Is Your Oh Helpful With Your Piggies?

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MycuteBoys

MycuteBoys

Adult Guinea Pig
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My 'husband' is not a big fan of pets at all.....I quote his words 'pets are to much hassle'... and 'they cost you too much money'... 'They stop you going away/out for the day' I think he only agreed to us having our boys because he knew how much our daughters really wanted their own piggies and how well they looked after my friends piggies oh and because they would not living inside the house.
Well I think he's secretly smitten with our guineas ....not that he would ever let on that he is :)

He's gone from saying...there not coming in the house to now he goes and fetches them in for a cuddle.
He's been supportive about the expensive vet bills, paying for other things while I paid the vet fees
He's adding veg for them into the weekly shop
He's gone and fetched bedding etc for them without moaning
He checks on them when he gets up
He dashes outside to cover their hutch when it rains
Etc etc etc

Has anyone else seen a change in their OH like this? I read a lot of messages on here where people have said their OH has helped with their piggies were they always helpful or have these very sweet cute creatures converted your OH too :)
Kell x
 
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My OH is so used to us having pets over the years that he isn't bothered anymore. He's never been against them though just not really know much about other types of animals apart from having a cat when he grew up. He happily helps with everything and I often find him outside watching the piggies :)
 
My OH didn't need converting, it was his idea to adopt our first girl Gertie. He also does a lot of the cleaning and gives out the meds.

Great that you have seen such a change in your OH though.
 
My OH is very helpful, if anything I think he feels he doesn't do enough as he works night shift so isn't on the pets shedule. He does get to play alot with the hamsters though because of this! Whenever we go shopping its usually him saying 'can we go look in the pet shop first' hehe.
 
My husband still likes to pretend he isn't interested (I gave my girls borderline-nerdy names to try to involve him!) but he does feed them so I can go out and see friends (which doesn't happen often) and I've caught him talking to Thor a few times :)) The best was when I was busy doing something in the kitchen and he appeared round the door with Widget-pig in his arms:luv:
 
Aw thats sweet @My3cuteBoys - he definitely loves the piggies too!

It was my OH's idea to get pigs after our hamster died... but I stressed about 100 times to him before we did that I refuse to be the only one cleaning out the cage! He's been good so far, he tends to do the morning spot clean/feed as he gets up earlier than me. Getting him to tidy up after himself is another story......
 
My partner loves the little ones. He is brilliant at syringe feeding so does Amelia Janes medication. As he gets up first he feeds everybody and spot cleans. My bunny Faisel prefers him to me and goes to him for strokes.
 
Thats good that you sorted that out before hand. I would be really frustrating to be left to do everything if they are not specificly your pet. Me and the fiance have a deal that I clean the small pets and he does the cat litter trays.

Frankie1990 said:
Aw thats sweet @My3cuteBoys - he definitely loves the piggies too!

It was my OH's idea to get pigs after our hamster died... but I stressed about 100 times to him before we did that I refuse to be the only one cleaning out the cage! He's been good so far, he tends to do the morning spot clean/feed as he gets up earlier than me. Getting him to tidy up after himself is
another story......
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Congratulations on your accomplishment with your OTH.

I've always made it rather clear that if its me or the pig you best pack your bags HOWEVER thats not necessary with my boyfriend, he is super good about it all and has regular cuddles whenever she's willing and helps out with cleaning out and breakfast time.
I also feel like men (well mine anyway) have a firmer hand when it comes to nail clipping and grooming, I'm a bit of a softy and if she squirms tend to feel guilty and let her go but I think she senses the firmness and doesn't kick off for him.

My Bramble bear has to be in the right mood for male company and sometimes kicks off a right fuss, so that does make it harder but I suppose that just has something to do with how closely bonded we are...
 
My husband is really good with all our animals he is softer then I am lol. He will help clean them and do their salad and never complains if I want to buy them something.The only thing he will not do is get them out of their cage, for some reason this really worry's him.No idea why.:hmm:
 
Before we rescued a pair about 5 years ago my hubby said he would only have them in the house if he didn't have to have a single thing to do with them. Those were his terms. Gradually over the years he's softened tremendously : feeds, cleans, clips claws, hand feeds and does vet trips as necessary. He's got one particular favourite who flutters her whiskers at him, and he now tells me the piggies have missed me when I've been away overnight as he's noticed a change in their behaviour. He builds hideys, ramps, new cage bases (when they've chewed through the old ones). I wouldn't say he's smitten but we are training him well to be a future piggy slave
 
Fab replies, I've enjoyed reading each and every one of them thank you for sharing :) Lots of very helpful and understanding OH, you picked good ones there ladies.
My 'husband' is very set in his ways I don't think I would every see him cleaning them out etc but he is warming to them, I explained recently the dangers of them getting too hot in this heat we keep having and if I'm at work (I work in the afternoons which is when we have been having the hottest weather) he should keep an extra eye on them if he sees any signs of rapid breathing etc he should bring them in and cool them down with the tips I've told him....he agreed and I've seen him checking on them more in the warmer weather :)
Kell
 
My OH loves the pigs. He never had pets when he was growing up so I think he enjoys having them.

He helps with cleaning and feeding. He also pays for all bedding whilst we share the cost of food and I pay for vet bills mostly.

He's also a lot better at cutting their nails so he's in charge of this, he's also willing to help give any medication.

Overall he's a perfect guinea pig daddy :)
 
My OH never really had pets as a child, only his parents cats that he was very allergic to. My brother and I on the other hand had a regular menagerie at home when we were young.

I had a pair of pigs when we met, and he was quite taken with them as they chatted away and interacted with him. Sage in particular could wrap him round his little front paw whilst begging for food out in their run.

All subsequent pairs he's enjoyed interacting with. He'll feed them and check up on the them if I'm away and I know he's sits out in the garden and will chat away to them. I've found that he's carefully sliced their veggies up into little strips for them on occasions.....

He won't clean them out - but that's fair enough as he's asthmatic and is allergic to the hay. If I'm away overnight then I leave portioned hay in boxes that can just be upturned into the hutch so that he doesn't have to get too close to it and set his asthma off.

He also doesn't handle the boys - this I later found out is due to the fact he nearly lost one of my first boys (onion) when we were first going out and it rained whilst the pigs were out in the run. He worried about them and went to get them in, I was working late that night.... Sage he caught with no problem, but Onion was always more 'flighty' and my poor OH hadn't had much experience of small animals. Apparently Onion slipped out of the run under his arms and he then spent half an hour out in the rain desperately trying to catch him again. He did, and I wasn't told of the episode until several years later! So he's nervous of handling the boys (and he was also allergic to my one Rex coated pig) so I've 'box trained' all my pigs. They'll hop into a box to be carried out to the run and to the reverse in the run to come back in. My OH is quite happy to do this and I know I can rely on him to get them in and out for me on occasion. He's very fond of them :D
 
@Tewdric I'm trying to tunnel train mine at the mo as they love a cuddle but it can be very stressful at times to me and piggies trying to catch them. Have you got any tips of how to train them to go into a box or tunnel?
Thanks kell x
 
Mine are just leaning what it means when I put the tunnel in the cage. I will take all their other hideys out so they have nowhere else to go then put the tunnel near them n give a little tap on the bum to guide them forwards. Gizmo gets in straight away, he's the brains of the operation, but Ted is a little slower on the uptake. Can take a few attempts. Hope that helps :)
 
My3cuteBoys said:
@Tewdric I'm trying to tunnel train mine at the mo as they love a cuddle but it can be very stressful at times to me and piggies trying to catch them. Have you got any tips of how to train them to go into a box or tunnel?
Thanks kell x
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Like Frankie I remove all other boxes and hideys from the run and then sort of heard them into their tub.

It's easier in the hutch as you just chase them through to one side, slide the tub in and then shepherd them into the tub. As pigs like routine they quickly realise what's going on and soon get into the swing of things. My boys will now hop into the tub to go in and out without any chasing or prompting now. :) Yours will get the hang of it eventually. Good luck!
 
My OH is great with all our animals. Even though the pigs are MINE, he'll get them out for sneaky cuddles and I've caught him wheeking and pop corning at Gus when he was poorly to cheer him up.
But he doesn't clean them out or wash their bums (and won't let me extend their cage as it takes up half of the living room as it is) he just gets the good bits, and that suits me just fine as I like all areas of looking after the little ones :)
 
It's great when you other half joins in. I'd hate to have a family member (pet) that only I liked and he didn't want to know.
 
My hubby just paid the bills.He never took to the pigs until I had to syringe feed one and if I had to do something else I handed him them.After that we had one on its own and he actually said get two more so we didn't have the single piggy problem again.He would feed the dogs when I was out and if I was away he made sure the kids fed everything.He would never walk the dogs or take anything to the vet but I knew this before I took them in
 
My husband is good with the guinea pigs. As I am a support worker I do sleep over shifts. So he feeds them and spot cleans when I am away for my 2 days. He's a piggy slave in training. :shh::D Just don't tell him that. Lol
 
My husband would really rather not have any animals but as we have 2 ponies, dog, cat, rabbit and 5 piggies he just gets on with what needs doing like feeding and cleaning etc. He absolutely wont pick them up unless its an emergency though.

Hes good at hutch and run building and other stuff like that, I feel sorry for him actually as he spends lots of his time and money on the animals and by choice he wouldnt have any.

That said he cries buckets when one dies!
 
My oh had piggies as a child and was as eager to get ours as I was. He is much better with them when it comes to things like syringe-feeding because I'm too anxious to do it wrongly, so he does these things and I trust him completely with that. He is very gentle with them. Especially our guinea-pig Mr. You has a close relationship with him and when we take him out, he cuddles up between my oh's arm and his body.
 
My husbands first reaction to my first piggy (despite saying he was happy to have them) was to hold one of them up (gently), look into her eyes and say 'so what is the point of you?' he does have rather a warped sense of humour though :mal:

I go away a fair bit, just the odd night here and there and he looks after them really well! He even texted me this morning to check which was their breakfast pack (I bag it all up before I leave) and then texted me to say it was too cold to leave the shed door open this morning and could I open it when I got back home.

He also picks up medicines from the vets as they are closer to his work than me. So the piggies are training him very well! He is also responsible for growing my piggies to 6 at one point and keeps nagging me to get more as 'they'd be much happier with more' (no they wont they are happy being four!).

But I do think the guineas have truly got him under their spell, its cute to see and I love him all the more for it! :luv:
 
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