Tag - guinea pigs

The trouble with having a responsible child is that when they negotiate for something they really want and truly deserve, they make it virtually impossible to say no. Our ten year old son is an animal lover. He spends countless hours on the internet or with his nose in a book researching furry, feathered, finned and scaly creatures — their habitats, diets, origins, unique characteristics, whether they’re endangered, etc. The boy is a virtual walking animal almanac. Every day at breakfast I’m bombarded with facts like, “Did you know giraffes have no vocal chords?” or “A Flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down.” shared in between mouthfuls of toast, but not bacon. He researched animal cruelty and is now a vegetarian. He feeds our two dogs every morning and fills their water dishes and walks them whenever I ask. His sister isn’t technically his “pet,” but he cares for and watches over her too. So when he asked (begged) for a guinea pig of his own, how could we say no? Do I want a messy, squeaky rodent living in my house for the net five years? Not particularly. No matter how responsible a child is, we[…]