At the start of the lockdown on March 16, 2020, our childcare centers had to close. Open only, with very limited staff, for emergency accommodation. But as you know, since January we had the skinny guinea pigs Kevin and Kiara at our BSO group Cabin at location Het DOK. To ensure their health and care, our pedagogical employee Nathalie took the guinea pigs home with them.
After the full opening of the children's centers in June, not long before the start of the summer holidays, it was decided to leave the guinea pigs with Nathalie at least until after the summer holidays. Because it had been decided since January that they would stay with Nathalie for the summer holidays anyway due to holidays of permanent staff, etc. And to avoid moving them back and forth, to avoid stress, this was the decision at that time.
The guinea pigs have been with Nathalie for 5 months now. And how well do they do it. Nathalie wanted to share all the fun of the animals with everyone and even created an Instagram page for it (@meet.the.skinnies† The kids love to watch it like this!
However, there is another side to this story…
The guinea pigs did really well at the BSO. Despite the children gawking, they played next to the cage, ate well and let the children hold them when the time came. The crowds of the group always made sure they were wary, especially when it came to sleeping. But they didn't know any better.
But now that the guinea pigs are in a different, of course much quieter, environment, Nathalie sees a real behavioral change in the guinea pigs. They are simply much more relaxed. This manifests itself, for example, in lying stretched out on their side and sleeping with their eyes closed. They are no longer as wary as with the Cabin because all the busy noises have disappeared for them.
So unfortunately it is really true; The guinea pigs will stay with Nathalie…
This choice was not made easily. The decision was only made after several conversations with the district manager, consultation with the other employees of the Cabin, all the pros and cons weighed up against each other and the children's experience. The welfare of the animals has been paramount from day 1 of the purchase. Every day, we have always looked closely at how the animals developed. And it has always been said that if the welfare of the animals was compromised, they could no longer stay in the group.
Purely because the animals now know better, have now experienced a quiet environment and have been growing up in this for 5 months now, we do not think it is responsible for their well-being to put them back in a busier environment and alone for weekends again. to stay. They have already grown/developed so much and are no longer the growing babies they were in January.
The Corona crisis is the only scenario that we had not calculated in advance and is therefore really the only reason that their reception and care went like this. If the BSO had never been closed that way, the guinea pigs would never have gone home with Nathalie for such a long time, they would never have known better than their lives in the group and we would never have come to this decision. And as much as we regret it for the children and the added value that the animals could offer them, we do not think that the welfare of the animals should be compromised for this. We will of course discuss this extensively with the children in the group and explain why this is the best solution. We are convinced that the children will understand this and hope that they have enjoyed the 2.5 months with the guinea pigs in the group.
We hope that you as parents will also understand the decision! The Instagram page will continue to exist so that everyone can continue to watch their growth and fun!
Lots of love,
The employees of the Cabin and an oinkje from Kevin & Kiara
