Cant Cope

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@Debs111

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I have just had the worst night ever. Simba rumbling and chasing Kiara around the cage, 3 babies squealing, Nala CONSTANTLY chewing bars...shes still doing it now! I ended up shouting very loud, throwing things at the cage, ANYTHING to shut them up so I could get a tiny bit of sleep. They're driving me CRAZY. In the end I had to go and sleep in the living room so I could get a bit of peace and quiet! I'm struggling to cope with all my animals financially and I'm finding the guinea pigs are probably the biggest burden financially, they go through nearly £10 of veg a week, a £4 bag of food every 2weeks, £2 bag of hay. It all adds up to quite a lot.
I was texting Kate (starshine) overnight when I was stressed and upset and she said she will help anyway she can.
Would I be wrong to rehome them? I know some of you see me on here as someone who just 'throws away' animals, but I dont. I care about and love my animals...but is it better to keep on struggling and not coping, or is it better to pass them onto someone who can find them the PERFECT home? Someone who will be able to cope, will be used to their ways and be able to sort them out?
Now my only problem is, if I do rehome them...do I rehome Nala, Simba & Kiara, do I rehome Ronnie, Roxy & Sandy, or do I rehome them all? I guess ideally, if I cant cope I should rehome them all. But the thought of parting with the 3 babies I've seen from just a couple of hours old is heartbreaking. But then so is the idea of rehoming the 3 I've hasd the longest...Simba was my first. But its the 3 adults who are causing the most stress and problems!
I only ever wanted 1 guinea pig...that was Simba. But then I had to get him a girlfriend (once castrated) so he wouldnt be lonely, I ended up getting 2 girls as they couldnt be split up. Then Nala turned out to be pregnant and my 3 babies came. So 'only 1' turned into 6 very fast!
Please, any advice would be welcome. I'm really not coping at the moment :(

Thanks for reading all this, I'll be at work until about 5pm so wont be able to reply to any comments until then.
 
I think i would be inclined to rehome them all if you can,t cope with them financially.Throwing things at the cage also indicates they are stressing you out which they will be if they keep you awake.
I am sure you will find wonderful new homes for them.
Best of luck on whatever you decide :)
 
Why keep getting more animals if you can't cope? Why get a new rabbit when you had the pigs to look after and now you can't cope with them? I don't believe rabbits are much cheaper.

I truly think you should think about whether or not you are inclined to go out and replace the guinea pigs further down the line after you've rehomed them. If you rehome them then that should be it. No more pigs - in fact, no more pets.
 
Can you not keep them in another room? It's not good if you find yourself throwing things and resenting them being there :-\ They're probably also picking up on the fact that you are stressed and it's worrying them, animals are quite perceptive when moods are concerned. Not a happy situation. If you really need to part with them perhaps that would be best.
 
hey debs, sorry to hear your not coping too well, I know you have rats too, i would of thought they would make more noise through the night, our rats are really noisy at night. I think you should think long and hard before you decide anything, you could just be having a bad week.
I hope you find a solution. x
 
It must be very hard for you to make that decision. I sort of know what youre talking about because since my rabbit is un-neutured he thumps his feet and rattles the chikcen wire so loudly that we can hear at it clearly upstairs. As I only have two piggies, they dont really have much cost and they arent noisy, so they arent a problem. I see how you ended up with 6-my friend started with one rabbit and accidently ended up with seven.
Whatever you decide, you are making a good choice, as obviously your wellbeing (and sanity) is important. If you can find good homes for all of them without splitting any partners up, then you've done a good job and you shouldnt feel guilty. Good luck, hope you dont find it too hard if you give them up.
 
Nobody is perfect, lets remember that we all have off moments and this could be just what it is. I agree with Maisy just think long and hard before coming to any kind of decision.

Hugs to you, I'm sorry you are feeling like this right now, they are hard work, every pet is they need us for almost everything and it can be stressful, can you get some help with their care? And as Boureki said possibly keep them in another room?

Good luck with it,

Hugs,

Louise
x
 
That sounds like a very hard decision. Have you thought that maybe you have too many animals? I suggest you think long and hard about this, because you might miss your piggies after there gone. Maybe you should take a break from all your animals, get someone else, maybe a neighbour to look after them while your gone? And after you come back from your 'holiday', then see how you felt after being away from your furbabies for a while. I'm sure you will miss them.
Hope this helps,
Irene x
 
I do sympathise.... It sounds as though maybe you do have too many and that you are suffering from stress so it is not suprising that you can't cope.

I had to rehome all my rats (all 8 of them) earlier in the year because I was going to hospital and very depressed and I wasn't coping well with them... My family hated the rats (mum was terrified of them!) and no one would help me. I had no choice. It was hard for me but I needed to do the right thing for them. Now I am in the process of getting 2 guinea pigs (I have one already looking for a pal for them) and they suit me a lot better because they are not so jumpy and don't smell so much etc! Also my family love them so if I am ill again I know I will have some help!

Maybe it is a case of finding the right animal for you?

Personally I think you should rehome them, have a long break from animals and think about what you want to do. There is nothing to say you have to have pets (!) - I hope you make the decision that is right for you. xx
 
First of all, I don't think anyone would think you would 'throw away' your animals. It is obvious from the fact that you are worrying about it that you take the animals' and your own welfare seriously and want what's best all round.

I get very stressed about noise at night as well (not the piggies, they live in the shed!) and I know how especially at night you can get really worked up about noises that during the day you might not notice. Is there nowhere else you could put the piggies so that you can sleep without hearing them?

If I'm going to be brutally honest, I must say I would tend to think you should rehome at least the three babies, which might be the easiest to find homes for as they're young. If you find the piggies a financial burden now, what will you do if you get a lot of vet bills suddenly? Then you'd have to make tough decisions about where to find the money...

I know it's hard to choose, but be honest with yourself about which of your pets are your favourites. Perhaps if you had fewer pets you would enjoy them more, they'd cost less and you and them would be happier.

I hope I have been helpful, and I do wish the best for you and your animals,

Suzie
 
Debs you need to think about this, you just got your new rabbit and with the other pets this is all going to be hard work and people are right, your babies will pick up on your stress. Throwing stuff at their cage is only going to make things worse, as you know, guineas are timid animals and you will scare the wits out of them.
A lot has been said on other threads you have posted like this one so I am just going to try to be constructive here:
Financially you seem to be spending too much. Out of my three cats, three rabbits, five pigs and twenty tropical fish, the pigs are the cheapest to keep. With six you could save a lot of cash by ordering big bags of food. I get 10 kg supa guinea every 6-8weeks plus, depending how much greens I am giving them and that costs £15. You can get a bale of hay for cheap if you have somewhere to store it and greens for free if you check out the better of what your local greengrocer is throwing away or if you have a garden and a bit of research on what wild greens they can have.
Other than financially, you should rehome if you really can't cope, but only if you are not going to forget all this and decide you want guineas again at a later stage. Think about it really carefully because rehoming will upset your animals too, as well as you. Is there another room you could keep them in where they wouldn't disturb you so much but you could still be on hand to give them all the loving they need?
Also, how many cages are they in and what way are the boys/girls/castrated boys split because chewing bars etc is a sign that the pigs are freaking out about something. It could all be down to piggy politics and maybe you just don't have room for them all the way things are arranged.
Hope you can get sorted and in the meantime don't be falling for any more pretty faces in the pet shop.
 
Unless you have already made the decision perhaps fostering them out for 2-3 weeks would help you decide if that is what you really want, it would give you chance to see what its like without them and whether you just want to reduce your numbers. What ever you decide good luck.
 
I actually cant believe I am reading this! :o :o :o

Yes, fair enough for admitting you cant cope....

All the people you have been AWFUL to, and said some horrible things to for doing this exact same thing! What a hypocrite!

Didnt this EXACT same thing happen with another bunny you had, AND the budgies?

You cant just buy a new animal, and loose interest in the ones you have, its just not fair to them!

I thought you were buying a new shed next month to keep them in?

When you buy animals, you accept everything that comes with them, especially the emotional and financial stuff, no matter how much it drags you down...

Like its been said, I think if you do rehome them, which I think you will, dont buy a load more rats, or kittens, or hamsters or whatever takes your interest, as it would be a very very bad idea.

I am sure kate will help you to rehome them if thats what you want to do, but taking your anger out on them by 'thowing things at their cage' is awful!

If they are bar chewing, their are either stressed or bored.
 
I'm sorry I have to agree with PerfectPiggies :-\ It doesn't matter how stressed you, how is throwing things at the cage going to shut them up?! If you rehome them will you just get some more...didnt you rehome a bunny then get another bunny? if someone posted this you would say awful things to them but because it's you it's some how different?
 
Thanks for the various comments.
I know I've got too many animals, and I want to cut down. But I dont have the heart to rehome any of them at the moment...I guess I'll just have to cope.
I cant afford the shed until next year sometime, I only work 16hours per week and cant get any more hours. But if I did get more hours, then I wouldnt have the time for 29 animals!
I regret having so many animals, I really should of stuck with rats and rats only.
My animal room is full to the brim so no room for 2 guinea pig cages :(
I know Nala is only bar chewing due to stress but I dont have any where else to put her...shes in a Rabbit 100 cage with her 3 daughters and I know its too cramped.
I'm a crap animal owner :'(
 
dont feel bad-youre not crap at it. I know you dont think youve got the heart to re-home them, but even you admit that theyre not happy. If you want to be a good owner, think about what they need and rehome them. I dont mean to be harsh, but think about how it is for them.
 
Yeah I keep thinking what it must be like for Nala...cramped in a cage with 3 daughters she'd thought she'd get rid of as soon as they were old enough!
During clean out shes always looking back at Kiara and Simba, I'd love to get the 3 adults back together again but everytime I do it upsets Kiara & Simba, Simba ends up rumbling all over the place and Kiara gets upset! Is it worth perservering?
 
It would be fairer and kinder to your guinea pigs to let Kate find good homes for them all.
 
Not just the piggies-I think its for the best that most of the others get rehmed too
Sorry but it would be kinder if you cant cope
 
this is an awful situation that you are in, but if you cant cope emotionally or financially (which is the biggy) then you do need to rehome them...someone has said about how cheap it can be to have animals..Piggies are quite cheap to feed, and so are bunnies (if you dont count the vacs and neuter). I had 9 buns at one stage, and they cost me a max of £30 per month, with careful planning, and looking for cheaper alternatives it can be done
 
I've moved the guinea pigs into the animal room and moved 2 rats cages into my room. Lets see how this works out.
I dont understand how guinea pig feeding can be cheap, I buy veg twice a week and each time its approx £5. I buy a 2kg bag of Burgess Excel sometimes twice a month, though I am trying to make it last 1 month.
The bag of hay costs £2 and can usually last a month. I will see how I get on with this and will try and get my shed sorted!
 
Just found this thread...
Really sorry you're not coping too well Debs but I do agree with everything PerfectPiggies said.
Its a bit of a dilemma on what to do. Your obviously a very caring person and love the company of animals... but you have to know your limits. Its good that you've realised it cos some people just go into denial and say they can cope. You've just got to learn from it this time and be strong willed. Shame you didnt know your limit when you first got pets or otherwise you wouldnt be in this situ. But whats done is done I know... nows the time to put right the wrongs.

I'm not really sure what to suggest - just pretend to be a piggy and try and imagine what Nala is thinking and see things from her point of view! 98) ;D I know it sounds silly but it might make the decision clearer. You might have more room with the shed but you'll still have the same workload and expense if that is what you are concerned about. If you still want to keep piggies then maybe you should rehome just the babies... heartwrenching I know :-\

Good luck Debs O0 Must be awful for you at the moment :(
 
hey
i'm sorry to hear you're not coping too well. i think that if the piggies aren't going to get the best life with you, then maybe you should find new, good homes for them. you need to think about them awell as you. i have to agree with daftscotslass and perfect piggies, though, if your going to get rid of them, then thats that, it's not fair to pass them on and then replace them with new ones. i think it would be the best things for your animals though, to have new homes cos they're not haaving the best time with you really, and thats not fair. don't put yourself down, just think it all through. :)
 
Move them to a diffrent place of the house ? If you cant try keeping them busy like add extra toys and stuff ? I would hate to get rid of them but If it's really bad i would get rid of a couple, not all of them
 
Oh, Debs. What a horrid situation your in. I think its best to rehome them.

I dont want to upset you or sound nasty, but. Ive read quite afew threads with you asking people 'how can you afford a new hutch, you can only just afford vet bills' or something else todo with money and asking how they can afford it when they are 14. You admitted not being able to cope with them, but you have already ha to rehome a rabbit, just to get another one sayin 'i can afford it now' and you were (if i remember correctly) talking about getting another rabbit, to keep your rabbit company. Mabey you should just rehome your rabbit, piggies, rats.. everything if you cant cope. Well mabey keep nala & simba (or the 2 living together now) and rehome everything else.

Its a bad time but like you said, having dreams or thinking about how The mum and 3 daughters are in a cage together. And asking, is it worth perseviring to get the 3 adults back together isnt good. You should know that you have to perservire to bond animals and not to just give up on them. Just think about it.
 
I would re-home all your animals its the kindest thing to do if you can`t manage financially what would you do if one became ill ? these are not toys but lives that depend on you, small animals can die of stress so imagine how frightened those piggies must have been when you chucked things at their cage.
You must get yourself well and take up a hobby or something that does not involve keeping animals.
 
sorry to sound harsh but if you get Depressed you will start to resent them
 
I'm not rehoming any animals yet, well apart from the budgies but thats been going on for ages.
I have a £250 overdraft which is purely there for vet bills, so bills are fine.
Once my animals are gone, I wont be getting anymore.
People are saying my animals are making me ill...I already suffer from depression, my animals HELP me. If I didnt have the animals I can honestly say I wouldnt be here any more. I would of gone a couple of years ago, I'm not saying this for attention, this is the gods honest truth...I got to a point that it neaerly all ended, then I looked at my cat, thought about my other animals...I thought I cant leave them, they need me. They help me so much.
Yes I do have too many animals, but I need them as much as they need me. I am upto and past my limit now but I know that, a lot of people dont know their limits!
Yes I am going to have to get another rabbit, I dont particularly want 2 rabbits but I'm not gonna keep Kovu alone all his life. Thats another mistake I made with Pepsi. They need company just as much, if not more than, as guinea pigs!
 
@Debs111 said:
Yes I do have too many animals, but I need them as much as they need me. I am upto and past my limit now but I know that, a lot of people dont know their limits!
Yes I am going to have to get another rabbit, I dont particularly want 2 rabbits but I'm not gonna keep Kovu alone all his life. Thats another mistake I made with Pepsi. They need company just as much, if not more than, as guinea pigs!
Click to expand...

Where is it going to end? You seem to have already got to the point where you should say stop - you don't want more rabbits, you have too many animals but you're considering getting more? For goodness sake don't go out and add to the problem if you're already struggling.
 
I does sound as if you're in a no win situation you need your animals they need you with out being horrible it seems they're becoming a chore. Maybe if you could rehome a few you would have more time to spend with the others and the enjoyment would return. I would think long and hard about getting another bunny. You say you only work 16 hours a week so your company would probably be enough, bunnies are fine on their own as long as you can spend enough time with them. Is he a house bunny? We had one called flopsy (RIP flops) she never had a cage just a litter tray and was more like a dog than a bun. If you are struggling financially to feed them on a weekly basis then is this not telling you something. You are right some people dont know their limits and I think your one of them. I have far too many pets and everyone keeps telling me that but I would not part with any. Even though it takes me the best part of a day to clean them all out in one go. I now do them in stages piggies buns one evening, hams gerbils another etc my oh complains i spend more time with the animals than i do with him. Its true I do. Its a good jobs hes understanding.

I hope you can decide on what to do even if the decision is heartbreaking. Good luck

Emma x
 
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