[Gpdd] MISC - school trip

[Suzy Dunser]

Well, the piggies and I were pushed outside our comfort zone today  
(by Erika, my 8-year-old), but it all worked out well. Erika's class  
had just finished reading a book about a guinea pig, and she was  
desperate to bring Rocky and Cocoa in to class. I ended up writing a  
note to her teacher, kind of emphasizing that they were still young  
and pretty timid, but she was very keen anyway, so.... off we went  
today. I brought them in a 3ft cage rather than a pet carrier, so  
that if they (or I!) were too stressed the kids could see them in  
there without my taking them out. But I had brought them a bunch of  
leaves, and once the cage was set down on the floor it didn't take  
them too long to come out of the hay pile and start eating them, so I  
figured they were okay so far. So I did take them out, and we passed  
them around, in fleece hats - Erika and I did all the transferring  
from one child to the next, and each child got to hold the hat and  
give them a few pets. The piggies didn't make any unhappy noises (but  
then they never have made any noises at all while being held), and to  
my happy surprise they kept their heads facing out. After the petting  
they went back into the cage while we answered some questions, and  
they went back to happily munching their leaves! Also they started  
exploring the cage a bit rather than just hiding in the hay. And when  
they got home and were back in their normal cage they were happy to  
eat some more leaves, so I think overall they were okay with it. I'm  
sure it helped that the children were really good, too - Erika told  
them they had to be quiet and move slowly, and they really did do that.

Well, sorry this was so long, but I had to tell someone who would  
understand how tense I was, and how relieved I am that it went so  
well! It also gives me more hope that maybe the little guys won't be  
so shy forever. What we really need is some sort of enclosure so we  
can sit with them on the floor in a contained area - right now we  
really don't have a guinea-pig safe room, so all their out-of-cage  
experience is on our laps. I will get on to that...

Wheeks and kisses from Rocky and Cocoa and their devoted but possibly  
overprotective mum,
Suzy