the cycle of life, it isn't easy. Especially for a child who is just learning to deal with all of these emotions and taking on the responsibility. From what I have read here, she may never have the confindence to care for anything else again. Kids can be very fragile, as they have not yet had life beat them down. 4H just wanted to do what she thought was right and came here thinking she was surrounded by people who would allow her to grieve and share her feelings.

I, personally, have gotten some helpful advice on this site, but I do admit, I as I typed it I was feeling like a dog lying with my throat exposed to show that I was not a threat. I worried about saying the wrong thing.

There is a time in all of our lives where we don't know something and that includes everyone on here. Life is a big learning experience for all of us. I have two kids and I know how completely devasted they will be at the loss of any of our pets. And the only reason we so carefully matched two males (checked and rechecked!) was because I did a lot of research before we even got one guinea pig. The fact that it didn't come from a pet store wasn't an accident, but it was a lucky accident that we didn't get it from a breeder. I didn't know. Now I do and we knew that to get our second, but we all have to learn somewhere.

[agfoster]

I'm sorry that you have lost your pig! Just learn a lesson from this. Yes, babies pigs are absolutely adorable, but a pig should not have to die to give you more play mates. Sometimes rescue centers have a litter of babies. You may have to drive abit, but it will be worth it. A Word Of Advice! Keep the males completely away from the females!!!! But seriously, I am sorry that you lost your fifi.

[speedysmom]

You know what...you are all picking on a nine year old girl. And you dhould all be ashamed. She feels bad enough as it is, and it was a mistake. Heaven forbid you ever make a mistake and something terrible happens and you have these holier than thou people jump down her throat. She did te right thing, she ADOPTED a guinea pig and had so much love to give she ADOPTED another. She didn't go to the pet store and buy them and the rescue messed up not her! I don't know her and I do't know her mom. But I have a child myself, and my child loves her cavy too, and if you ever made my child feel the way you just made that NINE YEAR IOLD GIRL feel, after she just lost a pet and a loved one, then the only thing I could do is to pray for you... because you obvioulsly need something.

[guineapiggoddess]

Hahaha! You got right to the point on that one didn't you speedysmom! I feel bad for the little girl also.

[emily111897]

Originally Posted by Love pigs

Oh, and by the way hun... if you read the forum rules you would know that the SHIFT button is for capitalizing letters at the beginning of the sentence. Tip: get your mom to check your posts.!

You're one to talk. "Hun" isn't a word, nor is "peeps". Tip: Get your mom to check your posts.

Anyway, I feel sorry for the girl. I don't blame "Rescue" members for some of the things they say. I, however, do pity them for accusing before they know the story.

[Alyce0012]

AWWW... now i feel sorry for you!! I'm SOOO SORRY!!!

[emily111897]

I know! I know probably everyone is!

[VoodooJoint]

Originally Posted by Alyce0012

AWWW... now i feel sorry for you!! I'm SOOO SORRY!!!

Originally Posted by emily111897

I know! I know probably everyone is!

I don't feel the least bit sorry. Nice "back story" but it doesn't mean a thing and I personally don't really believe it. It doesn't matter anyway. This kid and her mother fully intended (and perhaps still do) to start breeding GPs and experiment with colors. As usual I don't hear a thing about having the animals fully vet tested and genetically screened before breeding them though. It's all about color and hair, never about actual health.

The mother has her 8 year old breeding goats and readily admits to having lost a few does due to their breeding program. That's pretty pathetic.

They breed chickens as well and probably other animals. These people a part of the problem and they are teaching it to their children.

I adore how the breeders usually bring up the whole extinction theory as a way to justify their actions. It's a load of crap. Sure, the species would become extinct if all breeding were to end but in what world is that going to happen? There are always accidental pregnancies. Who cares if we loose a few "specialty breeds". I don't think the rescuers would cry if the Satins and Teddies, along with their crippling bone degeneration and skin disorders, disappeared. Nor would they cry if the Skinnies and Baldwins, with their cancers, heart disease, immunodeficiencies and short lifespans, died off. The only people who would cry would be the breeders who can't exploit them anymore so that they can have their pathetic and selfish social life and win a few cheap ribbons.

Really, we don't need people purposely breeding. Why don't the breeders take a step back and RECOGNIZE that there is an overpopulation problem? Why don't they stop their selfish breeding and try to DO something to alleviate the problem instead of adding to it? If the breeders all started doing the RIGHT thing and helped end animal overpopulation and suffering THEN they can talk to me about breeding and all it's virtues. Meanwhile rescuers like me are stuck cleaning up their messes. Guess what? We do not want to do it! We WANT to be put out of "business". We hate seeing sick, diseased, neglected and abused animal come though our doors and spending our hard earned money to try to save their lives. It doesn't look like there will be any end in sight for us because there are people like 4H out there who are willing to keep on breeding despite animals being abandoned and killed all around them. Take off the blinkers breeders and LOOK at what you are causing. Not one person that purposely breeds an animal is innocent. Each one is responsible for causing death and suffering.

Those of you interested in how we feel about humans breeding I have one thing to say; Freedom of Choice. Humans are free to choose to risk their lives, animals are not. Animals in captivity are at our mercy. They are not our toys to experiment with to get new colors and fancy hair. They are not ours to breed until all of the shelters and rescues are filled to the brim and millions of animals are killed each year for the simple crime of not having a home.

If a human has a child a child in a foster home or orphanage is not summarily killed. The same cannot be said for animals.

If I get pregnant and have the child and something happened to me or the baby I have no one to blame but myself. After all I chose to have a baby. Can the captive animal blame itself? I don't think so. It can blame the human (as can I).

Yes, yes, I know. Wild animals reproduce all the time and it's natural. There is nothing natural about a domesticated or captive animal. Their reproduction drive is misguided and humans take advantage of it. There is a good thread I wrote on the subject here What if I keep the babies? - Guinea Pig Cages Forum

Do any of you get it yet? I don't care a whit if this was a 9 year old child. It's a child that is being allowed to breed animals and play with their lives. If she's old enough for that type of responsibility then she's also old enough to take the heat for her actions. Mom isn't doing her children any favors by teaching them that animals are ours to use for our own glory.

I'm annoyed that mom got disgruntled because her child was told the truth in no nonsense terms. She seems to believe that her children should accept the deaths they cause as par for the course though. Mommy can sugar coat the truth all she wants. I'm not here to coddle irresponsible behavior though and it's equally irresponsible for others to try to sugar coat it too. The simple fact is Breeding = Death in one form or another. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluding themselves. Buy One, Get One Killed

[cavylover2010]

I and my sister both breed and raise goats and horses. Does that make us bad people. Acording to what you just wrote that does. Just because we breed something does not mean we are part of the problem. People who get the animals and mistreat them are part of the problem. Even though we do breed we have taken in rescues to.