The Venting Thread
- Thread starter *blackrose
- Start date
Yeah. Everything I'm reading is seriously making me reconsider this whole thing 
They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick.
I've had just about every other rodent pet, syrian and dwarf hamsters, gerbils, fancy mice, a guinea pig...I want to find that one middle-ground rodent that will enjoy spending time and bond with me but won't completely make me stress or go broke, which I can't seem to find.
The mice didn't really care, but were fun. The guinea pig loved me but most are skittish. Gerbils, kind of nippy, but cheap and neat. Hamsters were luck of the draw, a lot of biting.
They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick.I've had just about every other rodent pet, syrian and dwarf hamsters, gerbils, fancy mice, a guinea pig...I want to find that one middle-ground rodent that will enjoy spending time and bond with me but won't completely make me stress or go broke, which I can't seem to find.
The mice didn't really care, but were fun. The guinea pig loved me but most are skittish. Gerbils, kind of nippy, but cheap and neat. Hamsters were luck of the draw, a lot of biting.
Yeah. Everything I'm reading is seriously making me reconsider this whole thing They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick.
I've had just about every other rodent pet, syrian and dwarf hamsters, gerbils, fancy mice, a guinea pig...I want to find that one middle-ground rodent that will enjoy spending time and bond with me but won't completely make me stress or go broke, which I can't seem to find.
The mice didn't really care, but were fun. The guinea pig loved me but most are skittish. Gerbils, kind of nippy, but cheap and neat. Hamsters were luck of the draw, a lot of biting.
They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick.I've had just about every other rodent pet, syrian and dwarf hamsters, gerbils, fancy mice, a guinea pig...I want to find that one middle-ground rodent that will enjoy spending time and bond with me but won't completely make me stress or go broke, which I can't seem to find.
The mice didn't really care, but were fun. The guinea pig loved me but most are skittish. Gerbils, kind of nippy, but cheap and neat. Hamsters were luck of the draw, a lot of biting.
Yeah. Everything I'm reading is seriously making me reconsider this whole thing They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick.
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They sound just like what I'm looking for but then there's all the expenses, especially what sounds like inevitably going broke over some illness and to be completely honest I'm not comfortable with the thought of putting down at least a few hundred dollars on an animal that would likely be more than 2/3 through such a *short* lifespan when it got sick..
Also, just FYI, in comparison to all those other animals, rats smell. I do a pretty good job of cleaning their cage, I change the litterbox often for poo, but they smell. I never noticed a smell with my chinchilla or my pigs, and the mice smell was very different than rats.
The lifespan in particular doesn't bother me. 8 hamsters and 8 gerbils kind of braced me, as well as unfortunately witnessing some deaths by sudden illness when it was too late, or such. In those circumstances I was used to it happening so fast or the species being so delicate I couldn't do anything about it but hold them when the time came. Then I was used to very hardy gerbils. It's just reading about how much it can cost for recurring tumors or respiratory illnesses makes me wary, fixable but costly in the long run with a lot of animals.
There *is* a rescue in my city, at least I think there is, but I'm not sure if it's even active. The website is pretty static and no dates indicating update or when it was published. There's an email, suppose I could try that for fostering.
Re-doing my pros and cons list for all of them. Piggies are lovely but I'm not sure I should plunge into *that* longevity. I did like my mice, one in particular loved to sleep between my ear and shoulder while I did chores and gave me kisses. RIP Pearl.
There *is* a rescue in my city, at least I think there is, but I'm not sure if it's even active. The website is pretty static and no dates indicating update or when it was published. There's an email, suppose I could try that for fostering.
Re-doing my pros and cons list for all of them. Piggies are lovely but I'm not sure I should plunge into *that* longevity. I did like my mice, one in particular loved to sleep between my ear and shoulder while I did chores and gave me kisses. RIP Pearl.
There's sooo many adult piggies looking for homes that I found on Petfinder. I really feel good about piggies. Kind of skittish sometimes but the one I used to have was so bonded to me I called him my brother (I was 5 ) He loved to be carried around and we'd sit in the backyard and watch nature happen. I remember all my family's piggies being very healthy and hardy, even though my parents got them from pet stores. Love their size, their cuddliness, and whoah I found out on YouTube the other day that they can be trick-trained. Yes please. I'd been teeter-tottering between them and rats. Moving piggies up to the top, then mice, then gerbils.
) He loved to be carried around and we'd sit in the backyard and watch nature happen. I remember all my family's piggies being very healthy and hardy, even though my parents got them from pet stores. Love their size, their cuddliness, and whoah I found out on YouTube the other day that they can be trick-trained. Yes please. I'd been teeter-tottering between them and rats. Moving piggies up to the top, then mice, then gerbils.Got to work early today so I could leave early. 65 degrees, sunny, peak foliage - so I raced home, got the dogs, and drove out to one of my favorite hiking spots with fabulous lake views and a little beach. I haven't been since spring, because it is crowded in the summer and you have to pay to enter.
There were about 4 new "dogs must be on leash" signs as you pull in. I went to the ranger house to pay (because apparently they keep charging through foliage season, while most of the parks are free after Labor Day) and there were more signs. I asked if dogs now have to be leashed on all trails, as it used to just be the main trail to the beach. All the side trails up the cliffs and through the woods were posted off leash.
No more. Leashed everywhere, and zero dogs on the beach. Ugh. Makes me so grumpy. She asked if I was still staying. Paying $5 to walk my dogs on leash in the woods? Uh, no thank you. We left and went to the reservoir instead.
But I'm just bummed. It was a great place. I'm sure a lot of people will still go and take the dogs off leash, but I'm a paranoid former animal control officer. I try to be good about leash laws.
There were about 4 new "dogs must be on leash" signs as you pull in. I went to the ranger house to pay (because apparently they keep charging through foliage season, while most of the parks are free after Labor Day) and there were more signs. I asked if dogs now have to be leashed on all trails, as it used to just be the main trail to the beach. All the side trails up the cliffs and through the woods were posted off leash.
No more. Leashed everywhere, and zero dogs on the beach. Ugh. Makes me so grumpy. She asked if I was still staying. Paying $5 to walk my dogs on leash in the woods? Uh, no thank you. We left and went to the reservoir instead.
But I'm just bummed. It was a great place. I'm sure a lot of people will still go and take the dogs off leash, but I'm a paranoid former animal control officer. I try to be good about leash laws.
Maybe try some gerbils from a different source? I have two females from Petsmart and I don't handle them hardly at all, yet I can grab either while they're sleeping and they're totally fine. I'm seriously impressed with how un-nippy, hard to startle and tame they are. Plus they're 3 years old now and healthy, and they dont' smell.
Now rats have cooler personalities, but mine always got sick... tumors, RI, etc. They were also somewhat smelly. A wire cage is really best for them, and then they pee down the side... then you have to scrub all the little joints of wire to get it nice again. I had a huge cage (5 ft tall Martin cage) so it was a big job. I have heard you can litter train them, a couple of mine sort of were but not all.
Now rats have cooler personalities, but mine always got sick... tumors, RI, etc. They were also somewhat smelly. A wire cage is really best for them, and then they pee down the side... then you have to scrub all the little joints of wire to get it nice again. I had a huge cage (5 ft tall Martin cage) so it was a big job. I have heard you can litter train them, a couple of mine sort of were but not all.
I think the number I've owned has kind of muddled my perception sometimes.
On an individual basis, I've had quite a few kind cuddlies. One was Quintus that I had since he was a tiny baby who would sleep in my hand. Another was Jeremy, he was such a sweet agouti boy, never bit, always let me hold him, and he smelled sweet My ladies were a little more nippy, as well as the last pair of boys I had. Can't quite recall if any of them were ever bonded to me or not.
On an individual basis, I've had quite a few kind cuddlies. One was Quintus that I had since he was a tiny baby who would sleep in my hand. Another was Jeremy, he was such a sweet agouti boy, never bit, always let me hold him, and he smelled sweet
My ladies were a little more nippy, as well as the last pair of boys I had. Can't quite recall if any of them were ever bonded to me or not.
I keep telling people to shut up and stop being paranoid about ebola but I swear I have heard so much of it in my head when I read this I think super ebola opcorn: Wait for the bleeding You know thats why gas is so cheap now right,to spread it?
I need a vacation.
I am upset because work is forcing flu shots. which they say we have the option to wear a special badge and wear a mask when within six feet of pts. Yeah, thats basically forcing us. those masks are unbearable. I do not like the flu shot,am not anti vaccine, just anti flu vaccine for me. GRRRRRR.
And back to the barn that I may or may not have complained about on here. We have a 12x40 amish made three stall and tack room barn I bought for 4,000 years ago and had moved to old house for 400 or 700. Cant remember how much really. So old moving company sold trailer and can not do it. Other places say will and don't. Literally every weekend for the last ten months someone has said will do it and they don't. Have two people now saying will do it for last three weeks and their trucks keep breaking. Am I just bad luck to people? One house trailer place will do it for sure any day for 7,000$ but thats to freaking much. I can build a pole barn for that. So send good thoughts because one of them just texted and said 4:30 today but its also supposed to start raining around two I think. Horses have a nice lean to and old girl is blanketed but I still want that barn here. like yesterday.
opcorn: Wait for the bleeding You know thats why gas is so cheap now right,to spread it? I need a vacation.
I am upset because work is forcing flu shots. which they say we have the option to wear a special badge and wear a mask when within six feet of pts. Yeah, thats basically forcing us. those masks are unbearable. I do not like the flu shot,am not anti vaccine, just anti flu vaccine for me. GRRRRRR.
And back to the barn that I may or may not have complained about on here. We have a 12x40 amish made three stall and tack room barn I bought for 4,000 years ago and had moved to old house for 400 or 700. Cant remember how much really. So old moving company sold trailer and can not do it. Other places say will and don't. Literally every weekend for the last ten months someone has said will do it and they don't. Have two people now saying will do it for last three weeks and their trucks keep breaking. Am I just bad luck to people? One house trailer place will do it for sure any day for 7,000$ but thats to freaking much. I can build a pole barn for that. So send good thoughts because one of them just texted and said 4:30 today but its also supposed to start raining around two I think. Horses have a nice lean to and old girl is blanketed but I still want that barn here. like yesterday.
Hmmmmm, are you sure it's a cold?? A friend of mine always gets really sick, cold-like symptoms when she is pregnant, lots of mucus and super miserable feeling. Maybe that's what's going on with you? I hope not, it's been a few years since her last was born, but I think it doesn't go away until after she has the baby.
I have health insurance again and I want to go back on my Meds so fscking badly. I swear last time had lasting effects as I've never been able to keep myself this far above water before. But I'm afraid of the adjustment period... I've so hard to get this far in school.... I'm so close to the goal.... And then I won't need the Meds.
I used one of my trained behavior modification techniques to get myself in the car to go to class. At least they're still working. There's that.
I used one of my trained behavior modification techniques to get myself in the car to go to class. At least they're still working. There's that.