My hubbie won't let me have a guinea pig

  • Thread starter Thread starter murtle
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

murtle

Hi all, I'm new here, and I don't have any piggies at the mo.
I have two budgies at the mo, I really wanted to train them to come on my hand and stuff, but I wasn't sucessful. I would love to have a dog, but it just isn't practical a the mo, what with living in an apartment, and having a 2year old. Now my budgies have started laying eggs-and I finding the whole experience very worrying. I have been to our pet shop, and they have a lovely Guinea Pig they need to rehome, it use to live indoors with a turkish family (sorry forgot to say I now live in Turkey), and it is tame! It comes to visit my finger, it is white with brown and black patches on it's head, and a bit of fur has rubbed off it's nose. It would be perfect, and I could ask the pet shop-which is also linked to vet to help with the budgies-and if the eggs did turn to chick they would have the care they need. However-hubbie doesn't like the look of guinea pigs on the internet-he thinks they are a big rat! I have had a guinea pig before-and unfortunately I couldn't get that tame either now, but I am alot older now, and I know about cleaning out etc. So, there we are!
just for your interest in Turkey they put cat litter at the bottom of the cage and cover with woodshavings. And the pet shop doesn't sell hay! have you ever heard of cat litter again-there is special one you can get that isn't toxic if eaten, and for cats you use for up to 3 weeks!
Thanks for reading!
Tammy. x
 
I have known some people use cat litter in the bottom of the cages but I never have done - deffo make sure it's a non-toxic one anyways. Don't forget that gps have very sensitvie little paws too.

Have you tried taking your hubby to the shop to meet the gp? Maybe it'll get him to change his mind.

Good luck with the budgies! O0
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.
You say that the pet shop doesn't sell hay, does that mean that the piggy doesn't have any hay at the moment. GPs and hay go hand in hand as it is their main source of food.
 
want my advice just get it lol thats what id do. what can they say when there there
 
if there is no hay there for it, then all you will have is very high vet bills and a poorly piggie as hay helps the teeth stay trim and the digestive process moving, like laure said hay and piggies come hand in hand.
 
It's a difficult one... I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with guinea pigs once they get to know their personalities/noises etc. As someone else suggested, I think taking your husband to see the guinea pig might be a good idea.
 
At the moment I have looked in two pet shops, and there is no hay for sale. the other pet shop has another guinea pig, in with a rabbit, and that has no hay either. Strange isn't it. I always thought Hay and Gp's were a must. Is there food subsuitute?
I forgot I don't no how my hubbie can be like this becuase I am the main carer of the budgies, but he is having the upper hand in there situation too at the mo, but my hubbie is lovely, just this story doesn't amke him seem to shiney!
 
I bought two guinea pigs whilst my hubby was at work ;D He doesn't like them much but he didn't make me take them back.
 
Is there anywhere you can get hay from there?
 
they need hay - dried grass could be a subsitute but pigs love to hide and play in hay
 
there has to be somewhere to buy hay, as without hay as said your piggy would be very sick as hay and piggies are a marriage a couple. as for buying the piggy take hubby to the petsghop and show him piggy and see if that changes his mind. by the way welcome to the forums from me and the girls in oz. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: good luck with the piggy. find some hay and a piggy savy vet and drag hubby piggy shopping. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
find somebody who has cows or horses, they should be able to tell you where to buy your hay from! there must be some farms where you live, surely?

as for the hubby - tough one! I do think yes taking him to the shop with you and showing him the piggy might be a good start, he might agree that they are not as ugly as he thought ;-) But if he still thinks he does not like the look of it, you could just say that you do want to buy it, and that you accept that he will not be helping to handle it, feed it, or to clean the cage. Tell him its ok if he does not want to have any responsibility for it - but gosh, he should not be able to tell you you cant have one 98)
 
Abnoba said:
find somebody who has cows or horses, they should be able to tell you where to buy your hay from! there must be some farms where you live, surely? but gosh, he should not be able to tell you you cant have one
Click to expand...
good point about the hay, and if hubby is turkish they have different belief's in a wife has to obey her husband etc. we lost our 2 dogs in january 2006 5 days apart age 14 and 16 and hubby won't let me get another one. plus i am scared of a dog with my piggies. look for livestock and ask about the hay, and take OH piggy shopping and see if the petshop will let him hold the piggy. good luck and let us know how you get on. :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
 
Yes I did think about taking him. The point is, I would be the one taking care of it, we call the budgies ours but I am their primary carer-I do 90 percent of evrything. He just swooshes in some cucmber now and again, and goes on about a nesting box, I'm sorry but I feel like the budgies belong to me and I should have the last say about chicks, and of course the GP! Did I say before what hubbie said.......close your eyes if you are easily offended! Oh no thats a big rat! I asked him if he liked rabbits, and he said yes, and I told him GP's were more like rabbits. But he wasn't having any of it!
 
My Dad has called my pigs Hamsters 98) and now he calls them rats 98) They should be re-classified as they are nothing like rats!

Can I ask why budgies laying eggs have freaked you out a little?

I ask because I had a Cockatiel called Polly and she used to lay eggs and it never caused me any upset. :)
 
I have two budgies-the one that is laying I bought as a boy, and I didn't buy them to breed, if the eggs did happen to become chick, they would take a lot of looking after and what would I with a lot of budgies, I have no where to put them, also I know that budgies can suffer from egg binding which I can kill birds that keep laying-it would be so sad to see one day the dear bird at the bottom of the cage, or any little chicks having died just because I couldn't look after them properply. I can't throw the eggs away, it would feel like taking her babies away. Some people have offered to have the birds, but what with the egg problems I just can't give the birds, I want them to be looked after properply.
 
Ah right, I had a budgie but he was male and with Polly being a lone bird her eggs obviously never hatched. :)
 
Murtle; there are ways that you can stop your budgies from laying:
Change their cage around so they don't become too settled - this stops them from feeling too comfortable. Uncomfortable birds don't really get into the egglaying mindset.
Restrict their daylight to about 8 hours a day - this makes them think it's winter and will take them out of "season" so to speak; you can do this by putting a suitable sunlight blanking cover over them.
Remove any nest boxes that are in the cage - they don't need them unless you want them to have babies.
Freeze the eggs once they're layed to kill the babies then put them back - you said yourself that you can't handle the chicks. Or remove the eggs and replace it with a subsititue. Eventually the hen will become bored of sitting on the eggs and leave them.

You *can* train any bird to step-up with a lot of patience. You'll have to put a lot of time and patience into it and bond with your birds, I don't think you have that bond if you can't get them to step up. Also, stepping up onto your finger or hand has to be their choice not something you've forced onto them by "scooping". If you want resources on training your budgies, I'll be more than happy to provide you with it.
 
thank you very much. Yes I have been limiting there sunlight hours, and use to have paper at the bottom of the cage, but I've removed that too, ok I'l try the moving stuff around too. As for eggs turning to chicks, there is no chance I think. Becuase..nightime she doesn't sit on the egg and now with two eggs, after two days she has broken it on purpose and eaen it. I've never seen a bird do that before, she tries to grab it with her claw and bashes it with her beak! Why would she do that then, is it becuase she's to immature yet, she's not even one.
I think your right about me not having bonded with the budgies, but I do care of them though. :)
 
My husband said NO! when i said i wanted to get 2 pigs and then he saw a picture the lady i got my chaps from sent me and well......that was it really! :smitten: :smitten:
 
I THINK I'M WINNING!! :o
Had to drive my mum to the pet shop today, to get cat food and litter, and GP was still there, poor thing. Well my mum noticed that his ear was pink, and all the fur was gone, and it looked a little ripped (if you kow what I mean)-What do you think could have caused that then?

Anyway came home to hubbie, I told him GP was still there, and was really needing some TLC, that it had a poorly ear and needed someone to love it, and told him it was so cute, and they make such cute noises. He is aww, and smiled, I think he's coming through to the idea! Time for visit, just hasn't been the chance as he is so busy getting the shop ready for the summer season. I can't believe it the first positive bit of attitude :Dsee I told you he was a sweetie really!

What do you guys think about the ear though?
 
Couldn't you persuade the shop that he's not in a saleable condition but you'll take him off their hands and nurse him back to health?

At least your husband is coming round a little - he needs to meet the pig! :smitten:

Sophie
x
 
If i were you id just get the guinea pig to be honest ;D You could always make a back up plan if he really doesnt like it like let your mum look after it maybe ?

the ear maybe he has a fungi problem or something - is he housed with other guinea pigs ? :)
 
Fungi problem came to my mind, becuase it look a bit like a piccy I seen on here last week. Pink and a bit raw.
 
One of mine had this and turned out to be fungal. I got some Galen Garden cream (not sure what was in it) I got it from a friend on here and it done the trick.

I personally wouldn't go behind your hubby's back and get the pig anyway. I'd love a dog but Peter says no and I have to respect that as much as it kills me to even see a dog with an owner!

Maybe if you talk to him about it, tell him about us nutcases on here and he may see they aren't bad. Infact they are one of the most loveliest animals you could wish for.

Hope he changes his mind but if not then just going to see the pig in the shop is not going to change anything and is only going to make you feel bad. :-\
 
Has you husband got a hobby her really injoys or does he do anything that cost alot? My partner said no to guinea pigs and when the start of the year came to re-new his golf membership I told him hhe could only re-new his membership if I got Guinea Pigs and after a few days he said Yes. He said he hated guinea pigs and called them rats. When we got them home he named them and took to them right away. He likes them that much he even let me get another two. Eithr try a bit of blackmail or just get it and say your looking after it so he doesn't have to bother about them. xx
 
as you said in a different thread you have to respect your husband, so getting the piggy against your hubby's wishes is not on! like S&A we lost our 2 dogs in january 2006 5 days apart. would love to get a dog as i have always had dogs, but hubby said no and as much as i want a dog i respect hubby and love him more! take it nice and slow with hubby, like i suggested in your other thread perhaps get him a guinea pig book or get him to read a guinea oig site on the internet. perhaps your mum can help you to get him to go to the pershop to have a look at the piggy. have you thought that piggies like companionship so would you be getting him a friend? wishing you luck and either way hoping the piggy gets medical help for his ear. good luck. hugs and cuddles :smitten: :smitten: :smitten: girls send :-* :-* :-* rember this member lives in turkey and they do things differently.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top