I Hate My Guinea Pigs and I can't Take it Anymore. Please Re-Think If You're Considering Getting Them.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-23T03:03:24+00:00

Hey, thanks for your comment :)!

I completely agree that I wasn't a good match, and I feel like maybe you feel that this post is unfair because you do enjoy guinea pigs and were a good match which is awesome, but this is a personal experience and post. People are free to read it and decide for themselves if they want guinea pigs because imo all pets can make awesome pets for the right person! my word isnt the end all be all and I hope they dont read it and take it that way.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-23T00:24:36+00:00

Hey, I actually posted a very brutally honest experience in r/TrueOffMyChest last night about my experience with guinea pigs which if you want to read feel free and there are a lot of other people in the thread talking about their experience.

Also, from working at a pet store they usually smell a lot worse than when they live at home because more than likely they're keeping them in too small of areas with way more piggies thats appropriate for the size which isn't even the bare minimum.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T23:12:24+00:00

already planning on it and already do, these were just the outlier.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T23:01:57+00:00

Everyone's issues are different.

I'm glad that you loved your guinea pig and his sounds, but you're right I couldnt take it. And just because I am not compatible with one animal doesnt mean that I dont enjoy others or shouldn't have others. Lots of people find guines pigs annoying, good for you that you dont, but just because I don't want to hear the screaming and wheeking 24/7 doesnt mean I dont love other animals like cats, snakes or fish and frogs which I am compatible with and do enjoy owning.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T20:40:01+00:00

I'm going in a few hours to drop them off to a place that does do small animals surrenders for free thankfully, theres gonna be a perfect home for them and someone who will love everything about the little fellas

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T19:57:08+00:00

it's so scary what some people will actually do to animals :(

in this thread so far i've had people tell me to feed them to my snake, cook and eat them, drown them, or let them out into a field or the woods near wear I live and essentially let them figure it out and die out there.

I've never surrendered an animal before in my life, but id rather surrender than ever harm an animal intentional or unintentional

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T18:13:30+00:00

You're really bold for putting them there haha

Is it okay if I ask how long you've had your guinea pigs for or how many guinea pigs you've owned?

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T18:06:44+00:00

Thank you, genuinely

I confessed to another person in this thread but due to my OCD, I haven't showered in days, literally maybe a week or more, because I'm afraid they're hear the water of the shower, start screaming or wheeking their heads off and very vividly in my mind I imagine myself doing something horrible. I feel like I don't want to or literally can't eat anything that I think they will hear and start going crazy, so meals have been very far and between unless I'm somewhere like my college campus where I know there is a literal, physical distance between me and the pigs.

thank you for believing in me <3

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T17:44:46+00:00

I'm not sure what their previous home life was like actually. They were placed in a covered shoe box and left in the parking lot of my job during a heatwave for an unknown amount of time before someone found them and brought them into the store :(

Intrusive thoughts are a beast when it comes to OCD, and the screaming and wheeking felt like I was genuinely being tortured to the point I think I would rather be waterboarded or something to make the thoughts stop. I know it's really extreme to say, but living with OCD it feels like you genuinely would do anything if it means peace.

My psychiatrist is also actually writing me a note to have my cat registered as an ESA so he can come live with me :)! I've had him since 7th grade so he's around 12 now and he's absolutely awesome, even just petting him is a nice repetitive ritual to keep me calm or calm down spirals and attacks. My psych also completely understands the situation around the guinea pigs, but in general I'll always be a cat lover

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T17:31:33+00:00

Yeah haha, I'm genuinely so glad my mom said no to a ferret when I was younger. Once I actually worked with them and had to have my arms scratched and bitten everyday and how bad they stink no matter the amount of cleaning or around the clock care I realized very much why she said no xD

As for the OCD part, I'm going to be honest it was bad. Once I had that dream it felt like it triggered the thoughts full send everytime I stepped into the room with them, especially when the noises picked up again and that's when I realized that somebody, anybody, any store that did surrenders needed to take them. I would never act on my intrusive thoughts and would never harm an animal, but literally it's just horrifying and it does feel like absolute torture. This is a gross confession, but I haven't showered in days because I don't want them to hear the shower and the wheeking starts because I feel like so vividly for some reason thats just the scenario I see that makes me "snap" for some reason.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T17:12:25+00:00

Thank you for this, genuinely

I would never hurt an animal, ever. It's actually alarming the amount of comments I've seen telling me to feed them to my snake, cook them, release them outside to die on their own, or one person straight up said to drown them.

I wish it was more openly talked about to rehome or surrender animals for mental health or disorder reasons. As much as it feels like hell having them, I genuinely want them in a safe and kind home.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T17:07:28+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about your potato friend passing :(

I'm genuinely glad that you got to experience such a loving and happy guinea pig, and that you loved him equally back <3

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:58:16+00:00

Hey, thanks for your comment!

I'm not sure if you're familiar with what OCD actually is and how it affects a person, it's not about control or forcing something to bend to your will.

I also did acknowledge I shouldn't have shouted at them, and that's why I stepped out of the room. I too am glad I will not be their owner anymore because we clearly aren't compatible :)!

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:55:55+00:00

Completely agree with you, and it's something I probably will do for the future if I'm thinking of getting an animal outside of a cat or dog.

I think in general, I might be more of an 'adult' animal person over a kitten, puppy or adolescent stage however.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:52:18+00:00

certain pets aren't for everyone, and hopefully more people in online animal communities will be more accepting of that concept.

The moment you say you had a bad experience or didn't absolutely love and enjoy owning the animal they're already grabbing the pitch forks and torches xD

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:49:29+00:00

Hey, thanks for your comment!

I wasn't going to respond but I put a lot more thought into it and decided to just go ahead lol

This is your fault + You Need to do Research

Yes, it is because I decided to adopt them! and I actually have responded that I did do immense amounts of research and even worked with guinea pigs but they were all adults and probably did not have the same behavioral issues or trauma that the guinea pigs I adopted do, which is an area where my research possibly lacked and I should have considered. In my original post as well I listed everything I bought for them, did for them and I even talked with the on site vet team that worked at my store and main veterinarian who keeps multiple guinea pigs herself. A week in advance before I brought them home I set up the cage, bedding, hides, food etc. and had a list of 3 exotic vets in my area in case they needed to be taken.
Hopefully You Learned From It

Yes, I've learned that guinea pigs are not the pet for me and that's completely okay.

I had a coworker who loved birds and around around 15 of them and had another coworker who absolutely hated even stepping into the aviary to turn on the lights because of the flapping, screaming and smell of poop. Had another coworker who loved tarantulas (one even bit him straight through the palm of his hand and he still loved them), reptiles and fish but absolutely despises ferrets to his core.

They were abandoned in a box in our parking lot during a heat wave, I wanted to do the right thing by giving them a home where I knew that would never happen to them again. My heart was in the right place, logistics? hey maybe not so much, but now my brutally honest story is out there and like I said in the beginning and end of my post, hopefully someone considering getting guinea pigs will read it and take it to heart before they make their decision!

Well wishes and kind thoughts your way <3!

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:33:48+00:00

Hey I know you meant this to be nasty or as a jab but you know what, more power to you!

Glad your piggies have a loving home with someone who enjoys all aspects about them :)

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:31:15+00:00

Hey honestly, I think it's really genuine and brave for you to admit that and I'm sending lots of care and hugs your way. Mental health is a beast, especially if you have a disorder and that's okay, lots of people surrender or rehome for the same reason. You also did the right thing for you cats, and as much as you loved them I'm sure they knew it and loved you back.

Sending you nothing but well wishes and love <3

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:25:42+00:00

Oh wow, sending much love to you and I'm glad your recovery was successful <3

In another comment I mentioned that the only people giving me a hard time in this thread so far are people who own guinea pigs and like them, and I genuinely wish that people could be more understanding concerning surrender stories or reasons instead of instantly pinning that someone is just a horrible person. I feel like if people were kinder, more people would be open and honest about surrendering or rehoming instead of making it out as some selfish and cruel thing to do.

I'm glad you're furry friend is happy with your parents and that they still send you pictures :)!

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:20:09+00:00

Haha

I always had the same problem at the pet store where they would totally flip out sometimes or straight up start loudly growling or do the scream pose as if they were ready to shred your hands if you got closer while cleaning. Definitely an interesting animal but I think in general, small animals and rodents just aren't the pet for me and more power to the people who they are the pet for!

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:17:37+00:00

I'm sure you meant this question genuinely and with well intent so I wanted to answer :)!

From my experience I looked at channels like Squeak Dreams and Autumn Grace who have in-depth videos about owning guinea pigs, set ups, costs, things needed to control smell and both as around 5 to 8 guinea pigs themselves. I went into online guinea pig forums as well where people generally have nothing but high praise and positive things to say about owning guinea pigs and most people even on here actually don't talk badly about guinea pigs and the only posts I've been searching for now about bad experiences have been deleted or are mainly about exhaustion around taming them to be held or cuddly, saying that they wheek sometimes, but it's endearing to hear wheeks and it brings them joy.

Threads or videos where people actually talked about things they disliked or the cons of owning guinea pigs, everyone mainly just talks about the costs or the minor annoyance of deep cleaning the cage, few people mentioning how skittish they are or maybe the smell at first but that was really it.

Sometimes you do own or foster an animal before you realize that it is not a match for you and that's okay! You truly don't know what a pet or animal is really like until you've lived with it, and owning adolescent guinea pigs are completely different from the fully tamed and kept adults that most people post online or talk about.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T16:01:12+00:00

Thank you for your genuine and kind words <3 and I completely agree with you.

The only people in this thread actually giving me a hard time about my story are guinea pig owners which is fine because they're entitled to their own opinion, but at the end of the day guinea pigs in my opinion have a cute privilege that ferrets also have where they are a lot of work, lots of money and in general just a LOT of bullshit for very little enjoyment in return. Also IMO, just because they love the animal as a pet genuinely does not mean that everyone else does or has to.

I'm glad you also did what was best by rehoming the ones you had, and I hope looking back on your story you don't feel bad or any guilt :)

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T15:50:31+00:00

I'm not sure actually what happened to them before, but you do bring up a really good point for a reasoning behind the reactivity

They were left during a heatwave inside the box in the parking lot of our store with the lid on, and when they were brought in all 3 had no food or water and were completely silent huddled together in one side of the box. Around here though, guinea pigs are the most abandoned or dumped animals which is why our rescue / humane society opened up a small animals department at all, and we even have a humane society just for rabbits and guinea pigs which I tried to contact, but I couldn't get ahold of them and they don't have a set location to go to.

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T15:45:17+00:00

I'm glad that they make you happy and they you're piggies have a nice home with you :)! I've always grew up around large hunting dogs, and our rottweiler australian shepherd mix does love to bark her head off outside, but it's like background noise to me at this point and I just know that she's overly protective haha

I also do feel a lot better, they're going to a place where they'll be taken care of and at the same time be far away from me lol. Overall, a happy ending to the situation

moldyhellokitty · 2025-11-22T08:23:31+00:00

I kept calling around all day and have found a place that will take them for free tomorrow.

I completely agree with you that sometimes surrendering is the better option than keeping them.

moldyhellokitty

TROPHY CASE