He died :(

Andrew's Guinea Pig died about 15 minutes ago . He doesn't know yet but I rang the shop I got them from and they said they will give us another one the same colour.

Should I tell him that he died or just let him think that it is fine, as I will get the new one tomorrow after I drop him off at kindy???

The reason why he was sick was that they don't produce their own Vit C and I wasn't told that  I am really angry at the person who sold them to us.

If there's no way he can find out, then I don't see the harm in "swapping" it tomorrow, but if you get caught, he'll probably never forgive you for it

Andrew is in bed now and doesn't usually see the guinea pigs in the morning cos if the morning rush we have here so I think I can get away with it. My parents also said not to tell him and just swap it as it was only 3 weeks old.

My dad gave me a hard time too only had it for 3 weeks and good on me it died, but once I explained that the pet shop didn't do their job it was ok, coz the other one is doing really well.

So sorry That is sad.
If it were me then I think I would tell him in a nice way (Eg. Gone to pet heaven) and have a little funeral. Kids quite often handle things better than us adults! It is a reality that all things die and it could be a good way to learn about that. I would rather they first learn about that sort of stuff from a pet rather from a family member etc. JMHO

I think you did the right thing Becks, but I'll bet it was hard!

Well when I was a kid I had a pet chicken, one day I came home and it was gone. My dad told me it had run away so everyday after school I would wait by the gate calling tom the chicken this went on for 3 months. It wasnt until I was 11 that our dog had caught a bird and we were disscussing how gross it was over dinner when my poppa said "thats how poor tom must have felt!) yes the dog had eaten the chicken. I was angry even at that point that the truth wasnt told when I was taught to be so honest, why were adults given the right to lie when I wasnt? what else had they told me that was a lie?. The other stories came out like the golfish that mysteriously changed colours one day! I was 6 and 7 when these things happened but I personally believe that the truth is the way to go. In saying that it would be MUCH harder to do, and these were with pets that I had for a couple of years so maybe in *this* instance just grab another one but in the long run I personally think its better to be honest and let them learn to grieve. I know when this happens to us I wont be finding it so easy

Aw poor guinea pig (and you too Becks)

I remember when my cat died, mum said the SPCA had come and picked him up (after he was run over obviously) and buried him, turned out the place that he'd been hit outside of just threw him in their wheelie bin and he got thrown out with the trash I was 11 when this happened and just found out last year at the age of 21. And I bawled my eyes out. So I definitely think the truth is better, good on you.

NeoshasMummy wrote: Well when I was a kid I had a pet chicken, one day I came home and it was gone. My dad told me it had run away so everyday after school I would wait by the gate calling tom the chicken this went on for 3 months. It wasnt until I was 11 that our dog had caught a bird and we were disscussing how gross it was over dinner when my poppa said "thats how poor tom must have felt!) yes the dog had eaten the chicken. I was angry even at that point that the truth wasnt told when I was taught to be so honest, why were adults given the right to lie when I wasnt? what else had they told me that was a lie?. The other stories came out like the golfish that mysteriously changed colours one day! I was 6 and 7 when these things happened but I personally believe that the truth is the way to go. In saying that it would be MUCH harder to do, and these were with pets that I had for a couple of years so maybe in *this* instance just grab another one but in the long run I personally think its better to be honest and let them learn to grieve. I know when this happens to us I wont be finding it so easy

I agree,as much as we would love to protect our kids from any bad things, part of protecting them is by letting them feel the bad stuff too, so they know how to cope with it .

I remember when i was four , my dad sat me on the bed and said " i have some bad news sweetheart"
I said "is mummy having another baby BOY" (i was still trying to get them to trade in my brother for a doll )
He said "no...Skybird died "
"ohhhhh,daddy........"
"there there kelly , its ok, it happens, he was old "
"yes, but dad......whos skybird?"

Skybird was a budgie