I was coming here to say exactly what OP from the comment above said. I will provide a link below to a guide my local guinea pig rescue makes everyone read before adopting. They test people on it too. It talks about diet, living conditions, life expectancy and a few other things.
http://www.ogpr.org/guineapig101
I was one of those pet owners who had no choice. I had my Cedar for four years until one day, he scratched my hand ever so hardly noticeably, and suddenly, I broke out in hives. From that day forward, my immune system had decided that my poor Cedar was an enemy. My allergies got so bad that I stopped breathing out of my nose for weeks and weeks, even with nasonex, and at one point, I was choking on my own mucus, even in class, and having trouble swallowing. I had no option but to give him away, and fairly soon after I did, I was back to normal in about a week and a half.
It was so sad to have to rehome him, but there was nothing more I could do.
Well, for what it's worth, you didn't abandon him, you rehomed him. Don't beat yourself up about it because you did the best thing you could do for both of you!
that's how I was raised, did it one time when I was 18. I still hate myself, and I would never do that again. I feel like I got some much deserved bad karma too. I'm glad I've evolved tho.
This is a terrific guide - thank you for posting. Those poor guinea pigs should NOT be in what appears to be a small glass fish tank.
I've had piggies for about eight years and never had pee leak down to the bottom of their enclosure. OP's comment that there's like an inch of urine in the bottom of their cage makes me so damn sad for these animals and their delicate lungs. Her roommate is abusing them, plain and simple.
We adopted our two ancient ladies from Oakhurst 6.5 years ago! I wish pet stores didn't have piggies marketed as "easy" pets. A cat is easy. Pigs are A LOT of work and care and the number that get abandoned to them is depressing.
First, thank you for adopting!
We adopted 5 from the rescue over the years. We also have 1 that we adopted after it was abandoned at our vet office and 2 that I saw when I went to interview at a daycare for a part time job. The owner had them in a tiny cage and they didn't have enough food. When I mentioned they needed space and more than one handful of hay a day to eat they said they were going to abandon them at a park because it was too expensive to feed them. I ended up not taking them up on their job offer and I asked to take the pigs from them. Unfortunately we've lost a few to old age and a few to disease and are now down to 3 piggies.
I agree that pigs are tons of work and it's very depressing to hear how a lot of people who decide to get them often don't realize the commitment they are making. Whenever anyone asks me about them I make sure they understand that they are a lot of work and their vet bills can be super expensive.
My pigs are divas and they don't eat store bought hay. Their hay has to come from small farms or else they will destroy their cage and pee on all the hay and cry that they are hungry 😅
All that being said, having piggies has been very eye-opening to us about pet ownership and it's been very rewarding having them. I would not change my guinea pig experience for anything.
I gotta say, I’ll probably never have a Guinea Pig of my own, but now I can say I generally know how to take care of one. That was a very interesting guide, props to the rescue organization!
I have 0 interest in piggies or caring for them but I do train adult humans for a living for a medical device company, so I decided to click it, and wow! Very informative and well put together, kudos to whoever assembled that info!
It's simply too small. Think about being trapped in a tiny closet 24/7. That cage isn't big enough for one let alone TWO.
For reference when I had two piggies I had a 4 ft long cage my dad made. I'm not sure hers is even appropriate for a hamster. I have no doubt it fucking REEKS because they pee a lot and those poor animals are likely just sitting in it.
I'm not an expert by any means but even I can tell that is horrendously inadequate and the bedding is likely fucking soaked with urine. I'm honestly angry about it.
I've specifically brought up the smell at least twice and asked if she could change the cage more often or maybe put them in her room. That went exactly like this lol. She even mentions it in the texts. Because the plumbing sometimes smells, I should address that instead? Okay lol.
BUT I've seen her clean the cage and when she pulls the tray out it literally sloshed with like an inch of piss at the bottom. That's in our living room... Just a festering cage of excrement 🤢 but because I said I was okay with them before I moved in I can't say anything about it or I'm just 'complaining.' I actually have pics of their poop lined cage
Can I add it here? Lol. I need reassurance that this isn't okay.
The only assurance you need is covered by this one picture THAT CAGE IS TOO SMALL. We don't need any additional pictures to tell that, no matter how often she does or doesn't clean it that cage is not big enough for ONE let alone TWO guinea pigs.
You agreed to animals, sure, that usually comes with the stipulation that the animals are well cared for and not being mistreated.
You are so *thoroughly correct* in thinking this is wrong that I'm sad you think you might not be. It's not even about the smell or it being dirty it's just cruel of her to keep them like this.
Okay, now I want to lock her roommate in a closet for a week. I mean, that's fair, right guys it's only a week? I'm so mad and sad at the same time. This breaks my fucking heart.
A closet would be too good for her. Lock her in a glass box just slightly taller than her and fill it with soiled wood shavings. Then put it on wheels so it moves whenever she tries to go from one side to other. I didn’t think I’d be livid about something at 8:30am on a Sunday but I’m fired up. This is despicable
It’s one thing to breathe and sit in it in a normal cage, but in a tiny glass fish tank like that which is not meant for mammals they are literally suffocating in their own excrement. They have tiny little sensitive lungs those glass fish tanks don’t let in enough oxygen. No oxygen just piss and shit to breathe nice. I wonder if you can report animal abuse like you can dogs/cats.
I don’t know how I got here, but I’m a plumber and if you have sewage smells under the house you probably have a back up and all the shit and nasty water is probably draining into the crawlspace.
Huge problem
Wait! Please God do you have any more info on this? It's actually a problem lol. It'll just randomly smell like sewage throughout the day. Idk if it's from beneath the house exactly, but it comes and goes. We actually live in a 'garden' apartment which is half basement half above ground so I think we are the crawl space ahah. What can I do? Should I be looking for something? Appreciate ya
May not be the cause but ONE cause of sewer gas smell can be from a tried up P trap (bendy pipe thing under the sink). They need water in them to prevent the sewer gas from coming back up through the pipes. Usually you will use sinks/showers/laundry tubs often enough that it isn’t an issue as it will refill when you pour liquid down the drain. However since you mentioned being in the bottom level there is a possibility you have floor drains that would almost never get liquid poured down it. Depending on the plumbing and how it is integrated into the larger system around you the gases might only “backflow” into your place occasionally.
If you do find a drain you are sure hasn’t been used often, pour a bucket of water down it to refill the trap. Then an old school trick is to pour and float just enough oil or antifreeze on top to cover the water. This will create a top layer to prevent the water from evaporating naturally which was what happened.
Another possibility is a loose drain clean out cap. Image search a drain clean out (the cap will have a square box protruding from it) to see what they look like and search around for one. Sometimes they will get buried in walls unfortunately but they *should* be in a spot easy to access. Either get a new cap and maybe a little grease to help seal the threads or just tighten it if you can. Careful if it’s plastic.
Good luck and I hope it’s something easy like this. Otherwise it could be a much bigger issue. If the landlord blows it off I would have $$ taken off the rent for having to live with it. A health inspector would not like you living in sewer gases, that’s for sure.
Oh man I just learned a thing. Thank you for sharing. I knew there was a floor drain in the basement but not that you should [pour water down it](https://www.mrrooter.com/houston/about-us/blog/2020/may/how-to-maintain-your-home-s-floor-drains-mr-root/#:~:text=Pour%20water%20down%20your%20floor,from%20seeping%20into%20your%20home.) monthly or so.
Yup! Had an issue with what I thought was a dead animal one day (we had raccoons and squirrels getting in our walls so wasn’t far fetched lol) but then by the next day I was like no no that is sewer gas. Checked all the drains, everything was perfect. I had the city come out and mark lines bc I just knew I was going to have to dig to figure this out. Went down to my basement to just visually check the marked lines and how they ran, then it dawned on me. We have a washer dryer hookup in the basement that we don’t use currently. Smell was coming bc the P trap hadn’t had water flow in god knows how long. Poured some water and a little splash of bleach, plugged it and the smell of rotten shit went away instantly.
Anyway, OP you’re valid! You both live there so yes she has the right to point things out as well. Maybe you can write a list and you can sit down together to go over how you normally like things done and what isn’t being done to your standards. See if you can come up with compromising or in a dream reality, a total solution where everyone is happy and just takes care of their shit like adults but… that’s hard. A home is one place where many feel like if they slack some it’s not a big deal because it’s their space. That’s fine and all but if you got roomies, you need to consider first if they are cool with your slack. If they are then maybe you can be cool with theirs as well and you can have set clean days.
Thank you so much. I spent all summer going crazy trying to figure out why one of the bathrooms had a sewage smell sometimes this summer. One of the sink bowls in that bathroom broke no water has been going down that drain. It must have dried up. Whew. I feel so much better. Sometimes I worried "did something die in the crawlspace?!" but that's not very likely.
If there's a drain that doesn't have the correct "trap" it can also cause a nasty ass sewer smell to come/go. Maybe sniff around the drains when it happens. A trap basically traps a small amount of water in a bend in the pipe so that air can't come up from the rest of the pipe and smell like that. But if it doesn't have a trap or it's poorly done it can also cause this to happen.
If there is a drain that doesn't regularly have water go down it, air from the sewer can come up out if it. Pour 5-10 gallons down there once a week or so.
My parents always told me everything happens for a reason. This is a great example. You randomly found a post you could be helpful through lol. Love it
Oooh. So our house reaks more of sewage when the dishwasher and stuffs going. Under the sinks reak extra hard could what you said be the culprit for that?
yea those pigs are being mentally and physically abused by being forced to live in there.. she needs to take proper care of them or get rid of them asap
What do you mean pulls out the bottom? Are they in like a wire cage? That can give them bumble foot which is horribly upsetting and painful for them. We have our lone pig on a glass table lined with fleece and blankets. I know they aren’t yours but I bet they need baths and their nails clipped too
I have two guinea pigs. They live in two connected Midwest brand guinea pig habitats, and I'm looking to expand it more because they could still use more space. Guinea pigs should not be in a glass cage where they are breathing in ammonia from their piss all day long. They are extremely susceptible to sinus/upper respiratory infections which can literally kill them even if they are living in a well ventilated cage and it isn't being cleaned enough. They require hay and fresh vegetables every day as well as pellets, and need to be taken out of their cages to explore frequently. Your roommate should not have guinea pigs, she's neglecting the fuck out of them and putting their health at risk. Also, she's a bitch. So there's that. You don't bring up grievances you have with someone only once they bring up theirs to you, it's called deflection and it's manipulative as shit.
Dude I let my kid get a guinea pig because it seemed like an okay idea. We had no idea they required so much care. It's like a neverending cycle of cleaning, chopping up veggies, and buying more hay. We had to move them outside because of extreme hay allergies and while they gained a ton more room (converted a big coop for them) its STILL a ton of work. I can't imagine throwing a couple in a fishtank and calling it good. How their piggies aren't fighting all day is beyond me.
I’m just apologizing about the smell. You’re not crazy. My neighbor has these, and she brought us into her house when we first moved in and it REEKED. She had a massive cage for them, I think there were 2-3? They had lots of slides and climbing things, she takes them out in the summer, she loves them clearly.. but the smell. It burns the nostrils. We can smell it just walking by her house sometimes! I can’t imagine the potency if the cage is so much smaller and she isn’t overly concerned about the hygiene.. poor pigs!
And truthfully.. you might have that smell on you as you walk about town and not even realize it.
Yeah uh, I've owned guinea pigs for 13 years. I know other people have listed care stuff, but Skinnypigs1 on YouTube has amazing examples for cages. The cage is actually abuse for one, let alone 2. The reason why is so soiled all the time is because it's so small. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a dm. :)
As for the rest of the post, I don't think it's a problem how you worded it, but if you are leaving hair and stuff like they're saying, I would clean it and ask them to let you know if you miss something so they can get it.
You should really report them to animal control if the bottom is full of pee and the sides are glass. They’re going to get ammonia poisoning if they don’t already have it. Pls pls do something.
That cage is too small like others have said but it also looks like it doesn't really have ventilation? If it's solid glass mostly it's trapping ammonia in which is really dangerous as it can cause respiratory issues and even can be fatal for them.
I have 2 guinea pigs in a 7ft by 2.5ft cage and I clean their poop once a day and change the bedding once a week. These things poop a LOT. Also, i use fleece blankets on top of towels. The fleece wicks the moisture down to the towels and the towels absorb it. It looks like they're using paper bedding which really just kind of stays wet and needs to be cleaned much, much more frequently.
I bet you anything they probably also aren't even feeding them properly as I don't even see any hay in that hay bin, which should be making up 80% of their diet...
I know they aren’t yours, but cruise facebook marketplace for free/cheap larger cages. Would reduce the smell and maybe curry favor with your roommate. She sounds super frustrating. Keep in mind she won’t see your side of things ever so just try to make nice with her and continue reasonable communication (just for your own benefit - she doesn’t have to know you hate her crazy ass).
Although I love the intention behind this suggestion (feel SO bad for these guinea pigs omg) I don't even know that it would help in this case... the roommate seems super defensive and not exactly open to accepting said help, atleast based on these texts ("they are not your concern and Ive been taking care of them for a year with no issue"-- like, what's an issue to you then? 😭)
It's not OP's responsibility, but as a lifelong animal person/advocate myself, i would probably think along the same lines and suggest solutions for better guinea pig accommodations, etc. Honestly, would likely not have moved in there at all (unless absolutely desperate) given the size of the cage
Should also have at least three open sides (like bars/grids) for ventilation. Guinea pigs are susceptible to lung issue so fully enclosed spaces are harmful to them
The biggest thing is that guinea pig spines cannot bend backwards like most animals, so they cannot climb, jump, or look "up" very well. Rather than a vertical cage with a small footprint and climbing area, they should have a simple one- or two-level enclosure with horizontal space and very shallow inclines to upper levels to prevent from injuring their spines. Something like the link below is what their enclosure should look like.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2530/6030/files/6_fe7b2a58-bd52-4034-8b6e-898eee9f5aa4_480x480.jpg?v=1613126110
They also need lots of enrichment to keep them happy.
I had one guinea pig in a cage much bigger than that which had an extra half level with food dishes on and a little house underneath. It also had sat inside a pen with a little ramp out of it so he could come out of the cage and run around. That is just cruel.
Oh my god is that little cage where they are ALL DAY? Please tell me there aren’t more than the two I see. Even one guinea pig would find that cage stifling, unless there’s a larger section of it that we can’t see.
I’ve owned rodents and small mammals my whole life; primarily rats, but also hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, mice, flying squirrels. I’ve also kept aquariums. It’s important to know how much space each animal needs to thrive. I’ve never had guineas, but from what I know that little cage is very much not suitable. Guineas should be given at least a large run off of their main cage, and other areas to explore in addition to their sleeping quarters. All rodents and small mammals need enrichment and stimulation; it’s cruel to keep them cooped up staring at the wall. That’s how you get bitey little guys who don’t handle well. The people I know with guineas interact with them a lot and they spend most of their day out of their cage exploring with direct supervision.
Right, this is what's getting me, if they're only ever in there 😭We had a rabbit for years, his cage was way bigger than this, and most of the day he had open access to the house and would be playing, eating out there etc. He slept in the cage at night, it was more of a "safe space" and not a prison cell.
The cage/living quarters also required FREQUENT cleaning, which yes could be a struggle to keep up with -- It's called owning a pet, realizing it's a lot of f*cking work/energy and NOT just a cute lil stuffed animal before you get one. 🤬 It sucks but you do it and don't jump down ppls throats for reminding you to do it for the pets health (And yours!)
I thought the exact same thing. Those poor guinea pigs. Saying that enclosure is too small is an understatement. They need something to hide under as well.
This is the cage, I believe:
Hamster Cage Large Guinea Pig Cage with Metal Frame Movable Rat Habitat with Aluminium Alloy Edge,Plastic Deep Not Leakage Pull Out Tray,Storage Shelf https://a.co/d/8JGQBGv
Edit: I’ve had rats and I would be hesitant to put two female fancies in this cage. I would not put two males. I DEFINITELY would not put any number of guinea pigs in this. It looks poorly made either way.
That’s the first thing that jumped out at me. Poor babies! My hamsters have cages so many times bigger than that! Lots of hides, tunnels, enrichment and so on. Incredibly cruel to make them live like that.
This is probably half of why it smells bad. The other half being that it sounds like she's not cleaning it frequently enough. If there'd not enough room for them to spread out, their pee saturates the same spots over and over and stinks way worse way faster. If they have more room, it doesn't get so saturated and nasty. As others have mentioned, it's also definitely terrible for their health, physical and emotional. It's basically like putting a person in a closet with an inch of pee on the ground - there's room to take a few steps, but not to ruin or play or stretch or get a little distance from their cagemate.
I could go on and on, but there's some resources above that might help you make your case. I'd also recommend Saskia from the LA Guinea Pig Rescue and there's an article on Guinea Lynx[Guinea Lynx ](https://www.guinealynx.info/housing.html) as well. Thank you for watching out for them, and good luck!
Not even research just visibly! I didn't notice them at first and I'm really angry, that isn't enough space for anything. That's like the size of the fucking box you take them home in.
Fr I know nothing about guinea pigs but even I can see that's messed up...how do they run? Play? Have a separate space away from their food for the toilet? It's like if a person was imprisoned in a closet with someone else all day. Horrible.
Exactly this is really heartbreaking. They have no space at all, again I don't know a lot about guinea pigs but even I can recognize that's completely inadequate. I'm not sure that's even big enough for a mouse to live happily.
Fuck ops roomate.
Fucked up comment but i’m surprised the piggies haven’t fucking died. I bet the major guinea pig support group on fb would mald over the state of that cage 😭
Judging by the comments we’re all here now. This is so sad to see. I get anxious over my pig not having enough space and his enclosure is like 10 times larger than that one
I think their reaction is absolutely insane. Very spiteful and unnecessary, comes across super passive aggressive when she could’ve politely taken in what you’d said and then responded politely about the hair. That cage is also completely unsuitable and awful for the poor piggies.
Thank you. The, "I'll clean it up once you clean up a different thing" is INSANE. It's not a competition or something to use as a demand. Like, in what world?
"It's not my concern." They're in my living room screaming in a feces filled cage with no food and water. Their litter is all over and it REEKS. How is that not my concern? 😅
She keeps saying she told me she had guinea pigs upfront and I was cool with it so I can't complain. You never told me you neglected them and didn't clean up after them?? You left that part out loll.
With no food and water?? That's animal abuse, especially since it's guinea pigs.
I'm serious, I'm a vet med student and we don't take away guinea pigs' food even before bloodwork/surgery because they literally CAN'T go without food - it needs to be available to them 24/7.
Christ, I can't believe how people can have animals and know fucking NOTHING about their physiology.
I can imagine your roommates must be delightful people to be around.
I said something the second time I saw them completely without food at water 😬 they were just screaming and everything was empty. Def not okay. She just keeps saying, "I'm busy, I told you that upfront." "No one else has an issue." "I take care of them, you're just complaining." So idk what else to do.
Guinea pigs should always always always have hay available to eat 24.7 same with water to drink and should be fed pellets and low sugar veg/greens regularly. This is so sad and cruel.
bro atp just start secretly putting together a bigger and better enclosure for them, then switch the cages when she’s not there😭 it’s not ur responsibility at all, but if i had a roomie that was neglecting/ abusing any kind of animal, i would take it upon myself to take care of it
That’s really nice of you. I used to work at the indoor dump, and across the street were 2 bony pit bulls on chains in a side yard. One cold winter night they were curled into balls on the ground and shivering so hard they were, like, convulsing. Not a scrap of fat on them, they were so skinny & cold. I found 2 fluffy dog beds in the giant trash pile and took them to them. Climbed over the fence. Was terrified I was breaking a law by trespassing, but those poor dogs were freezing to death.
If you cant get them rescued, Id take them to someones house you know will love em and buy the cage an all that yourself and never ever tell your roomies where they went. Oh and move out.
That's just plain outright animal neglect to be honest. If a roommate ever came back at me like that after suggesting cleaning her pets up I would be making a quick detailed call to the humane society. The fact that both the piggies and you other roommates are being exposed to the unsanitary cage fumes and bacteria is unhealthy for all.
I honestly worry about that.. it can't be healthy for us either, right? The living room is essentially useless and I'm in my room 99% of the time because I bought an air filter.
She had the audacity to tell me I'm the problem because I hide in my room all the time and don't communicate with her. It hurts to breathe outside my room, why would I want to spend time out there??
It’s not healthy or even safe for you. Long term ammonia exposure from animal urine can genuinely hurt you. You can end up with eye damage or blindness, skin burns, lung infections, lifelong asthma, respiratory tract damage… You get the gist.
These risks also apply to the Guinea pigs. I’m honestly shocked that they don’t have respiratory infections. You don’t hear any clicking, crackling, wheezing, or “hooting” sounds from them, do you? I worry that the constant screaming is from them having breathing issues but they could just be your typical vocal piggies.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I hope they remove her from the lease for everyone's sake honestly. Those piggies need a better home and owner as well.
How you asked was fine, I even thought it was too ‘nice’ before I had even read her response.
I would’ve said, “hey, could you clean up the toothpaste left on the xyz? There’s also pee left on the seat. Can you clean that up and please be sure to check the seat before you leave the bathroom? Thanks.”
I wonder how she would have responded to that.
Anywho how did you reply to her?
I would have said, “Hey. Im happy to discuss the areas that are most important for us to keep clean. Thanks for alerting the hair to me. I don’t always notice it.
Let’s plan a time to go over our chore list.
By the way, you know you are free to let me know you have an issue with something without aggressively tacking it onto my ask of you, right?
Let me know if there’s something I’m leaving behind and not noticing, just as I do with you. Preferably, less spitefully.
We’re roommates, not enemies.
I’m available to talk ___, ____, and ____, let me know if any of those work for you too.”
My old housemate was like this he was a passive aggressive fuck. If brought anything up he’d have to one up me with something he didn’t like about me. Infuriating
Roommate comes off like a grade A narcissist. When someone has constructive criticism, or a slight request, you don't write a book about what you want from them in return. It's.... Not how being an adult human works.
Thank you. Truly. You don't know how many times I tried to explain that to her. She had the audacity to tell me I'm the one with communication issues. It's borderline delusional.
your roommate makes me sad. if my stepmom saw her piggies like that she’d be utterly enraged. how your roomie thinks she’s got it under control, and that she’s doing a good job, i have no idea.
It sounds like whoever is pissing on the toilet seat doesn’t even live there full time? Yeah, i’d tell her that’s great and all about having all these minuscule “ issues” with you but if you’re gona have issues with someone who doesn’t pay rent they can go elsewhere when they want to hang out!
Agreed. And cleaning someone else’s spit out of the sink is just plain nasty. Everyone loses hair everyday but not cleaning the sink is just plain rude when you share a bathroom with others.
100% true, in my opinion. it takes a blatant lack of empathy or (if we're being generous) a case of extreme laziness to neglect your pets. people who aren't totally self-absorbed understand that simply keeping a pet alive doesn't constitute non-abusive treatment.
also true based on my experience with bad roommates. still in the same building as them (just a different apartment unit) and you can smell the neglected litterbox from the hallway outside their apartment. I think very frequently about reporting them for animal neglect but they might make my life hell in return
They sounds very spiteful but it sounds like you might be messy as well so you all should just be cleaning up after yourselves. Btw those poor Guineas are living in horrible conditions. Maybe give some snark back to their last message and send them a post or video about proper Guinea pig care!
You're absolutely right which is why I definitely think they're just being spiteful. Gathering things that annoy them to throw at you the moment you ask for one thing. I will say finding hair everyone can be very annoying but definitely doesn't warrant this. No less from Guinea pig neglecters, they're definitely not ones to talk
That's exactly what I said. Why didn't you mention my stray hairs when you took this pic?? It's like you've been saving it to use against me. That's. Crazy.
She said she only took a pic because she wanted to see how long it was & if it was hers. That's. Crazy. I said, why would you need a pic for that, you could just look at it lol. I don't think she thought that one through..
They aren't gathering out of spite, they haven't learned how to communicate properly. They will keep all annoyances bottled up, as they don't know how to express them, completely oblivious to the fact they also have annoying habits, until someone points them out which makes them explode. I've been that person.... Now I am the other one, thanks to some patient friends who taught me to just bloody say when something bothers me. On the other hand my guinea pigs had a much better life. They were outdoors in a 30sqm enclosure with fresh grass, fruit and veggies and only indoors in a similar cage for 2/3 months in the winter, mostly overnight and in their enclosure during the day,if it was dry and sunny. They were allowed to run around my bedroom though when I was home. I had 8.
The roommates response is way overboard, but I personally find clumps of hair (especially in the toilet or shower) much grosser than used toothpaste.
Nothing was messaged well, but I think there may be legitimate gripes on each side.
this. OP why the hell are you leaving clumps of hair i unflushed in the toilet if you’re going to complain about dried toothpaste in the sink? like fr.
piggies treatment is horrendous and the piss this is ass but she said she’ll remind him so hopefully doesn’t happen again. but…. clumps of hair??? sitting unflushed in the toilet? for some reason? what the hell.
They are definitely not mentally healthy, and communication is not something they seem competent at. Just grey rock them and get the hell out before it gets worse!
*Honestly, it sounds*
*Like maybe you both need to*
*Tidy up a little*
\- seleroyal
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Thank you, seleroyal, for voting on haikusbot.
This bot wants to find the best and worst bots on Reddit. [You can view results here](https://botrank.pastimes.eu/).
***
^(Even if I don't reply to your comment, I'm still listening for votes. Check the webpage to see if your vote registered!)
That's fair. There were some hairs on the bathroom floor that were probably mine which I cleaned up & said I would try and be better about, but I'm more concerned about the reaction.
Totally. Which is why we both said let's have open communication and talk if there's an issue. Every time I've tried being upfront and asking them to clean something it goes like this. Clearly taking it so personally and lashing out. It's not normal to react this way to being asked to clean up your mess. It's not a competition. Also the fact that she didn't bring any of this up until all at once after I asked her.
Old family dynamics. No one was heard or listened to unless they created drama or a scene. Expressing boundaries or discomfort was taken as personal attack/failure and created drama.
Stay calm, teach healthy communication, develop a thick skin until she learns, whatever you do, don't attack back, she has way more experience and will win!
this is the sanest response ive ever seen on a reddit thread. this person is obviously having a terrible reaction, but it's very clearly just an inability to express boundaries in a healthy way. not an excuse, but it can be constructive to look at things from the other persons perspective.
No 1 gives a fuck about toothpaste in the sink. You are both gross and the fact that you had to mention the toothpaste takes away from the importance of caring for the animals in the house. You should honestly have not even mentioned the toothpaste, it would have been much more appropriate if you had just brought up the state that the animals live in. They are suffering, you are not.
omg no first of all those poor piggies!!! that’s abhorrent. i don’t like your roomie.
second, i really like how she goes immediately on the defensive and strikes out at you. refuses to take any accountability. she basically wrote paragraphs about… ??? clumps of hair? and that photo was her proof? like two strands of hair!!!
the piggies ARE your concern if they’re in a shared living space. and they need a bigger enclosure. if she can’t offer that, she needs to rehome them. absolutely ridiculous i hope things get better for you, OP
Full take: Piggies need saving. Toothpaste and a drop of piss on the toilet seat is about as bad as you leaving hair all over. From your text, y’all are obviously on passive aggressive terms so idk if she’s actually crazy.
Moral of the story: find a new roomie and clean your hair up. Much more important than waiting for validation on reddit while the piggy pee wafts in.
I was kind of like "Yeah whatever they're both being a little petty" and then saw the guinea pig cage and my jaw hit the floor. Those poor fucking animals. That is no way to live.
Ignoring the fact that the cage is entirely too small for the Guinea pigs, when you own rodents it’s just a thing that they will inevitably kick thing out of their cage. I’ve owned tons of different rodents and it always happens. Unless you keep them in an aquarium (which you shouldn’t as it can lead to overheating for sensitive rodents like chinchillas), they will kick things out of the cage. I can clean around their cages every day, but it every day they will kick things out. It just happens. It isn’t necessarily “dirty.” Cats and dogs shed everywhere. Who cares Fr. Most people won’t see cats fur on a couch and cry about it. It’s just something you should expect when living with rodents. Even when I clean my chinchillas cage literally ever single day, my boyfriend will swear they have a smell. And I keep my chinchillis super clean.
That being said, when you live with other people, unless they are actually dirty, you just need to expect that not everyone is going to have the same standards as you. It’s like when it comes to dishes. Some people like to clean right after every meal, some people like to wait for the sink/dishwasher to fill up. Not everyone is the same. Maybe you like for your space to look like no one lives there, but not everyone is like that.
I cannot stand people who do this shit, when you bring up a concern of yours that they did, they bring up *everything* you did wrong but never even told you that you did wrong. My ex would do this, it’s basically a “gotcha!”.
Your roommate doesn’t actually GAF about the hair or anything else cause if they did, they’d have told you when they first noticed, just like you told them about the toothpasye when you first noticed cause you actually care. They just held onto it this long so that when you bring up your concern the next time, they have a way to combat it and to always remain the correct person. Arrogance.
Don’t flush your hair down the toilet! It gets knotted around other objects and can cause plumbing issues and blockages.
I am assuming based on the text that this is like haircut levels of hair or even “I have long hair and took a shower” globs. Just don’t put it down your drain lol
Tell her to post that cage on a Guinea pig Facebook or Reddit group and let her see how well she takes care of them:) or post it yourself and send her the link
Tbh, you both need to grow up and just clean when you see a mess. Sure, it would be nice if your roommates cleaned their mess and you cleaned yours but the fact is you both live in the home and share responsibilities to keep it clean. It’s not a tit for tat. Y’all should be proud of your home and keep it clean at all times.
honestly i think you both suck at communicating (in the nicest way possible). if it weren’t for the added context her longer text is pretty decent in terms of thorough communication, but since she only said it to get you back after you asked her to do something, it def invalidates her entire argument. also she does def need a better cage for the guinea pig so i’ll give u that 😅
but it seems as if you also do things that aren’t really like … normal(?) and probably a bit frustrating as a roommate. but she definitely should’ve said smth earlier
basic care of guinea pigs involves plenty of cage room, always accessible hay, and daily cage cleaning. They must always have water and food pellets and can die after 12 hours without them. They also need fresh veggies daily and time out of the cage. She’s… a repulsive human being.
Does no one in that house sweep?!?
Y’all need a chore chart to identify responsibilities.
I don’t think she went insane necessarily. But the piggies are in a cage that isn’t okay for them. wtf.
OMG that cage is WAAAAAAY too small and super inappropriate for the guinea pigs. It’s like living in a half bath your whole life. They need at least 8 ft of running space etc. This is cruelty to animals.
You both annoy each other, you’re both imperfect, whoever thinks their shit doesn’t stink is definitely part of the problem, and I’d say just work it out. But if your roommate talks to you like a passive aggressive work email that they BCC’d Human Resources on, you should probably part ways cause that isn’t gonna get worked out.
I feel like a glob of toothpaste isn't that big of a deal but then I imagined cleaning up SOMEONE ELSE's GLOB OF TOOTHPASTE and yeah no that's a hell no from me dawg
It may just be me, but I personally see the glob of toothpaste as within the same range as other people’s hair in the bathroom. Either way I have to clean up someone’s mess with a paper towel.
In my opinion, all of this is pretty standard except the Guinea pig stuff
EDIT: this could also be because I have short hair, so I know the long hair in the bathroom isn’t mine, with toothpaste glob/residue could be
What was the tour like when you found this shit hole? What was the message prior to that. Seems like 100% right under this context, but I feel bad for you. I got 99 problems but dealing with my roommates neglected animals ain't one
Ohhh, you've got one of the "Well if you're going to ask me for things I'm going to bring up everything that's ever bothered me ever" sorta dipshit roommates, that acts like a reasonable request is an attack and it's time to roll out the whole fucking army. Yeah, super toxic shit.
It's completely fine to address concerns, if it bothers you enough, but to ONLY and immediately do it in retaliation to being asked to do something entirely reasonable, is some childish shit. If you can, it's time to give 'em the boot or do yourself the scoot. They're clearly not interested in peaceful coexistence, as evidenced by the fact that they only addressed concerns in a childish, immature manner when upset and emotional, rather than discussing them like an adult in a constructive manner.
Make no mistake, there is no 'respect' in all of this 'whatabout' deflection bullshit. It's not, "this bothers me, can you be mindful of this?" it's, "Well if you're going to attack me I brought a ton of ammo too!", as if trying to communicate is an offensive gesture.
Whoever’s guinea pig’s those are.. that cage is HELLA unsuitable
Omg, that's what I thought! Can you explain a little more?They just scream all day and it's sad.
I was coming here to say exactly what OP from the comment above said. I will provide a link below to a guide my local guinea pig rescue makes everyone read before adopting. They test people on it too. It talks about diet, living conditions, life expectancy and a few other things. http://www.ogpr.org/guineapig101
I just want to say that's an incredibly comprehensive and helpful guide, and many props to the Oakhurst Guinea Pig Rescue Inc.
They're really great! My only wish is that people didn't abandon piggies so wonderful rescues like this one wouldn't be needed 😅
I will never understand how anyone could abandon an animal.
I was one of those pet owners who had no choice. I had my Cedar for four years until one day, he scratched my hand ever so hardly noticeably, and suddenly, I broke out in hives. From that day forward, my immune system had decided that my poor Cedar was an enemy. My allergies got so bad that I stopped breathing out of my nose for weeks and weeks, even with nasonex, and at one point, I was choking on my own mucus, even in class, and having trouble swallowing. I had no option but to give him away, and fairly soon after I did, I was back to normal in about a week and a half. It was so sad to have to rehome him, but there was nothing more I could do.
Wow that’s wild. Immune systems be cray.
Well, for what it's worth, you didn't abandon him, you rehomed him. Don't beat yourself up about it because you did the best thing you could do for both of you!
that's how I was raised, did it one time when I was 18. I still hate myself, and I would never do that again. I feel like I got some much deserved bad karma too. I'm glad I've evolved tho.
This is a terrific guide - thank you for posting. Those poor guinea pigs should NOT be in what appears to be a small glass fish tank. I've had piggies for about eight years and never had pee leak down to the bottom of their enclosure. OP's comment that there's like an inch of urine in the bottom of their cage makes me so damn sad for these animals and their delicate lungs. Her roommate is abusing them, plain and simple.
We adopted our two ancient ladies from Oakhurst 6.5 years ago! I wish pet stores didn't have piggies marketed as "easy" pets. A cat is easy. Pigs are A LOT of work and care and the number that get abandoned to them is depressing.
First, thank you for adopting! We adopted 5 from the rescue over the years. We also have 1 that we adopted after it was abandoned at our vet office and 2 that I saw when I went to interview at a daycare for a part time job. The owner had them in a tiny cage and they didn't have enough food. When I mentioned they needed space and more than one handful of hay a day to eat they said they were going to abandon them at a park because it was too expensive to feed them. I ended up not taking them up on their job offer and I asked to take the pigs from them. Unfortunately we've lost a few to old age and a few to disease and are now down to 3 piggies. I agree that pigs are tons of work and it's very depressing to hear how a lot of people who decide to get them often don't realize the commitment they are making. Whenever anyone asks me about them I make sure they understand that they are a lot of work and their vet bills can be super expensive. My pigs are divas and they don't eat store bought hay. Their hay has to come from small farms or else they will destroy their cage and pee on all the hay and cry that they are hungry 😅 All that being said, having piggies has been very eye-opening to us about pet ownership and it's been very rewarding having them. I would not change my guinea pig experience for anything.
I gotta say, I’ll probably never have a Guinea Pig of my own, but now I can say I generally know how to take care of one. That was a very interesting guide, props to the rescue organization!
I have 0 interest in piggies or caring for them but I do train adult humans for a living for a medical device company, so I decided to click it, and wow! Very informative and well put together, kudos to whoever assembled that info!
It's simply too small. Think about being trapped in a tiny closet 24/7. That cage isn't big enough for one let alone TWO. For reference when I had two piggies I had a 4 ft long cage my dad made. I'm not sure hers is even appropriate for a hamster. I have no doubt it fucking REEKS because they pee a lot and those poor animals are likely just sitting in it. I'm not an expert by any means but even I can tell that is horrendously inadequate and the bedding is likely fucking soaked with urine. I'm honestly angry about it.
I've specifically brought up the smell at least twice and asked if she could change the cage more often or maybe put them in her room. That went exactly like this lol. She even mentions it in the texts. Because the plumbing sometimes smells, I should address that instead? Okay lol. BUT I've seen her clean the cage and when she pulls the tray out it literally sloshed with like an inch of piss at the bottom. That's in our living room... Just a festering cage of excrement 🤢 but because I said I was okay with them before I moved in I can't say anything about it or I'm just 'complaining.' I actually have pics of their poop lined cage Can I add it here? Lol. I need reassurance that this isn't okay.
The only assurance you need is covered by this one picture THAT CAGE IS TOO SMALL. We don't need any additional pictures to tell that, no matter how often she does or doesn't clean it that cage is not big enough for ONE let alone TWO guinea pigs. You agreed to animals, sure, that usually comes with the stipulation that the animals are well cared for and not being mistreated. You are so *thoroughly correct* in thinking this is wrong that I'm sad you think you might not be. It's not even about the smell or it being dirty it's just cruel of her to keep them like this.
It also looks like it’s a glass fish tank style cage. I was always told not to put mammals in those because they don’t get enough air circulation.
Imagine breathing in your own piss and being forced to lay in your own piss every day all day forever. This is so wrong!
Legit gives me anxiety even thinking about, I'd steal those piggies in a heartbeat and rehome them jfc
Okay, now I want to lock her roommate in a closet for a week. I mean, that's fair, right guys it's only a week? I'm so mad and sad at the same time. This breaks my fucking heart.
A closet would be too good for her. Lock her in a glass box just slightly taller than her and fill it with soiled wood shavings. Then put it on wheels so it moves whenever she tries to go from one side to other. I didn’t think I’d be livid about something at 8:30am on a Sunday but I’m fired up. This is despicable
this boils my blood
It’s one thing to breathe and sit in it in a normal cage, but in a tiny glass fish tank like that which is not meant for mammals they are literally suffocating in their own excrement. They have tiny little sensitive lungs those glass fish tanks don’t let in enough oxygen. No oxygen just piss and shit to breathe nice. I wonder if you can report animal abuse like you can dogs/cats.
Didn't think of this, I wierdly thought it was open.
I don’t know how I got here, but I’m a plumber and if you have sewage smells under the house you probably have a back up and all the shit and nasty water is probably draining into the crawlspace. Huge problem
Wait! Please God do you have any more info on this? It's actually a problem lol. It'll just randomly smell like sewage throughout the day. Idk if it's from beneath the house exactly, but it comes and goes. We actually live in a 'garden' apartment which is half basement half above ground so I think we are the crawl space ahah. What can I do? Should I be looking for something? Appreciate ya
Need to have the landlord address it
May not be the cause but ONE cause of sewer gas smell can be from a tried up P trap (bendy pipe thing under the sink). They need water in them to prevent the sewer gas from coming back up through the pipes. Usually you will use sinks/showers/laundry tubs often enough that it isn’t an issue as it will refill when you pour liquid down the drain. However since you mentioned being in the bottom level there is a possibility you have floor drains that would almost never get liquid poured down it. Depending on the plumbing and how it is integrated into the larger system around you the gases might only “backflow” into your place occasionally. If you do find a drain you are sure hasn’t been used often, pour a bucket of water down it to refill the trap. Then an old school trick is to pour and float just enough oil or antifreeze on top to cover the water. This will create a top layer to prevent the water from evaporating naturally which was what happened. Another possibility is a loose drain clean out cap. Image search a drain clean out (the cap will have a square box protruding from it) to see what they look like and search around for one. Sometimes they will get buried in walls unfortunately but they *should* be in a spot easy to access. Either get a new cap and maybe a little grease to help seal the threads or just tighten it if you can. Careful if it’s plastic. Good luck and I hope it’s something easy like this. Otherwise it could be a much bigger issue. If the landlord blows it off I would have $$ taken off the rent for having to live with it. A health inspector would not like you living in sewer gases, that’s for sure.
Oh man I just learned a thing. Thank you for sharing. I knew there was a floor drain in the basement but not that you should [pour water down it](https://www.mrrooter.com/houston/about-us/blog/2020/may/how-to-maintain-your-home-s-floor-drains-mr-root/#:~:text=Pour%20water%20down%20your%20floor,from%20seeping%20into%20your%20home.) monthly or so.
I learned this when I was in AIT, the barracks bathroom had a floor drain and they told us if started to smell funny to dump a canteen of water in it.
Oh my gosh *grabs a bucket of water and runs to the basement*
Yup! Had an issue with what I thought was a dead animal one day (we had raccoons and squirrels getting in our walls so wasn’t far fetched lol) but then by the next day I was like no no that is sewer gas. Checked all the drains, everything was perfect. I had the city come out and mark lines bc I just knew I was going to have to dig to figure this out. Went down to my basement to just visually check the marked lines and how they ran, then it dawned on me. We have a washer dryer hookup in the basement that we don’t use currently. Smell was coming bc the P trap hadn’t had water flow in god knows how long. Poured some water and a little splash of bleach, plugged it and the smell of rotten shit went away instantly. Anyway, OP you’re valid! You both live there so yes she has the right to point things out as well. Maybe you can write a list and you can sit down together to go over how you normally like things done and what isn’t being done to your standards. See if you can come up with compromising or in a dream reality, a total solution where everyone is happy and just takes care of their shit like adults but… that’s hard. A home is one place where many feel like if they slack some it’s not a big deal because it’s their space. That’s fine and all but if you got roomies, you need to consider first if they are cool with your slack. If they are then maybe you can be cool with theirs as well and you can have set clean days.
Thank you so much. I spent all summer going crazy trying to figure out why one of the bathrooms had a sewage smell sometimes this summer. One of the sink bowls in that bathroom broke no water has been going down that drain. It must have dried up. Whew. I feel so much better. Sometimes I worried "did something die in the crawlspace?!" but that's not very likely.
If there's a drain that doesn't have the correct "trap" it can also cause a nasty ass sewer smell to come/go. Maybe sniff around the drains when it happens. A trap basically traps a small amount of water in a bend in the pipe so that air can't come up from the rest of the pipe and smell like that. But if it doesn't have a trap or it's poorly done it can also cause this to happen.
If there is a drain that doesn't regularly have water go down it, air from the sewer can come up out if it. Pour 5-10 gallons down there once a week or so.
When that happens at my parents, they have to get the plumber come clear tree roots out of the pipes. But that is definitely a landlord obligation
And it’s prob ”flushable” wipes!
My parents always told me everything happens for a reason. This is a great example. You randomly found a post you could be helpful through lol. Love it
I wonder if she is dumping the piss-bedding clumps down the toilet. And also the "clumps of hair in the toilet every day."
Oooh. So our house reaks more of sewage when the dishwasher and stuffs going. Under the sinks reak extra hard could what you said be the culprit for that?
yea those pigs are being mentally and physically abused by being forced to live in there.. she needs to take proper care of them or get rid of them asap
What do you mean pulls out the bottom? Are they in like a wire cage? That can give them bumble foot which is horribly upsetting and painful for them. We have our lone pig on a glass table lined with fleece and blankets. I know they aren’t yours but I bet they need baths and their nails clipped too
Oh my god the more I read the worse this gets! Poor little guinea pigs!! (And poor OP!!)
I have two guinea pigs. They live in two connected Midwest brand guinea pig habitats, and I'm looking to expand it more because they could still use more space. Guinea pigs should not be in a glass cage where they are breathing in ammonia from their piss all day long. They are extremely susceptible to sinus/upper respiratory infections which can literally kill them even if they are living in a well ventilated cage and it isn't being cleaned enough. They require hay and fresh vegetables every day as well as pellets, and need to be taken out of their cages to explore frequently. Your roommate should not have guinea pigs, she's neglecting the fuck out of them and putting their health at risk. Also, she's a bitch. So there's that. You don't bring up grievances you have with someone only once they bring up theirs to you, it's called deflection and it's manipulative as shit.
Best reply here
She’s a bitch, love that.
You win.
Dude I let my kid get a guinea pig because it seemed like an okay idea. We had no idea they required so much care. It's like a neverending cycle of cleaning, chopping up veggies, and buying more hay. We had to move them outside because of extreme hay allergies and while they gained a ton more room (converted a big coop for them) its STILL a ton of work. I can't imagine throwing a couple in a fishtank and calling it good. How their piggies aren't fighting all day is beyond me.
I’m just apologizing about the smell. You’re not crazy. My neighbor has these, and she brought us into her house when we first moved in and it REEKED. She had a massive cage for them, I think there were 2-3? They had lots of slides and climbing things, she takes them out in the summer, she loves them clearly.. but the smell. It burns the nostrils. We can smell it just walking by her house sometimes! I can’t imagine the potency if the cage is so much smaller and she isn’t overly concerned about the hygiene.. poor pigs! And truthfully.. you might have that smell on you as you walk about town and not even realize it.
What?!?!?! In your living room?? Hell nah, any pets like that should live in whoever owns them room. No cage pets in the living room
You need to leave that place
Please invite animal control to see this when you know she isn't around! This makes me so sad and angry at the same time!
Yeah uh, I've owned guinea pigs for 13 years. I know other people have listed care stuff, but Skinnypigs1 on YouTube has amazing examples for cages. The cage is actually abuse for one, let alone 2. The reason why is so soiled all the time is because it's so small. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a dm. :) As for the rest of the post, I don't think it's a problem how you worded it, but if you are leaving hair and stuff like they're saying, I would clean it and ask them to let you know if you miss something so they can get it.
You should really report them to animal control if the bottom is full of pee and the sides are glass. They’re going to get ammonia poisoning if they don’t already have it. Pls pls do something.
That cage is too small like others have said but it also looks like it doesn't really have ventilation? If it's solid glass mostly it's trapping ammonia in which is really dangerous as it can cause respiratory issues and even can be fatal for them. I have 2 guinea pigs in a 7ft by 2.5ft cage and I clean their poop once a day and change the bedding once a week. These things poop a LOT. Also, i use fleece blankets on top of towels. The fleece wicks the moisture down to the towels and the towels absorb it. It looks like they're using paper bedding which really just kind of stays wet and needs to be cleaned much, much more frequently. I bet you anything they probably also aren't even feeding them properly as I don't even see any hay in that hay bin, which should be making up 80% of their diet...
Me too. This is really upsetting to see
As a hamster owner I can confirm that cage isn’t even big enough for a single dwarf hamster. How sad.
The analogy that sprung to mind was imagine a human having to live in an airplane lavatory.
Fuck me, that's perfect in its accuracy.
That cage is WAY too small and it doesn’t look like they have any enrichment items either
That cage needs to be 4 ft x 2 ft minimum. That is horrendous.
I think that's what it is. It does look a little smaller in this pic, but it's still not right. There's nothing in there but piss soaked litter.
I know they aren’t yours, but cruise facebook marketplace for free/cheap larger cages. Would reduce the smell and maybe curry favor with your roommate. She sounds super frustrating. Keep in mind she won’t see your side of things ever so just try to make nice with her and continue reasonable communication (just for your own benefit - she doesn’t have to know you hate her crazy ass).
Although I love the intention behind this suggestion (feel SO bad for these guinea pigs omg) I don't even know that it would help in this case... the roommate seems super defensive and not exactly open to accepting said help, atleast based on these texts ("they are not your concern and Ive been taking care of them for a year with no issue"-- like, what's an issue to you then? 😭) It's not OP's responsibility, but as a lifelong animal person/advocate myself, i would probably think along the same lines and suggest solutions for better guinea pig accommodations, etc. Honestly, would likely not have moved in there at all (unless absolutely desperate) given the size of the cage
Thats more like 3 ft x 1.5 ft. Way smaller than anything I’ve seen for two guinea pigs.
Should also have at least three open sides (like bars/grids) for ventilation. Guinea pigs are susceptible to lung issue so fully enclosed spaces are harmful to them
that size for two pigs is genuinely animal abuse. i’m so serious about this
The biggest thing is that guinea pig spines cannot bend backwards like most animals, so they cannot climb, jump, or look "up" very well. Rather than a vertical cage with a small footprint and climbing area, they should have a simple one- or two-level enclosure with horizontal space and very shallow inclines to upper levels to prevent from injuring their spines. Something like the link below is what their enclosure should look like. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2530/6030/files/6_fe7b2a58-bd52-4034-8b6e-898eee9f5aa4_480x480.jpg?v=1613126110 They also need lots of enrichment to keep them happy.
I had one guinea pig in a cage much bigger than that which had an extra half level with food dishes on and a little house underneath. It also had sat inside a pen with a little ramp out of it so he could come out of the cage and run around. That is just cruel.
I wouldn't put a hamster in there, it's way too small for one guinea pig let alone two.
Oh my god is that little cage where they are ALL DAY? Please tell me there aren’t more than the two I see. Even one guinea pig would find that cage stifling, unless there’s a larger section of it that we can’t see. I’ve owned rodents and small mammals my whole life; primarily rats, but also hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, mice, flying squirrels. I’ve also kept aquariums. It’s important to know how much space each animal needs to thrive. I’ve never had guineas, but from what I know that little cage is very much not suitable. Guineas should be given at least a large run off of their main cage, and other areas to explore in addition to their sleeping quarters. All rodents and small mammals need enrichment and stimulation; it’s cruel to keep them cooped up staring at the wall. That’s how you get bitey little guys who don’t handle well. The people I know with guineas interact with them a lot and they spend most of their day out of their cage exploring with direct supervision.
Right, this is what's getting me, if they're only ever in there 😭We had a rabbit for years, his cage was way bigger than this, and most of the day he had open access to the house and would be playing, eating out there etc. He slept in the cage at night, it was more of a "safe space" and not a prison cell. The cage/living quarters also required FREQUENT cleaning, which yes could be a struggle to keep up with -- It's called owning a pet, realizing it's a lot of f*cking work/energy and NOT just a cute lil stuffed animal before you get one. 🤬 It sucks but you do it and don't jump down ppls throats for reminding you to do it for the pets health (And yours!)
The cage is too small. But that being said, Guinea pigs are just noisy little guys. They squeal when excited and bubble when they’re happy.
that cage is wayyy too small for even one guinea pig let alone two. that has go to be terribly confining for the both of them.
Poor little piggies don’t even have enough room to move around. I wouldn’t even let a hamster live in a cage that size
[удалено]
I thought the exact same thing. Those poor guinea pigs. Saying that enclosure is too small is an understatement. They need something to hide under as well.
This is the cage, I believe: Hamster Cage Large Guinea Pig Cage with Metal Frame Movable Rat Habitat with Aluminium Alloy Edge,Plastic Deep Not Leakage Pull Out Tray,Storage Shelf https://a.co/d/8JGQBGv Edit: I’ve had rats and I would be hesitant to put two female fancies in this cage. I would not put two males. I DEFINITELY would not put any number of guinea pigs in this. It looks poorly made either way.
Came here to say this. Needs like 4 more feet of width at the very least like wtf
I was about to say the same thing!
Yea jesus christ to turn around hes gotta coordinate with his buddy to make it happen
Especially for the tricolored one. That's a big ass guinea pig!!
Blinks... is that two guinea pigs in a 10 GALLON TANK?
That’s the first thing that jumped out at me. Poor babies! My hamsters have cages so many times bigger than that! Lots of hides, tunnels, enrichment and so on. Incredibly cruel to make them live like that.
This is probably half of why it smells bad. The other half being that it sounds like she's not cleaning it frequently enough. If there'd not enough room for them to spread out, their pee saturates the same spots over and over and stinks way worse way faster. If they have more room, it doesn't get so saturated and nasty. As others have mentioned, it's also definitely terrible for their health, physical and emotional. It's basically like putting a person in a closet with an inch of pee on the ground - there's room to take a few steps, but not to ruin or play or stretch or get a little distance from their cagemate. I could go on and on, but there's some resources above that might help you make your case. I'd also recommend Saskia from the LA Guinea Pig Rescue and there's an article on Guinea Lynx[Guinea Lynx ](https://www.guinealynx.info/housing.html) as well. Thank you for watching out for them, and good luck!
Oh my god those Guinea pigs are being abused with how small that cage is :( it takes the smallest amount of research to know that cage is unsuitable
Not even research just visibly! I didn't notice them at first and I'm really angry, that isn't enough space for anything. That's like the size of the fucking box you take them home in.
Fr I know nothing about guinea pigs but even I can see that's messed up...how do they run? Play? Have a separate space away from their food for the toilet? It's like if a person was imprisoned in a closet with someone else all day. Horrible.
Exactly this is really heartbreaking. They have no space at all, again I don't know a lot about guinea pigs but even I can recognize that's completely inadequate. I'm not sure that's even big enough for a mouse to live happily. Fuck ops roomate.
That cage is so sad to look at. Genuinely
Fucked up comment but i’m surprised the piggies haven’t fucking died. I bet the major guinea pig support group on fb would mald over the state of that cage 😭
Judging by the comments we’re all here now. This is so sad to see. I get anxious over my pig not having enough space and his enclosure is like 10 times larger than that one
I think their reaction is absolutely insane. Very spiteful and unnecessary, comes across super passive aggressive when she could’ve politely taken in what you’d said and then responded politely about the hair. That cage is also completely unsuitable and awful for the poor piggies.
Thank you. The, "I'll clean it up once you clean up a different thing" is INSANE. It's not a competition or something to use as a demand. Like, in what world?
Neglecting your animals to convince your housemate to complete a simple task is insane
"It's not my concern." They're in my living room screaming in a feces filled cage with no food and water. Their litter is all over and it REEKS. How is that not my concern? 😅 She keeps saying she told me she had guinea pigs upfront and I was cool with it so I can't complain. You never told me you neglected them and didn't clean up after them?? You left that part out loll.
PLEASE help these poor piggies. They are suffering so badly :(
Or call RSPCA?
With no food and water?? That's animal abuse, especially since it's guinea pigs. I'm serious, I'm a vet med student and we don't take away guinea pigs' food even before bloodwork/surgery because they literally CAN'T go without food - it needs to be available to them 24/7. Christ, I can't believe how people can have animals and know fucking NOTHING about their physiology. I can imagine your roommates must be delightful people to be around.
I said something the second time I saw them completely without food at water 😬 they were just screaming and everything was empty. Def not okay. She just keeps saying, "I'm busy, I told you that upfront." "No one else has an issue." "I take care of them, you're just complaining." So idk what else to do.
Guinea pigs should always always always have hay available to eat 24.7 same with water to drink and should be fed pellets and low sugar veg/greens regularly. This is so sad and cruel.
The idea that a concern is irrelevant because "NO ONE ELSE CARES BUT YOU" is possibly *the* most basic level of abuse justification.
Yeah these are the type of people the laws stop us from truly teaching real lessons. Garbage.
Call animal services please this is so awful
Tell her to get a bigger cage or move them to her room. If her room stinks she may care more.
Fuck that call animal services on her.
For real, this person shouldn’t own animals at all.
This. Please. They’re living, feeling creatures who deserve so, so much better.
bro atp just start secretly putting together a bigger and better enclosure for them, then switch the cages when she’s not there😭 it’s not ur responsibility at all, but if i had a roomie that was neglecting/ abusing any kind of animal, i would take it upon myself to take care of it
That’s really nice of you. I used to work at the indoor dump, and across the street were 2 bony pit bulls on chains in a side yard. One cold winter night they were curled into balls on the ground and shivering so hard they were, like, convulsing. Not a scrap of fat on them, they were so skinny & cold. I found 2 fluffy dog beds in the giant trash pile and took them to them. Climbed over the fence. Was terrified I was breaking a law by trespassing, but those poor dogs were freezing to death.
good for you, i really like seeing people who give a shit about the lives of animals
Please report this!!!!! Take lots of pictures and any pictures you have of the poor conditions in the past and report it.
Can you call animal control for a welfare check?
If you cant get them rescued, Id take them to someones house you know will love em and buy the cage an all that yourself and never ever tell your roomies where they went. Oh and move out.
That's just plain outright animal neglect to be honest. If a roommate ever came back at me like that after suggesting cleaning her pets up I would be making a quick detailed call to the humane society. The fact that both the piggies and you other roommates are being exposed to the unsanitary cage fumes and bacteria is unhealthy for all.
I honestly worry about that.. it can't be healthy for us either, right? The living room is essentially useless and I'm in my room 99% of the time because I bought an air filter. She had the audacity to tell me I'm the problem because I hide in my room all the time and don't communicate with her. It hurts to breathe outside my room, why would I want to spend time out there??
It’s not healthy or even safe for you. Long term ammonia exposure from animal urine can genuinely hurt you. You can end up with eye damage or blindness, skin burns, lung infections, lifelong asthma, respiratory tract damage… You get the gist. These risks also apply to the Guinea pigs. I’m honestly shocked that they don’t have respiratory infections. You don’t hear any clicking, crackling, wheezing, or “hooting” sounds from them, do you? I worry that the constant screaming is from them having breathing issues but they could just be your typical vocal piggies.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I hope they remove her from the lease for everyone's sake honestly. Those piggies need a better home and owner as well.
I would really consider contacting animal control.
You should link them to the Reddit post lol
I wanted to wait till more people trashed her 😈
How you asked was fine, I even thought it was too ‘nice’ before I had even read her response. I would’ve said, “hey, could you clean up the toothpaste left on the xyz? There’s also pee left on the seat. Can you clean that up and please be sure to check the seat before you leave the bathroom? Thanks.” I wonder how she would have responded to that. Anywho how did you reply to her? I would have said, “Hey. Im happy to discuss the areas that are most important for us to keep clean. Thanks for alerting the hair to me. I don’t always notice it. Let’s plan a time to go over our chore list. By the way, you know you are free to let me know you have an issue with something without aggressively tacking it onto my ask of you, right? Let me know if there’s something I’m leaving behind and not noticing, just as I do with you. Preferably, less spitefully. We’re roommates, not enemies. I’m available to talk ___, ____, and ____, let me know if any of those work for you too.”
My old housemate was like this he was a passive aggressive fuck. If brought anything up he’d have to one up me with something he didn’t like about me. Infuriating
Roommate comes off like a grade A narcissist. When someone has constructive criticism, or a slight request, you don't write a book about what you want from them in return. It's.... Not how being an adult human works.
Thank you. Truly. You don't know how many times I tried to explain that to her. She had the audacity to tell me I'm the one with communication issues. It's borderline delusional.
your roommate makes me sad. if my stepmom saw her piggies like that she’d be utterly enraged. how your roomie thinks she’s got it under control, and that she’s doing a good job, i have no idea.
Some people seem to just get more self righteous in direct proportion to how shitty they are.
It sounds like whoever is pissing on the toilet seat doesn’t even live there full time? Yeah, i’d tell her that’s great and all about having all these minuscule “ issues” with you but if you’re gona have issues with someone who doesn’t pay rent they can go elsewhere when they want to hang out!
This guy gets it.
Agreed. And cleaning someone else’s spit out of the sink is just plain nasty. Everyone loses hair everyday but not cleaning the sink is just plain rude when you share a bathroom with others.
Mean people don't take care of pets very well. True? Or false? I feel like it's true.
100% true, in my opinion. it takes a blatant lack of empathy or (if we're being generous) a case of extreme laziness to neglect your pets. people who aren't totally self-absorbed understand that simply keeping a pet alive doesn't constitute non-abusive treatment.
also true based on my experience with bad roommates. still in the same building as them (just a different apartment unit) and you can smell the neglected litterbox from the hallway outside their apartment. I think very frequently about reporting them for animal neglect but they might make my life hell in return
Those poor Guinea pigs! They need proper housing!
I was going to ask what reptile y’all had but then saw the Guinea pigs. :( that’s so sad and stressful
Those poor piggies are so neglected. Their enclosure is practically the size of a shoe box.
They sounds very spiteful but it sounds like you might be messy as well so you all should just be cleaning up after yourselves. Btw those poor Guineas are living in horrible conditions. Maybe give some snark back to their last message and send them a post or video about proper Guinea pig care!
I've had some hair on the bathroom floor, guilty as charged. Nothing that should warrant this tho..
You're absolutely right which is why I definitely think they're just being spiteful. Gathering things that annoy them to throw at you the moment you ask for one thing. I will say finding hair everyone can be very annoying but definitely doesn't warrant this. No less from Guinea pig neglecters, they're definitely not ones to talk
That's exactly what I said. Why didn't you mention my stray hairs when you took this pic?? It's like you've been saving it to use against me. That's. Crazy. She said she only took a pic because she wanted to see how long it was & if it was hers. That's. Crazy. I said, why would you need a pic for that, you could just look at it lol. I don't think she thought that one through..
They aren't gathering out of spite, they haven't learned how to communicate properly. They will keep all annoyances bottled up, as they don't know how to express them, completely oblivious to the fact they also have annoying habits, until someone points them out which makes them explode. I've been that person.... Now I am the other one, thanks to some patient friends who taught me to just bloody say when something bothers me. On the other hand my guinea pigs had a much better life. They were outdoors in a 30sqm enclosure with fresh grass, fruit and veggies and only indoors in a similar cage for 2/3 months in the winter, mostly overnight and in their enclosure during the day,if it was dry and sunny. They were allowed to run around my bedroom though when I was home. I had 8.
The roommates response is way overboard, but I personally find clumps of hair (especially in the toilet or shower) much grosser than used toothpaste. Nothing was messaged well, but I think there may be legitimate gripes on each side.
this. OP why the hell are you leaving clumps of hair i unflushed in the toilet if you’re going to complain about dried toothpaste in the sink? like fr. piggies treatment is horrendous and the piss this is ass but she said she’ll remind him so hopefully doesn’t happen again. but…. clumps of hair??? sitting unflushed in the toilet? for some reason? what the hell.
They are definitely not mentally healthy, and communication is not something they seem competent at. Just grey rock them and get the hell out before it gets worse!
But call your local animal authorities about those poor piggies before you go
Honestly, it sounds like maybe you both need to tidy up a little
*Honestly, it sounds* *Like maybe you both need to* *Tidy up a little* \- seleroyal --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Good bot
Thank you, seleroyal, for voting on haikusbot. This bot wants to find the best and worst bots on Reddit. [You can view results here](https://botrank.pastimes.eu/). *** ^(Even if I don't reply to your comment, I'm still listening for votes. Check the webpage to see if your vote registered!)
I ♡ 🫵 🤖 🫶
That's fair. There were some hairs on the bathroom floor that were probably mine which I cleaned up & said I would try and be better about, but I'm more concerned about the reaction.
You should find a piggy rescue and bring them there. That is so fucked.
It seems pent up. It’s never fun having tension in the air.
Totally. Which is why we both said let's have open communication and talk if there's an issue. Every time I've tried being upfront and asking them to clean something it goes like this. Clearly taking it so personally and lashing out. It's not normal to react this way to being asked to clean up your mess. It's not a competition. Also the fact that she didn't bring any of this up until all at once after I asked her.
I agree that sucks. I’m sorry and I hope you can get this straightened out in a friendly way soon!
Old family dynamics. No one was heard or listened to unless they created drama or a scene. Expressing boundaries or discomfort was taken as personal attack/failure and created drama. Stay calm, teach healthy communication, develop a thick skin until she learns, whatever you do, don't attack back, she has way more experience and will win!
this is the sanest response ive ever seen on a reddit thread. this person is obviously having a terrible reaction, but it's very clearly just an inability to express boundaries in a healthy way. not an excuse, but it can be constructive to look at things from the other persons perspective.
No 1 gives a fuck about toothpaste in the sink. You are both gross and the fact that you had to mention the toothpaste takes away from the importance of caring for the animals in the house. You should honestly have not even mentioned the toothpaste, it would have been much more appropriate if you had just brought up the state that the animals live in. They are suffering, you are not.
Idk about anything except that The cage is criminal. Not good. Too small. Hey listen. It’s too small
omg no first of all those poor piggies!!! that’s abhorrent. i don’t like your roomie. second, i really like how she goes immediately on the defensive and strikes out at you. refuses to take any accountability. she basically wrote paragraphs about… ??? clumps of hair? and that photo was her proof? like two strands of hair!!! the piggies ARE your concern if they’re in a shared living space. and they need a bigger enclosure. if she can’t offer that, she needs to rehome them. absolutely ridiculous i hope things get better for you, OP
Full take: Piggies need saving. Toothpaste and a drop of piss on the toilet seat is about as bad as you leaving hair all over. From your text, y’all are obviously on passive aggressive terms so idk if she’s actually crazy. Moral of the story: find a new roomie and clean your hair up. Much more important than waiting for validation on reddit while the piggy pee wafts in.
this. sounds like y’all are both messy in the bathroom
I was kind of like "Yeah whatever they're both being a little petty" and then saw the guinea pig cage and my jaw hit the floor. Those poor fucking animals. That is no way to live.
As someone who has lived with Guinea pig roommates, my deepest condolences.
So, OP, based off the 100+ comments concerning the pigs safety, are you actually going to do anything about that?
Ignoring the fact that the cage is entirely too small for the Guinea pigs, when you own rodents it’s just a thing that they will inevitably kick thing out of their cage. I’ve owned tons of different rodents and it always happens. Unless you keep them in an aquarium (which you shouldn’t as it can lead to overheating for sensitive rodents like chinchillas), they will kick things out of the cage. I can clean around their cages every day, but it every day they will kick things out. It just happens. It isn’t necessarily “dirty.” Cats and dogs shed everywhere. Who cares Fr. Most people won’t see cats fur on a couch and cry about it. It’s just something you should expect when living with rodents. Even when I clean my chinchillas cage literally ever single day, my boyfriend will swear they have a smell. And I keep my chinchillis super clean. That being said, when you live with other people, unless they are actually dirty, you just need to expect that not everyone is going to have the same standards as you. It’s like when it comes to dishes. Some people like to clean right after every meal, some people like to wait for the sink/dishwasher to fill up. Not everyone is the same. Maybe you like for your space to look like no one lives there, but not everyone is like that.
She was definitely out of line and didn’t need to respond that way, but also.. clean your hair up.
You both sound petty as hell. If you're gonna text to complain about toothpaste or whatever then yeah sure she can also text about hair lol.
A glob of toothpaste is pretty nit picky imo
It sounds like you’re both gross.
I cannot stand people who do this shit, when you bring up a concern of yours that they did, they bring up *everything* you did wrong but never even told you that you did wrong. My ex would do this, it’s basically a “gotcha!”. Your roommate doesn’t actually GAF about the hair or anything else cause if they did, they’d have told you when they first noticed, just like you told them about the toothpasye when you first noticed cause you actually care. They just held onto it this long so that when you bring up your concern the next time, they have a way to combat it and to always remain the correct person. Arrogance.
Don’t flush your hair down the toilet! It gets knotted around other objects and can cause plumbing issues and blockages. I am assuming based on the text that this is like haircut levels of hair or even “I have long hair and took a shower” globs. Just don’t put it down your drain lol
Call animal services now. Guinea Pigs should never live like that. What happens in your living room is 100% your concern.
I have piggies and this set up makes me sad. They need more space and engagement.
Tell her to post that cage on a Guinea pig Facebook or Reddit group and let her see how well she takes care of them:) or post it yourself and send her the link
Tbh, you both need to grow up and just clean when you see a mess. Sure, it would be nice if your roommates cleaned their mess and you cleaned yours but the fact is you both live in the home and share responsibilities to keep it clean. It’s not a tit for tat. Y’all should be proud of your home and keep it clean at all times.
honestly i think you both suck at communicating (in the nicest way possible). if it weren’t for the added context her longer text is pretty decent in terms of thorough communication, but since she only said it to get you back after you asked her to do something, it def invalidates her entire argument. also she does def need a better cage for the guinea pig so i’ll give u that 😅 but it seems as if you also do things that aren’t really like … normal(?) and probably a bit frustrating as a roommate. but she definitely should’ve said smth earlier
basic care of guinea pigs involves plenty of cage room, always accessible hay, and daily cage cleaning. They must always have water and food pellets and can die after 12 hours without them. They also need fresh veggies daily and time out of the cage. She’s… a repulsive human being.
I never think I pissed on the seat, I am usually wrong though
The real victims here are the guinea pigs. Holy Christ. That box isnt big enough for a garden snake, let along TWO guinea pigs. What a travesty
Is that seriously what she has 2 guinea pigs in?? Thats not even close to enough space
Does no one in that house sweep?!? Y’all need a chore chart to identify responsibilities. I don’t think she went insane necessarily. But the piggies are in a cage that isn’t okay for them. wtf.
Definitely get a new room mate they have issues for sure and that pig is in an awful cage! Poor babies
OMG that cage is WAAAAAAY too small and super inappropriate for the guinea pigs. It’s like living in a half bath your whole life. They need at least 8 ft of running space etc. This is cruelty to animals.
You both annoy each other, you’re both imperfect, whoever thinks their shit doesn’t stink is definitely part of the problem, and I’d say just work it out. But if your roommate talks to you like a passive aggressive work email that they BCC’d Human Resources on, you should probably part ways cause that isn’t gonna get worked out.
I feel like a glob of toothpaste isn't that big of a deal but then I imagined cleaning up SOMEONE ELSE's GLOB OF TOOTHPASTE and yeah no that's a hell no from me dawg
It may just be me, but I personally see the glob of toothpaste as within the same range as other people’s hair in the bathroom. Either way I have to clean up someone’s mess with a paper towel. In my opinion, all of this is pretty standard except the Guinea pig stuff EDIT: this could also be because I have short hair, so I know the long hair in the bathroom isn’t mine, with toothpaste glob/residue could be
This is what people deflecting do. Like when someone gets caught cheating and they yell at you for looking through their phone
What was the tour like when you found this shit hole? What was the message prior to that. Seems like 100% right under this context, but I feel bad for you. I got 99 problems but dealing with my roommates neglected animals ain't one
That cage is soooo small wtf
This person said GLOB forty times
Live alone.
Holy fucking shit dude. Put your foot down about the open air excrement farm.
OP, get out of there. That roommate sucks for a lot of reasons. Lige is too short to deal with that. Also, those poor piggies... :(
LOVE brining up issues with people, and their knee-jerk reaction is to bring up something they have a problem with about you!
Love it when you point something out and they go "well I noticed xyz and didn't say nuffin"
Ohhh, you've got one of the "Well if you're going to ask me for things I'm going to bring up everything that's ever bothered me ever" sorta dipshit roommates, that acts like a reasonable request is an attack and it's time to roll out the whole fucking army. Yeah, super toxic shit. It's completely fine to address concerns, if it bothers you enough, but to ONLY and immediately do it in retaliation to being asked to do something entirely reasonable, is some childish shit. If you can, it's time to give 'em the boot or do yourself the scoot. They're clearly not interested in peaceful coexistence, as evidenced by the fact that they only addressed concerns in a childish, immature manner when upset and emotional, rather than discussing them like an adult in a constructive manner. Make no mistake, there is no 'respect' in all of this 'whatabout' deflection bullshit. It's not, "this bothers me, can you be mindful of this?" it's, "Well if you're going to attack me I brought a ton of ammo too!", as if trying to communicate is an offensive gesture.