Getting Upset

[cavycuddler91]

Not sure if this was the right place to write this but I was just wondering if anyone get's upset over some things people say here?
I get really emotional when I read people coming on this forum and saying they love breeding, or their guinea pigs live outside, walk them on a leash... list goes on and on..

Which if they didn't know better, that's okay! But what upset's me is when the more educated people (The moderators, etc) explain the more proper care.. and the newbie either get's hostile or just completely disagrees.

It get's upsetting a bit.

I have four American Pitbull Terriers in my home and I get the nasty remarks walking them or how "those dogs belong on a chain" (They have the shortest hair, they sleep in bed with me and all wussies.. they hate the cold.)

Does anyone feel like it's a loosing battle trying to educate? To then only get people telling you that YOU are the idiot?

I was just wondering. I know people on here have had guinea pigs for 20 plus years and see them getting told off by someone that got their first guinea pigs at Petco two weeks ago.

I stand up for what I know about my dogs and pets.. but at the end of the day, I'm so upset because I just wish people would take the time to educate themselves and learn before preaching their uneducated propaganda to other uneducated people.

Grr.... Little rant.


(Thought I'd attach a cute/funny photo of 2 out 10 of my guinea pigs... Gibbons and baby Angus. Gibbons is laying down napping and Angus just has to hump him. And Gibbons doesn't even care. )

[cavycuddler91]

*By no means am I a perfect pet mommy, I learn everyday! I just was wondering what other people's thoughts are.

[KristenMatejka]

I get frustrated at times as well but all we can do is try to make sure that they have the needed information and education but we cannot force anyone to change anything. If I see an animal being mistreated I will take action of my own about animal abuse with law enforcement if they will not listen to reason. It is very sad but I just make sure I love my piggies all the more!

I have ten as well!! That is SUPER cute!! My boys do the same too

[bpatters]

We have thicker hides than guinea pigs do, and theirs are like footballs.....

[ellisa]

For the most part I try to keep my mouth shut when I disagree with what someone is saying on this forum. Depending on the person you can sometimes tell if you are just going to waste your time. Some days (I guess like today) I just get super irritated when I have to repeat myself and defend well known facts.
When it comes to animals, children, and seniors it can be very hard for me to keep my mouth shut!

I love that picture!!

[Kimberly713]

To me it seems like there are far too many close minded people who think that the way they do everything is the right way and there is no changing that. So I also avoid really saying anything unless someone appears to be seeking advice on a matter with their pets. I like to consider myself as an open minded individual, ready to hear out the other person's argument and perhaps if they know more than myself, I can be swayed. I love dogs by the way, and I find it incredibly obnoxious when people try to tell you how to care for your animals like that. If your dog is doing nothing aggressive or unnatural during a walk, they have no right to say anything in my opinion.

[Inle_Rabbit]

I've learned that you can't save them all.

[ellisa]

I've learned that you can't save them all.

I agree with this. Though, sometimes when I'm emotional, I think "Well why the heck can't I save them all!" and that's where things can start to backfire.

[iblastbigrocks]

CAVYCUDDLER91...i know exactly what you mean. As for the dog: my sister has a rottie and some people get really upset that she walks her out in public. As though the dog should be chained and isolated... grrr.... BAD Dogs (or any animal for that matter) are not born that way, they are made to be that way, and it's to wrong people that are getting them and are training them that way. Just like your babies...Maya (the rottie) prefers to sleep in bed and lick them cats then to hurt anyone...shes the biggest baby i know.

What makes me sad is that the animals are the victims of people's egos. They take it as a personal insult when you try to suggest a differing idea on anything. People do not like to be told they are wrong. Instead of taking it personally, pet owners need to realize that they have a responsibility to give their pets the best life possible. If you treat your animal as part of the family, the animal with be a lot better off. Forget your ego. When I was a kid, we had guinea pigs and kept them in the standard cages sold at the pet store. We thought we were giving them a good life at the time, now that I have my two little wheekers and found this site. I feel ashamed and sad about the life we didn't give our previous piggies, but not cause we didnt want to but because we just didn't know any better. There. That's my little rant.

Bottom line: Give you piggies (or any other animal) the best life you can give them. Leave your egos out of it.

[CavyMama]

@cavycuddler91 - I love pits! Sadly, the shelter I volunteer at has many more pits than any other breed. Most likely this is due to the unfortunate reputation that they tend to get. Most pits I know are big old love bugs who only want to please us. They have the sweetest faces and just the goofiest personalities.

Don't let the haters get you down about your pits. They are speaking from the same ignorance that gets pits put into the shelters in the first place.

As for the newbies trying to tell the experienced gpig owners what's what, I chalk that up to inexperience and ignorance as well. All we can do is educate and hope they get the message. Many times they are just speaking from a defensive standpoint and take the "Stop ganging up on me!" stance. Some do eventually calm down and say they appreciate the information so that makes the semi-drama worth it.

@Inle_Rabbit - "You can't save them all" reminded me of the story of the starfish

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die"

"Son", the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one"

[iblastbigrocks]

CAVYCUDDLER91...i know exactly what you mean. As for the dog: my sister has a rottie and some people get really upset that she walks her out in public. As though the dog should be chained and isolated... grrr.... BAD Dogs (or any animal for that matter) are not born that way, they are made to be that way, and it's to wrong people that are getting them and are training them that way. Just like your babies...Maya (the rottie) prefers to sleep in bed and lick them cats then to hurt anyone...shes the biggest baby i know.

What makes me sad is that the animals are the victims of people's egos. They take it as a personal insult when you try to suggest a differing idea on anything. People do not like to be told they are wrong. Instead of taking it personally, pet owners need to realize that they have a responsibility to give their pets the best life possible. If you treat your animal as part of the family, the animal with be a lot better off and youll have a better pet. Forget your ego. When I was a kid, we had guinea pigs and kept them in the standard cages sold at the pet store. We thought we were giving them a good life at the time, now that I have my two little wheekers and found this site, I feel ashamed and sad about the life we didn't know to how to give our previous piggies, but not cause we didnt want to but because we just didn't know any better.

Bottom line: Give you piggies (or any other animal) the best life you can give them. Leave your egos out of it.


There. That's my little rant.

[iblastbigrocks]

I love that story more every time i hear it. It give me perspective: I simply cannot help every little critter, as much as I want to (and I REALLY REALLY want to! even the goofy little ones!) I can only care the best I can for the ones I do have.

[ellisa]

@CavyMama , that is my favorite quote of all time!

[stacy97006]

love the pic so cute i love how you made your hay box how did you attach it to the cage so they dont knock it down. I am making on tonight

[cavycuddler91]

I've been a very stressed out person since a child. I think I got it from my mother who was a perfectionist.. although she never tried to push her quirks on her kids. She has OCD with cleaning and over thought the tiniest things and situations. She was a worry wort!
And I think part of me got that from her. I am NOT spontaneous at all. Drives my husband crazy. So when I want something, I make a plan for it. My first guinea pig, I was 14-15 years old?... and I did weeks worth of research and found this website and Orange County Cavy Haven(back when I lived in California) and I made sure I knew the proper care.
Same when I rescued my first Pitbull.. which turned into four of them, a basset hound with cancer, and a bow legged Chihuahua that was tossed into every San Diego, CA shelter since she was "ugly".
I write everything and plan everything and I understand that it's not quite normal to be as organized as I am or constantly cleaning (Hey, my defense is, I have 10 guinea pigs and 6 dogs.. I want people walking in saying, Wow! Can't tell your running a farm in here!)
However, if you are going to bring a living thing into your home.. I would think you would try to educate yourself.
I get too emotional with animals I think. I used to work at a doggy day care and then at a vet's office back in high school.. and would see horrible things, and hear horrible stuff. We had one lady bring in a little white mop looking dog for severe bleeding gums. She didn't understand what was wrong because she brushed her dogs teeth all the time... with a toothbrush soaked in bleach.
Anyway, I broke down today because I have a dog in my home that I've has less than 3 months, over 1k spent on vet bills trying to save her, and she was diagnosed with two types of cancer last week in which we were told she had three months to 8 months to live. Yesterday, her tumors tripled size and now we're being told she's got less than a week to live. She was a rescued from an elder ex-breeder than dumped her at a kill shelter at the age of ten because she would no longer care for her puppies. Fleas, ticks, worms, rotting teeth, you name it.. she had it. She had 8 teeth pulled and a tree branch lodged in her gums removed. We wanted to give her the best home to live out her golden years with my pitties.. that she LOVES to cuddle with.. at least her last few months she's able to know what a dog bed is, great meals twice a day, living inside, toys, kisses, etc.
And today my local shelter noticed I adopted two guinea pigs from them a while ago and desperately seeking homes for an overwhelming number of guinea pigs they got. I had to decline. Made me so upset because 1, I just don't have the room. I rescued all 10 of mine and that's my limit. 2, I'm overwhelmed with my animals as is and, 3, I'm pissed at people that impulse buy and those animals are sitting in a damn shelter.

I want to save all, I just cant. Woah - that was a rant. My bad. Just so upsetting because I see myself take my time to think things through yet other people can't?
Bah! I'm a wreck today.
If I had all the money in the world, I'd take in all the unwanted guinea pigs and hire people to care for them in a house all to themselves.
Thanks for reading my rant! I feel a bit better already. It's just stressful. Perhaps it's the holidays too.

[MommyOfMany]

When I really want someone to listen to me about their guinea pigs, I get fired up but not much on the internet. My strategy is to get a little fired up and as soon as they get defensive, I apologize and tell them I really do want the best for their pigs. They'll feel bad about getting defensive and start to listen.

[cavycuddler91]

love the pic so cute i love how you made your hay box how did you attach it to the cage so they dont knock it down. I am making on tonight

Zip tie! Poke two holes in the back and tie it to the grid. Cut a hole and stuff the hay! They love it! Although, I had to remove this in that cage with the baby. Angus the little one climbed inside the box, crawled on top of the hay and jumped out of the cage. He was okay since the cage was on the floor but peed everywhere! So, no more hay bin till he gets older and doesn't feel the need to explore! :]

[brupoppiggies]

To me it seems like there are far too many close minded people who think that the way they do everything is the right way and there is no changing that.

You know what they say... too bad closed minds don't come with closed mouths

[Kelly91513]

This made me feel a little better, hope it does for you dog lovers, this can go for piggies too.

[stacy97006]

little booger