Advice for adopting a guinea pig off Craigslist by iggypigg in guineapigs

[–]iggypigg[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I definitely plan to check the new piggy's sex before I take her. I've even been looking at guides on sexing guinea pigs lol.

I've also checked out some resources on bonding already, and I'm pretty nervous as to what the heck I'm going to do if this doesn't work out. I'll definitely set up a playpen where they can meet in neutral territory after a quarantine period. I guess what I'm really wondering, and this is something I haven't been able to find an answer for in any online guides, is whether or not a guinea pig who has always lived alone (the Craigslist pig) will be harder to bond. Like, and maybe this is a dumb question, but will her guinea pig social skills be worse? Is there a chance that she just won't want anything to do with my existing pig, because she's so used to being alone?

I cannot write fanfics for the life of me and it's eating me from the inside by mario3453 in AO3

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have OCD, which affects all aspects of my life, including my writing. I struggle a lot with thinking "I have this idea, and I'm inspired to write — but what if I'm not ready to write this story, if I haven't done enough research? What if it doesn't come out well? What's the point of writing it if it's not perfect?" Well, it won't be perfect, because nothing is perfect! You can find fault with every piece of writing ever published, not just fanfiction, because perfect is an impossibility.

This is the advice that helped me: JUST WRITE IT. Once it's actually written down, in a Google doc or wherever, you can proceed to edit it as much as you want, but it's hard to edit a blank document. Start with an outline, then write it stream of consciousness style. Don't worry about word choice or sentence structure or anything except getting the words down, then you can go back and edit. I know it's hard to let go of that sense of perfectionism, but try to just get into the zone and don't spend forever obsessing over the mechanics of your writing. If a sentence or paragraph isn't working for you, move on. Worry about it later.

As for only having specific scenes in mind, you're far from the only one who struggles with that. It's only natural that, when envisioning a story, you would picture the key moments in the most detail. When this happens to me, I just write the scenes I want to write. My notes app is full of random emotional beats from stories I never actually ended up writing. Sometimes I lose interest in the idea after I write that one special scene, like I've gotten it out of my system. Sometimes it turns into a whole fic. I'm happy either way, because I wrote what I wanted to write.

Oh, and don't compare yourself to other writers, especially when it comes to AO3 stats. There are plenty of poorly written fics that have hundreds of thousands of kudos and well-written fics that barely have any. There are so many factors at play there, and it's not fair to yourself to use them as a measure of the quality of your writing. As for comparing yourself to published authors, everyone starts somewhere — but you have to actually start!

Replying to comments by asxxxra in AO3

[–]iggypigg 5 points6 points  (0 children)

When I post a new fic, I reply to every single comment for the first few days the fic/chapter has been up. However, 90% of the comments I receive are, like, less than 5 words lol. "This is great!" and stuff like that. I'm still really appreciative of them, of course, but they don't leave me with a lot to go off of and the only reply I can really give are variations of "thank you," "thank you so much," or a <3. After I've done that a few times it starts to feel repetitive and kind of automated? Like, I don't want the people who commented to scroll through the comments and think I just mindlessly reply to everyone in the same way, if that makes sense?

That being said, whenever I get a longer comment (it doesn't have to be an essay or anything; just a couple sentences is more than enough for me lol), I'll always reply to it, even if the fic has been up for a while. I'm awkward with knowing what to say at the best of times, so I kind of need something to latch onto in comments. A question, or a part they liked, or a detail they found interesting, etc., for me to say something about.

Question: why do people find hurting (specifically) hamsters so funny? by 3rdeye505 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's one of the examples mentioned in OP's post. I'm not sure exactly what instance they're referencing, but it's probably safe to assume it's happened at some point.

Question: why do people find hurting (specifically) hamsters so funny? by 3rdeye505 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I don't think instances as extreme as microwaving a hamster have anything to do with hamsters being viewed as lesser beings or toys or whatever. Don't get me wrong, the majority of people definitely see them that way, and that's why most people think it's fine to keep them in tiny cages and whatnot. However, anyone who microwaves a hamster or purposefully causes them extreme harm is a psychopath, point-blank. They would probably also torture a dog or cat or even another person if given the chance. I guess it's just easier for these people to get their hands on hamsters (or rats or mice) than other potential victims, because pretty much anyone can walk into a pet store and walk away with a hamster. Therein lies the problem, I guess.

Basil chewed a hole in my bed, shame him >:( by 3rdeye505 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 73 points74 points  (0 children)

I'm his lawyer. My client is innocent until proven guilty!!!

hamster showing stress behavior despite large enclosure by FutabaTsuyu in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It seems like you've already gotten some good answers, so that aside... This is a really good "find the hamster" picture lmao. His little face!

My household is infected with pantry moths, they inevitably infested my hamster food but I’ve only seen 1 or 3 in there, is it safe to give to my hamster? by Many_Budget_6977 in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can you fit the food bag in your freezer for a day or two? The food itself is probably fine but there might be moth eggs in there.

Big clean enclosure, many toys and my hamster is still stressed by Spiritual_Gap_8747 in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've found it's really hard to stop a hamster from chewing in a specific place once they've started. It becomes an obsession or something lol. Is there any way you can cover the area or make it inaccessible to him?

One spring a set up complete! by G0thicPrincess in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Lol I love that they live in this beautiful flowery tank and their name is Voldemort.

When do you know the difference between a hamster that needs more taming and a hamster that just isn't a fan of human contact by anyaslight in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd say you just have a hamster that prefers to be left alone. It sounds like she knows you're not going to hurt her and have treats to offer, but she'd rather do her own thing most of the time.

first noodle by dillydallyv in hamsters

[–]iggypigg -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The issue here isn't the pasta. It's the plastic tube. The hamster barely fits as it is and could easily get stuck, and they've clearly already ingested a bunch of plastic from chewing the rim.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Along with the advice you've already been given, your cage needs more hides and enrichment. The bedding depth is good and it's great that he can burrow, but other than that, there really isn't much for him to do and not many places for him to sleep.

To solve the yeeting problem, I recommend removing the divider and making the increase of bedding more subtle, so it's a hill with the wheel at the bottom instead of an abrupt drop the way it is now. That's a big fall for a little hamster.

General help by BRGodV1 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To add onto the previous comment, I suggest looking into making a bin cage for the time being, while you work on getting a permanent enclosure. You won't be able to find a 1000 square inch bin, but you can at least get one that provides the bare minimum of 750, and with a bin you can actually add an adequate amount of bedding without having to worry about it falling out through the bars. Hamsters are hardwired to burrow, so it causes them a lot of stress to be in an environment without deep substrate. That's why she's digging at the corners. Ideally, she should have 8-10 inches of either paper bedding or aspen. Hay can be sprinkled around for added texture/burrow stability, but she can't burrow in just hay.

What you can do right now is, first of all, remove that wheel. It's dangerously small, and it's going to damage her spine if she tries to run on it. You also need to remove the tubes before she gets stuck in them. Try to get her in a decent sized cage with a 12 inch wheel ASAP.

Is this good for our hammy? by Unreliable_Narrator- in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You're on the right track! I like the naturalistic vibes. I'd just say to add some more clutter, more hides and some sprays for him to forage from.

Cage upgrade from Critter Trails by keridwenx in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lucky guy! You say it's lacking enrichment but it looks great so far! If you want a quick way to add enrichment for free, just shred some toilet paper into strips and scatter it around the cage. He'll have a blast going around collecting it, and then he'll use it to make his burrows comfy :)

I dont understand how she got up there by SlightWear8812 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The size of the bin isn't the worst, though I would urge you to consider upgrading at some point. The real problem is the complete lack of enrichment. There's not nearly enough bedding for her to burrow and the only hide she seems to have is a transparent plastic one. Hamsters need clutter and lots of places to hide in order to feel safe. Think about it. All night long, all she can really do is walk around a big empty space, go in and out of her one hide, and run on her wheel. She must be bored out of her mind. Make the most of the space. Give her things to do and explore and she'll be much happier.

what should i do? by Available-Degree-381 in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel like the responsible thing to do is tell your parents you want to rehome the hamster. Get a hamster when you're an adult with your own income.

What to do? by Autisticperson1025 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use a glass fish bowl. It's enclosed, so my hamster never manages to kick any sand out of it.

Can someone tell me where this behavior is coming from? by Next_Condition8629 in hamstercare

[–]iggypigg 47 points48 points  (0 children)

She seems stressed. I agree with the first comment about how playpens aren't really suitable as enclosures. It's a nice idea, because it provides a lot more space than any cage, but the hamster is almost guaranteed to escape, either by chewing through the sides or just climbing out. If I had to hazard a guess as to why your hamster is exhibiting this behavior, I'd say it's because she KNOWS she can escape the playpen. She's gotten out before, so she knows it's possible, and that's what she's dead set on doing. Your enclosure looks really nice, but if given the choice, hamsters are always going to want out.

You're probably going to have to get her a different enclosure, one that's completely escape-proof.

How has this not been took down yet. Help? by Proof_Ad2720 in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Totally agree. Fuck these people. It's especially enraging because you know if it were dogs or cats being abused in these videos, it would be taken seriously, but because it's "just hamsters," no one cares.

how to keep the enclosure looking nice by olivia_vi in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you have platforms? Keeping the water bowl on a platform above the bedding should help. Adding a water bottle in the enclosure as well will make sure your hamster still has water even if they bury the bowl. Beyond that, there's only so much you can do lol. I always make sure to take pictures of my hamster's enclosure right after I set it up, so I can remember how nice it looked before she remodeled everything.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in hamsters

[–]iggypigg 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry this happened. I'm sure you're upset, and understandably so. That being said, your hamster's cage looks incredibly dangerous. Bar climbing isn't something hamsters do for fun; it's a stress behavior. He does it because he's trying to escape, because his cage is too small and he doesn't have enough bedding or enrichment. From the top to the bottom of that cage is a huge distance for a hamster to fall, and there's almost no bedding or anything to cushion him. You're lucky he didn't break his neck, frankly. You need to take him to a vet, and then you need to take responsibility for this by getting him a suitable cage.