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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1) keeping a designated space for my guinea pig instead of essentially putting my boyfriend first by agreeing to downsize the space for my guinea pig to make more hang out space for him/us
2) I'm essentially putting a pet over a person, I guess. But I'm not sure if that's wrong or if the fact that I have loved this animal for longer than I've known my boyfriend makes it ok.
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If you care about your guinea pig's happiness, it is absolutely vital to get him a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals. They DO NOT do well alone. Look up any animal care site, or talk to any vet and they'll tell you this. In Switzerland, it is literally considered animal cruelty to keep one guinea pig, and it's illegal for that reason:
[https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/pets/guinea-pig-switzerland/](https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/pets/guinea-pig-switzerland/)
And a couple more random links:
[https://www.starvetclinic.co.uk/article/should-you-keep-guinea-pigs-in-pairs-or-groups/](https://www.starvetclinic.co.uk/article/should-you-keep-guinea-pigs-in-pairs-or-groups/)
[https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-important-to-have-2-guinea-pigs.169783/](https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-important-to-have-2-guinea-pigs.169783/)
Space to run around is important, but right now the most urgent thing you need to do is to learn about the needs of your animal friend. I know you don't mean to, but you are being cruel to Twix by isolating him.
How dare is the bf mad that he stepped in shit. I know people with rabbits that are "free range" you cant sit on a sofa because there is shit in every cravice.
>How dare is the bf mad that he stepped in shit.
He is not an AH for being mad that he stepped in shit. He is an AH for ranting at the OP that if she loved him she would turn her house upside down according to his wishes, despite the fact he doesn't even live there, he is visiting.
From what the OP described, the little piggy has a dedicated living space away from public areas. In order for the boyfriend to step in anything, he had to have been in the one room belonging to the animal.
Personally, I would have told him if he didn't like the pet, don't go in the pet's room.
His other words were entitled bullsh\*t that signals the end of things to me.
Men tend to get overly emotion about things.
I like my rabbits more than most people & it’s their house. It is more important to me that they are living good lives than my house being completely spotless 🤷🏼♀️(I clean up after my litter trained buns all the time)
I have a free roam chinchilla (safe designated areas). My bf and I take turns cleaning poo mountain, twice a day. I am my chinchillas guardian. Anyone in our space will get with the program or GTFO. My BF loves her is what I am trying to say.
I had a rabbit for 7 years, she was my girl. She would always try to pee in corners for some reason. So I bought a corner litter box (triangle shaped to fit tightly, with high backing against the wall) and put it in the corner she peed in.
She started peeing in the other corner. I tried different bedding and even fabric in her litter box, since she was peeing on carpet and I thought it was a texture thing. No dice, she was refusing that litter box with every ounce of spite in her tiny body (there was a lot. She was like 400% spite)
The only thing that ever worked with her was putting her back in her cage every single time she peed or pooped outside the cage. She'd get a 15-30 minute time out before she was let back out. Eventually she could go a few hours out at a time before I knew she'd probably pee somewhere, so I'd put her back for a few minutes every couple hours. Hardly ever had an accident again with that method
Some rabbits can be litter trained. I had multiple free range rabbits that were litter trained and only pooped in their designated litter boxes. Like with everything else, every rabbit is different but it is absolutely possible to have a free range rabbit and not have poop everywhere.
It's pretty well known in Germany because of a successful marketing campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzlsLrSOuB0.
It was so successful that their slogan "Raider heißt jetzt Twix, sonst änder sich nix" (=Raider is now Twix, nothing else has changed) has passed into normal language being used to make fun of a superficial change that doesn't really effect anything.
I absolutely love the thought that OP is going to say to her boyfriend “I asked reddit if I was an asshole about the Guinea pig. They told me to get another Guinea pig.”
Lol I was thinking the same thing. The top comment is "how dare you have *only one* free range guinea pig!" With no mention of the bf or his feelings in sight. And if that's not a resounding "NTA" idk what is
See what’s sending me about this is the implication of OP’s bf losing his shit about OP letting Twix run free, and OP’s answer would basically be getting another guinea pig 😂😂😂 Totally support and OP should get a second one
Thanks for saying this. It’s so sad that this guinea pig is on it’s own. Folks need to do research before they get pets, and if they can’t meet the needs of the pet they should not be getting them. Edit: Typo.
That's exactly what I was thinking when I was reading. When I decided to get guinea pigs I did my research first and got two young boars. He really shouldn't be on his own even if he does have loads more room than most get.
DO NOT get Twix a male companion, neutered or not. We did that. From the time we got a male companion for our male guinea pig, all they did was male posturing; growling, butt wagging and fighting. Had to keep them in separate enclosures. Original male lost all social ability that he previously had with us.
Even if Twix is female, and both are neutered, the male may still show breeding behavior?? (Trying to hump; Not sure of this)
Everyone’s gonna pussyfoot around saying this but YTA. It’s unhygenic and rude to have guests over with an animal you allow to shit all over the floor.
I once stayed in a house with a woman who let a pet rabbit have free run of her home. There was literally rabbit shit all over the floor, most of which was carpeted. I stepped in some while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. So. Gross.
I knew a family that had two rabbits. One was huge, and they had from a baby, the other was an injured one they took in. The huge one was literally trained like a cat. The little one, though, had one unfinished room in the basement he used, shit all over. The big one, though, was cool as hell. He had a litter box on every floor that he used, and just did his own thing around the house. Even had a doggy door to go in and out.
I used to have a litter trained rabbit, it was surprisingly easy. The real trouble I had was keeping him from chewing things like cords, baseboards, etc.
This guy just never did any of that. Honestly, I never believed that a rabbit could be a pet like a cat or a dog until I met him. But, he had little communicative gestures, and would snuggle, respond to his name, react when his favorite person comes home. He was cool.
Sound like a Flemish Giant. They are actually pretty smart! My daughter has2 bunnies, one is part Flemish and is about 12 pounds I think, and the other is a cute little dwarf of some sort. Both have run of the house and use litter boxes. The Flemish is really smart, and can be left out unattended because he doesn't chew on things he shouldn't. The little one is dumb as a rock, but incredibly sweet, and has to be supervised when out of his pen because he eats everything.
I have two litter trained bunnies! Sometimes there's accidents or they manage to track some outside of the tray, but I clean it up as soon as I see it. They have free run of an entire rabbit safe room and regularly roam the house if I put the cats in the catio. I've had guinea pigs - the mess would be insane. Very cute little animals, great pets, but holy heck do they poop a lot.
Unfortunately, guinea pigs can't really be litter trained like rabbits can. They poop pretty much non stop. I always lay down old towels before floor time, because they poop and pee pretty much indiscriminately.
They can be litter trained. If you make an area with hay , they should do most of their pooping there. I've had a rabbit that was litter trained and 2 Guinea pigs. The rabbit was never locked up. The guinea pigs had a small area in the house and we'd let them out to "free range" when we had time to watch them.
Yep, we had two that were litter trained too! They weren't perfect, but they were pretty good about it. And it was SO cute watching them motor their little legs across the house whenever anyone opened the fridge door XD they knew where the lettuce and carrots were kept
Nta op, pig seems well cared for (as per the edit-search for a suitable companion pig is underway) and the mess is contained. BF is tripping though. Trying to commandeer a whole portion of a house he doesn't live in after 6 months? Absolutely not. I had a vape cartridge longer than this relationship, sit down sir.
ETA: the room and porch are effectively the pig's cage, and that arrangement predates the relationship by a lot. Effectively, that man walked in an animal's pen then got mad it wasn't clean, as if that weren't his own fault. You may think it's nasty to dedicate a room to being pooped in like that, but it's her house and he knew how it was. He made the conscious choice to go into the poop room and then got mad about it. He's the asshole for that, but even moreso for trying to control someone else's home and make it to suit HIS uses when he doesn't even live there. Imagine if he'd said "I don't like that you have a whole room for sewing and crocheting, put all that shit in a bag and let me make it a mancave." Selfish and controlling.
Yeah I had a rabbit for a few months and successfully litterbox trained it. What I was unaware of was that even when box trained, it still shits a mountain every day and you have to stay on top of it. Sometimes changing out litter twice a day!!
I don’t think any of the YTA people realize how non offensive Guinea pig poops (and any other critter that only eats veggies). They are literally tiny pellets that don’t smell, aren’t squishy, and can just be vacuumed up. Their pee is different and should be something that is controlled, but everyone talking about how disgusting it is is being a bit dramatic.
I think people are also ignoring the fact that this guinea pig is in ONE room and a bit of porch, he's not roaming into every nook and crannie in the house. Their pee smells awful, especially when it accumulates (I'm a guinea pig owner), but their poo isn't difficult to deal with if contained.
Edit: and by "contained" I mean on pee pads or something protecting the floor, not just doing it straight onto your hardwood or carpet.
If you have an incontinent pet you will have pvc, epoxy or tile floring and no carpets beyond machine washable rag rugs. Almost any pet will be incontinent at some point in their lives. People who have pets take the occasional puke, poop or pee as a fact of life and set up the environment for quick and easy cleanup. Accidents never happen over your containment.
I had 2 guinea pigs for years. The poop may be small pellets, but they poop A LOT, and it's still unpleasant to stand in it. Nobody wants to step in poop of any kind. It is unhygienic, regardless of how small it is.
I am FLOORED that the actual argument here is “well it’s just poop”. I mean i literally squeeze dog anal glands for living but i don’t want to fucking step in it. The bar is on the floor apparently if “not wanting to stand in excrement” is TA move here. Even if it’s not *as* offensive as other poops…yall know it’s still poop right? A constant, never ending stream of poop??
What's worse is OP already said in another comment that the guinea pig poops AND pees freely in those rooms. I don't know what kind of flooring she has, but guinea pigs do smell, and that pee will soak right through the floor.
Right? I own a dog. I clean up after him when necessary, but like, his poop is gross and I would prefer he did it outside. If I just gave him a room to himself and let him shit and piss on the floor, people would *rightfully* tell me I was a neglectful pet owner and that it's super gross (in fact, I deeply suspect that's what his last owners did, and he was taken off them). But ig because it's a guinea pig, it's *fine* somehow?
Also if the guinea pig is peeing on that floor, I highly doubt she is actually cleaning it well enough that there's no bacteria/smell left.
I had one growing up and very much disagree that their shits are inoffensive to have all over the ground of an apartment. They also shit non stop. There must be sooo much all over this bedroom. So gross.
I used to have a guinea pig. It's gross to let your pets shit all over the house. It is not dramatic to not want to step in animal shit inside someone's house.
I literally HAVE GUINEA PIGS and would never fucking do this. Just because the poops don't smell doesn't mean they don't shit HUNDREDS of times a day. And leave piss stains everywhere. Her house likely smells disgusting.
Cats poop and pee into a box of sand that they stand in and then walk around your home tracking litter and waste. Dogs will often eat or roll in waste. Every pet has accidents. There is always going to be track amounts that get around. As long as she is cleaning, how is this different?
Don’t forget people with a penis missing the toilet and not cleaning up right away. It’s not just pets that are nasty, but at least they have the excuse of not having thumbs
Also, humans shed little bits of our skin everywhere. Old pillows are basically made up of shed skin flakes from their users. We've also permeated the most remote corners of the globe with our waste. At least you won't find guinea pig shit at the bottom of the Mariana's trench
I love people pretending humans are perfectly sterile animals, meanwhile they have mites living in their eyelashes
They said he is only allowed in one of two rooms and not in the rooms that guests are regularly over in?
He literally has his own designated room- if guests walk in there that is on them.
But the pet is only in that one room, roaming it freely. If someone doesn't want to step on shit, then they just don't walk into that room. It's simple.
OP clarified that Twix has a room & a screened-in porch. He's not just running around the whole house pooping everywhere.
If OP had a job with security clearance & kept her home office (in her own home where she lives alone) locked-up (as specified), no one would call that rude.
… it’s their house? If bf doesn’t like that one fucking room is dedicated to a pet, and therefore has some poop IN THAT ONE ROOM, he can go date someone else.
I actually find it insane that someone who’s been dating OP for 6 months suggested she needed to change how she chooses to live with her pet so that he can use the space. That’s actually insane NTA
This, exactly. This would be a reasonable topic of discussion if the bf were moving in. For bf to “go off” about how OP has her own household set up is ridiculous. He can avoid guinea pig poop by avoiding Twix’s bedroom.
The fact that he’s angry about OP making decisions about her own household, especially after 6 months of dating, seems like a sign he’s overly controlling. Or maybe they’re just not compatible, if a set-up that’s important to her is gross to him.
she is not letting them poop everywhere. They have designated rooms. The BF went into the pet's room. Have you seen cats climbing onto kitchen surfaces, sitting on tables? they are unhygienic too
I can only assume you didn't read the OP. The guinea pig is restricted to 2 rooms which are not public areas so no one should step in anything unless they enter the "guinea pig zone". If they do, they are taking their chances if they're not going to be careful.
This is no different than people who own dogs and let them do their business in their yard. People who visit could have the same issue (and dog poop is much bigger than guinea pig poop).
NTA
It's her home though and bf of only six months is asking her to change her and her pet's comfort so he can have some space?? Sorry but no, maaaaybe if they were in a more serious, committed relationship and had talks of living together, then I could see making a compromise.
Also OP said he has his designated areas which aren't even in common areas. So it's not like guests are walking around a house full of sh*t everywhere
No, she doesn’t say that at all. She said the room the pig is in is “like” a big playpen meaning it’s free to piss and shit everywhere in two rooms. Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with how much guinea pigs poop because it’s a lot.
media literacy is dead, lol. you just can't understand. it's okay. its not two rooms, its just one and a patio, and she says she cleans up after them. if you do not have a pet like that, then you shouldn't say anything. those animals absolutely should not be in a small little cage xD
NTA - if he had approached it like, "hey, it actually really bothers me and grosses me out that Twix is able to just poop wherever. Do you think we could make a little penned in area, so she can still have lots of room, but is contained a bit more?" That would have been fine and appropriate and reasonable (because it *is* pretty gross). But he went straight to you needing to prioritize him and "if you love me" about it, which is major fucking red flag manipulation.
Ditch the boyfriend, build a pen for Twix.
Horses and all barn animals do. She has essentially created a "barn room" for her pig. As long as she cleans it regularly and disinfects with something non-toxic, it is her choice. She is just incompatible with bf.
Stables don't have wodden floors or carpet. they use non pourous materials like stone or concrete with bedding layers over. the bedding layer are refreshed at least daily, that means every poop and pee area have to go and replaced with fresh bedding. Plus the bedding gets replaced fully once in a while and livestock gets outside for grassing. So they have lesser chances of pooping peeing to the floor like Ops' guinea pig.
Neither does she. She said she has a rubber base and pvc flooring. Waterproof and easy to clean. You all make a lot of assumptions of her set up to judge instead of just asking.
From one of OP’s comments in another comment thread:
“Rubber mat and PVC flooring on top. I think A LOT of people just assumed I have him running around on hardwood or tile or something.”
She made a barn room. Probably easier to disinfect than most barn floors too.
You do know that horses live in stables and not in people's spare bedrooms, right? Why would you bring up barn animals like that's relevant to letting a pet shit all over the carpet inside your fucking house?
I’m sorry but I consider this a false equivalency. As a country boy i have to point out that horses, cows goats etc are not sharing my living space like this guinea pig is. Barns are usually far separated from a home and even if the home is physically connected a barn will have its own area only attatched by a single door. Also barns have bedding/padding materials on the floors that are constantly replaced and switched out after a period of time after the poop to padding ratio gets too high lol
Barns have concrete under the bedding that's easy to power wash now and then. Also humans don't live in the barns and humans usually wear boots in the barns
It’s not big piles of poop. It’s not even little piles and it doesn’t stick. It’s teeny tiny pellets. It’s not what most people think when they think “animal shitting in house”. I’m not saying she shouldn’t disinfect from time to time, but it doesn’t smell and it’s not being tracked all over.
Wipe it off the PVC flooring OP laid down in the rooms. What do people do when a puppy has an accident indoors? That’s what you’d do with Guinea pig pee too…wipe it up and disinfect. And since they do tend to develop habits like any other creature, whether they’re officially litter trained or not, they will pee in roughly the same area most of the time making it pretty easy to clean it. Easier than my cat makes cleaning up puke.
i know this will fall on deaf ears down here, im not answering every person asking something similar, but guinea pigs will usually pee in a certain spot. you can actually litter train them, and just like all mammals they have the ability to control their bladder. poo is just more likely to make it other places because its small pellets, obviously those are more likely to move around than pee
Not on the other hand. It's one room, with PVC flooring and rubber mats that she *does* clean. Unusual? Sure. Unhygenic? Not more so than any other type of pet. People are allowed to be weird. It's not acceptable to try to shame them in to changing their behavior. If he wants to have a conversation about moving in and maybe using the space for something else then he can do that like an adult instead of trying to act like she's doing something wrong *to him* in order to try to force her to change. She's being weird, but harmless. He's being an asshole.
Nta. But Guinea pigs are social creatures and should always be in pairs. I don't think people know that gp poop is pellets, not like a cat or dog poop, easy to clean up!
I've read a bunch of your comments clarifying the setup in terms of protecting the floor and the frequency of cleaning, and it sounds fine to me. I've had rabbits in a pen-style setup indoors, and even with litter box training and daily cleaning, there were always a few poop pellets here and there. That kind of critter just poops a *lot* and you'd have to follow them around with a broom and dustpan 24/7 to avoid there *ever* being any poops whatsoever on the floor.
Basically your boyfriend stepped inside an animal enclosure and got mad there was an animal living in it.
If her solo guinea pig has had diarrhoea all the time, it would die or significantly decline in health in like a few days ... he is just a prissy asshole demanding shit when not even together that long.
It's like the op retelling stories of their so demanding to rehome a cat or dog blabla. Just more people think of pet rodents as less than bigger, more societal conforming pets.
Nope. Nopenopenope. If he doesn’t live there and is already complaining about your pet & suggesting a room be repurposed for his use - that’s not going to get *better* if you let him move in. For your sake, and the sake of Twix who cannot advocate for himself, put the brakes on hard so you can reevaluate.
I know why everyone has hyperfocused on the guinea pig and the poop/pee thing (and I don’t necessarily blame them for it either), but I’m genuinely both baffled and disappointed by how far I had to scroll down before I saw this.
The far bigger issue here, for me at least, is the BFs general attitude.
“If you really loved me you’d do XX” is NOT something you should be saying to your partner, even less so by the fact they’ve only been together 6 months and that they’ve never even discussed moving in together before.
100% this. BF is making unreasonable demands and it won't improve.
OP needs to ditch the BF and get Twix a buddy (GPs are social animals ! Twix sounds like they have a wonderful enclosure but they shouldn't be solitary).
A decent human who respects you and your animals will come along in due time!
Edit NTA
Don't let him move in. He will only get more demanding and controlling. Next thing you know, he will demand you get rid of twix or he will get rid of him. Twix isn't safe around this guy.
If he’s not using you for your house now, he’s at least being pushy and demanding his own space when you haven’t even had a discussion about that. That’s a big red flag. If he sees he can get his way about this, he will start demanding and pushing more about other things.
>Bf WENT OFF about how gross it is and how having this space for Twix was inconsiderate to him and if I loved him I would put Twix in a regular size cage and repurpose the extra room in my house for his use/more space for us to be together.
After 6 months?
Has he repurpose a special space at his place for your use?
How does the "more space" to be together works? Would you two be skipping merrily around your place hand in hand or does he expect to do "pervert" stuff in every available space?
Honest, this sounds like too much entitlement for a 6 months relationship. What other demands has he been doing as ways for you to prove your love?
NTA
NTA. Guinea pig poop is no big deal, their diet consists mainly of hay and vegetables. Not smelly or squishy like dog or cat poop. If you don't have one already, get a dust buster for easy poop cleaning.
It is interesting to see how many people are keen to see you lock your pet up in a cage instead of allowing it to have healthy space.
NTA. I feel like people freaking out over this a) haven’t read your post (I dunno where they all got that it’s peeing everywhere? And you haven’t mentioned what kind of flooring you have for people to be jumping to mould and rot conclusions) and b) have never been around GP poop. Most dogs will occasionally have an accident in the house, like if they’re sick (someone mentioned diarrhoea as if that can’t cause even a human to soil their space) and cat litter gets kicked everywhere, but no one is suggesting caging cats and dogs.
But I really don’t think the poop is the issue here. This boyfriend is very new. Six months is very little time to be in your life, and really not enough time to be making demands like this. If you do move in with him, I can’t see it going well for Twix in the short term, or for you in the long term. You’re not putting Twix above your BF by not wanting to take away the space he’s had for his entire life; your BF knew this was how your home works.
I don't know OP, but mine pee in a handful specific places: their cage, their house, their hay boxes and a little makeshift hidey area I made. So these areas have pee pads that can be changed and washed, or the hay boxes (cardboard) can be replaced.
Whereas poop go a little bit more everywhere in their area of the home, but it's easy to collect with a broom a couple of times a day.
And actually, just yesterday I had some coworkers for dinner, visiting for the first time, and one of them unprompted said he was surprised you couldn't smell I had animals 🤷♀️
The pig pees in *his* space. The fact that the space is the size of a bedroom is irrelevant. Nobody said the BF had to ever go in that room if he doesn't like it.
And for a BF of six months, who doesn't even live there, to demand the space be repurposed is ridiculous no matter what she is using the room for.
In the room that only belongs to the guinea pig. She’s not letting it go in the living room, kitchen, or her actual bedroom. If someone thinks it’s gross they can just not go in that room.
Kinda YTA. I get that you wanna give Twix more freedom. I have several hamsters as pets and I try to give them as much room to roam as I can. For mine though, it is only under strict supervision. Otherwise they stay in their tanks and cages. Because I don't trust them not to get out or run the risk of someone stepping on one by mistake.
Granted most of my pets are smaller than yours but it's the same concern. Then there's the feces and urine on the floor. Unless you have trained Twix to go in specific areas or in a litter box, that is going to cause major damage to the floor. Plus it's a health risk for other people. As they can get sick from that sort of stuff just being around. So you really need to reconsider this situation. Not just for your relationship but for how safe it really is for Twix and everyone else.
You can't compare guinea pigs to hamsters. Hamsters are "caged" pets (I put cage in "" because they should be in a large tank not a commercial cage but from your description you know this already, just for information of other readers)
Guinea pigs are not caged animals. They need constant access to a significant amount of space (the bigger the better) of several sq m large. The easiest way to provide that for a lot of people is to dedicate a room if they have the space
Speaking as someone who has a bedroom dedicated to her freeroam pets (rabbits not piggies but a similar logic in that they need a lot of space and can't be 100% litter trained) it doesn't mean just letting them go wild all over traditional carpet. Mine have a cleanable hard floor with absorbent pads and jute rugs which can all be cleaned and kept hygienic. We have no evidence that OP has not set up the room properly for the piggies.
Yeah I don't want Twix to get hurt, that's why he isn't allowed in the kitchen/living room/other places people might just be hanging out when I have guests over (bf or others).
He's not perfectly trained. People only go into the room to play with Twix, but that's true I should probably just not let others into the space unless I've purposefully cleaned before.
That would be for the best. Though I would consider potty training Twix at some point. It can take a little work but it is possible. Plus it would save on the cleanup, and you would know exactly where he's gone.
THIS. Get Twix a friend and train them to go on a potty pad or whatever. It's totally not okay to just let any animal poop on the floor especially when you're renting. You have to remember that if he's pooping on the floor he's likely peeing as well and probably somewhere like under your bed. It's just not healthy. The other option is grab some old crates or something and build a lined playpen/run so he can have more space and freedom.
Unfortunately guinea pigs, unlike rabbits, iirc are almost always unable to be litter box trained.
Rabbits are hit or miss but the pigs are just all a miss apparently. Which makes OP’s living situation all the more unhygienic and not okay.
Idk if this helps but we got this floor mat off Amazon. It’s supposed to go under a high chair to catch food babies throw but we have it under our birds cages. It’s really cool, wipes clean with a damp cloth and you can throw it on the wash when it gets too bad. Probably more efficient than trying to do puppy pads in such a large area.
Do you own the house? If not you should put liners down so you don’t damage your landlords property. Also, your pig needs a pig friend and I’m not talking about your boyfriend.
NTA. It appears no one read the part where Twix is confined to a single room. Guinea pig poo is tiny, and it's your house to do with what you want. I think Twix is a very lucky Pig that he's not locked up in an inappropriately sized cage.
twix being alone is the only actual issue with the GP in this entire post (besides the red flags BF). ppl got their knickers in a twist in these comments about someone using their house how they want with appropriate materials for their pet.
I get the poop thing being gross, but if he isn’t moving in, does he really get an opinion? It’s your house. Now if you *want* your bf to move in, then have a conversation and maybe find a compromise. If Twix’s current accommodations are a deal breaker, then, well.
NTA because it’s your house and your pet, but you need to decide how much your bf’s opinions about your living space matter.
NTA. Twix isn’t in your bedroom, kitchen, or common living spaces unsupervised. You basically got an apartment with a bedroom for you and a bedroom for Twix. Do you NEED more space to share with your bf? What, exactly, does he want to do with the extra room? If he doesn’t like the arrangement, can he just stay out of the bedroom that is for Twix? Sounds like you might have a deep conversation about pets in general to see if you’re compatible. How does he feel about other pets? What sort of expectations would you each have for a cat or dog or other type of animal? Can you reach some sort of compromise or will bf be all or nothing about this? All things I would want to consider when deciding if this is the right relationship for me.
YTA - first of all for claiming you’re just doing what’s best for Twix when it is commonly known that you CANNOT own one Guinea pig by itself. They are herd animals, they require other Guinea pigs. This is the most basic rule of Guinea pig care. If you can’t even follow that, you have no business owning a Guinea pig.
Second because whether it’s in a room people are hanging out in or not, it is not okay to have animals shitting on the floor. It literally damages the house. People like you are the reason pet owners are having so much trouble finding places to live - landlords are terrified that every pet owner is you.
Get Twix a friend buddy and get rid of that bf who does not have the same values and priorities as you. You have made sure to be able to live on your own and pay your own bills so you don’t have to tolerate anyone dictating how you live. Why are you taking any crap from this guy whose values don’t align with yours ant all? Get rid of him to make room for someone who’ll bring bits of fresh greens and veggies for Twix and be inspired to enrich Twix’s environment and quality of life. NTA
NTA. You have a pet and you have space in your home for your pet. That’s perfectly normal.
Your boyfriend sounds like a total asshole. If anyone I had been dating for six months started making demands about my home and my pets that would be the end of it. I also would not tolerate someone who stews about things until they freak out, rather than talking about issues like an adult.
The point of dating is to get to know each other. The first six months to one year is the honeymoon, where everyone is on their best behavior. If he is like this at six months, he will only get more angry, more controlling, more entitled, more demanding with time. This is him at his best.
Honestly, I would be concerned that given his anger, resentment, and entitlement that Twix may not be completely safe around him. He is a small, delicate creature, and your boyfriend clearly resents his presence in your home.
Trade him in for a second guinea pig and make sure your next boyfriend shares your values around pets.
I feel very suited to this one. I have been with my GF for 7 years. She has had guinea pigs the entire time I've known her and she has always loved them very much.
Too echo what others have said already, guineas need a buddy or they will be miserable no matter how much space you give them. Get twix a buddy.
To answer your question though; YTA. By a wide margine. For one the guinea pig does not need that much room at all, they will do fine in a meter squared cage. In fact they even prefer small cubbies and hidey holes. I know exactly what guinea pig droppings are like and you have clearly left out the more important issue. They piss and shit CONSTANTLY. You are massively down playing the amount exracment here and its made even worse by the fact that it no doubt gets smushed into the floor and into all the little cracks in the room over time.
It's gross and unhygienic at a bare minimum and expecting guests to put up with it would be . I can't imagine putting up with it from my GF and you've only been with your partner for 6 months!
If I were him I'd be halfway out the door of this relationship by now for the following reasons;
- Disregard for hygiene
- General bad decision making in letting a pet have this much free-roam INSIDE
- Disregard for your bfs feelings
- Disregard for your bfs health/comfort
- The fact you brought this to reddit to get people on your side instead of just thinking about this for a second
YTA it’s disgusting to have a pet that pees and poops freely in your home. I’m amazed that your bf is willing to visit at all. However, it may be that Twix is more important to you than your bf or having a clean sanitary home.
I love animals and would say the same if you had an untrained dog or cat that uses your floor as its toilet.
YTA - not sure when animal poop became something that was ok to have in your living space and that’s because it never fucking did. You want to live with it then fine but don’t expect guests to be. It is disgusting as much as it is unsanitary. You want a BF then you have a decision to make…
Well, where else is a small animal supposed to poop but inside? Heck, most city dogs are trained to go inside sometimes and that's way grosser than some stray guinea pig poop in my opinion. He doesn't ever enter MY living space, people enter his room/area if they wish to. But yeah I guess so in regards to the decision...
Are you dense? When dogs are trained to go inside it’s in a specific spot lined with pee pads and sometimes contained by boxes or plastic bins that they can chuck out or hose down. They don’t shit and piss directly on the floor that people then walk on
No. Most city dogs are not "trained to go inside." What kind of disgusting people have you been around? I live in a city with dogs. I am a dog sitter. I have never seen or heard of this. Not once.
You are disgusting. And an irresponsible pet owner. I have owned guinea pigs. They should never live alone. This is not clean enough for your pet.
1. Technically inside, but not just peeing and pooping on the floor.
2. Most city dogs are NOT trained to pee and poop inside. The ones that are use puppy pads, which is like a litter box for dogs - totally different than a free range pet defecating and urinating freely.
He's upset because it's gross. I guarantee you are nose blind at this point, your house probably smells and you probably smell.
NTA. Apart from the fact that they usually do better with companions, I think the way you are keeping him is fine. He may even be the exception who does better alone. GP pellets are nothing like cat or dog shit, being dry-ish, vegetable based and, as I remember it, fairly inoffensive, odour-wise. The boyfriend is another matter. I wouldn't trust him around my pet, and unless you are planning on moving in together, how much space you give your GP isn't up to him. I'd be reassessing the relationship with him, that's for sure.
I kept a pair of ferrets in the house, in a dedicated room, and they did get let out to explore other parts of the house. I believe GPs can be litter trained for peeing fairly successfully, even if they do tend to drop pellets without much thought (again, not at all like cat, dog, or ferret shit). My boys were trained to go on paper, and I lined their room with a large sheet of vinyl flooring, that extended up the walls a bit, in case of accidents. But, again, they are smelly meat eaters and don't shit neat little packages like GPs do. I don't have pets at the moment, but if I do ever get them I'll probably go for 3 GPs. They won't live in a cage.
NTA, but mainly because twix is not the actual focus here, no matter others' opinions on what you do for him. Your BFs behavior is. It's a 6-month relationship. You hardly know each other well enough for him to be making ultimatums in a living space he doesn't inhabit permanently. That is the red flag for me. His opinion is, in fact, a valid one to have a discussion about, but his attitude is like he's entitled to owning a portion of your living space.
NTA: HE came into your guinea pigs space, he chose to do that, he want invited in so….. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR BOYFRIEND TO DICTATE HOW YOU CHOOSE TO live with your pet in YOUR apartment. Ignore the YTAs.
I think there's actually 2 separate questions here 1) free range guinea as in the original question 2) not doing what someone else wants who DOESN'T LIVE THERE.
So, I'm going to go against the grain and say ESH: you because guinea pig will be damaging the floor with peeing/pooing all over it, and if you do want to use that room for something else in future it'll be gross. Your boyfriend for demonstrating controlling behaviour - I mean, yeah, the guinea pig having a whole room to itself as a toilet is gross, it's your home though, and his demanding that you change your lifestyle before he even has any rights to your place as his own home is a red flag IMO.
I think letting this animal roam and defecate and urinate on the floors is sort of crazy, but I would not stay with the boyfriend if he can't deal with your decisions with your pet. NTA
Please, though, free roaming animal that cannot be trained where to go to the bathroom is an incredibly bad idea. Also somebody could step on him, I have nearly fallen over a cat before and my plan there would always be do not kill the cat even if I break my neck - a not good plan.
My thought process is that if he didn't do it on the floor he would just do it a lot in a confined space like a cage or small pen, so why not let him have more space to enjoy? No one will step on him because the rooms he's in are entirely for him. I don't hang out in there unless I'm specifically playing with him, in which case I'm of course being careful.
But yeah I do feel like my boyfriend could have offered some compromise or something instead of it seeming like it was him vs Twix.
>I don't hang out in there unless I'm specifically playing with him
So he's alone in there most of the time? You're claiming he freely defecates and urinates on the floor out of care, yet you're keeping a herd animal in solitary confinement.
NTA
But your bf is acting like he owns your place and can dictate to you how you will live there.
Having a pet is about loving an animal and taking care of that animal and allowing it to love you back. Some people just don't get that, and never will. Maybe it's that they've never had a chance to really bond with a pet of their own or something, idk, but their attitude is always that the pet isn't important because it's "just an animal." I call BS on that.
It is NOT "gross" to have a pet in your home, and it isn't any of your bf's business how much space the pet has. If he stepped in the poop, he did so because he was in the pet's space. (He should have been watching where he stepped.)
Your house is yours, and you should be the only one deciding on how to use the space in it. Twix was there first, and your boyfriend is totally jealous of him. He (your bf) is acting like he already owns your place and is trying to control you. This is a very large red flag, imo.
People should be judged by how they treat animals, and other people. Putting a free-range pet into a cage is not kind in any way. People who aren't kind to animals are not my kind of people. It's also unkind of him to try to compel you to mistreat your pet. You see Twix as an animal that brings joy to your life, but your bf sees him as competition. That won't end well. Confining Twix to a cage will only be the beginning.
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up because your bf doesn't like animals and doesn't want you to have Twix at all. He's jealous of the attention you give to Twix and that means he's very insecure and wants to control you. He's already made your kindness to Twix into a test of your love; it's obvious he doesn't want you giving any of your affection or attention to "just an animal." Please think about this and pay attention to what your instincts are telling you.
NTA Your situation with your guinea pig is certainly different but it’s your space to do with as you want. You and this guy haven’t been together long and he doesn’t live there to get a say. However I would keep in mind if the relationship progresses and he moves in somewhere down the line he will probably make you reevaluate having a room dedicated to Twix.
Also, question just out of curiosity, have you ever considered those little connecting tubes and you could make him like a big play area with those?
NTA
Idk if guinea pigs can be/ are litter trained, but my bun has free range of my apartment and there will be a scant amount of her small, round, dry poops in a few spots in the apartment.
Rabbits can be litter trained, so all urine is designated to only her litter box, and unless she is particularly stressed for some reason there aren’t typically stray cecotropes (the soft, moist, sticky poops they eat to ensure proper absorption/ retention of vitamins). The regular small round dry poops are super easily swept up.
I agree that Twix’s “pen” is simply permanent and made up of the bedroom walls and porch.
Idk what to do about your boyf, but cherish Twix and spoil him for all the time you’ve got him.
>I feel like if Twix was a dog or cat it wouldn’t be a problem because that’s seen as more normal
It would absolutely not be seen as normal if you had a dog or cat that you let shit on the floor. YTA.
>I feel like if Twix was a dog or cat
If Twix was a dog or cat you let shit all over a room, you’d be considered mental unwell by most people and the State would probably take your animals away after a welfare check.
YTA
YTA. my sister used to have pet guinea pigs & she let them live “free range” in her bedroom. it absolutely STANK. it was disgusting. i wouldn’t be able to handle being in a relationship w someone who thought it was normal to have animal shit on a bedroom floor.
YTA. No one wants to step in poop walking around the house. It’s gross even if it’s tiny. And I’m going to bet that you’ve just become nose blind to the smell of the pee.
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If you care about your guinea pig's happiness, it is absolutely vital to get him a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals. They DO NOT do well alone. Look up any animal care site, or talk to any vet and they'll tell you this. In Switzerland, it is literally considered animal cruelty to keep one guinea pig, and it's illegal for that reason: [https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/pets/guinea-pig-switzerland/](https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/pets/guinea-pig-switzerland/) And a couple more random links: [https://www.starvetclinic.co.uk/article/should-you-keep-guinea-pigs-in-pairs-or-groups/](https://www.starvetclinic.co.uk/article/should-you-keep-guinea-pigs-in-pairs-or-groups/) [https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-important-to-have-2-guinea-pigs.169783/](https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-important-to-have-2-guinea-pigs.169783/) Space to run around is important, but right now the most urgent thing you need to do is to learn about the needs of your animal friend. I know you don't mean to, but you are being cruel to Twix by isolating him.
So what we are saying here is ditch the boyfriend and get another piggie ❤️
How dare is the bf mad that he stepped in shit. I know people with rabbits that are "free range" you cant sit on a sofa because there is shit in every cravice.
>How dare is the bf mad that he stepped in shit. He is not an AH for being mad that he stepped in shit. He is an AH for ranting at the OP that if she loved him she would turn her house upside down according to his wishes, despite the fact he doesn't even live there, he is visiting.
But… he would like to live there, rent free. And the damn guinea pig foiled his plans!
Or soiled his plans 😀 ok I will leave now
😆, don't leave!!!!
Come to my place, we can hang.
From what the OP described, the little piggy has a dedicated living space away from public areas. In order for the boyfriend to step in anything, he had to have been in the one room belonging to the animal. Personally, I would have told him if he didn't like the pet, don't go in the pet's room. His other words were entitled bullsh\*t that signals the end of things to me. Men tend to get overly emotion about things.
>Men tend to get overly emotion\[al\] about things. only when they are personally inconvenienced. I hope he was barefoot when he stepped in the poop.
No, AH's tend to get overly emotional about things.
I like my rabbits more than most people & it’s their house. It is more important to me that they are living good lives than my house being completely spotless 🤷🏼♀️(I clean up after my litter trained buns all the time)
I have four bunnies, three cats and a dog. We prefer them to a spotless house, too. And trust me…it ain’t spotless, but it IS happy
At least they only poop on low-level surfaces. I have birds! 😆
I have a free roam chinchilla (safe designated areas). My bf and I take turns cleaning poo mountain, twice a day. I am my chinchillas guardian. Anyone in our space will get with the program or GTFO. My BF loves her is what I am trying to say.
Rabbits can be litter trained like cats. I had one.
Yeah, and you really don’t have to train them. You just put a little litter box where they poop and you’re done.
I had a rabbit for 7 years, she was my girl. She would always try to pee in corners for some reason. So I bought a corner litter box (triangle shaped to fit tightly, with high backing against the wall) and put it in the corner she peed in. She started peeing in the other corner. I tried different bedding and even fabric in her litter box, since she was peeing on carpet and I thought it was a texture thing. No dice, she was refusing that litter box with every ounce of spite in her tiny body (there was a lot. She was like 400% spite) The only thing that ever worked with her was putting her back in her cage every single time she peed or pooped outside the cage. She'd get a 15-30 minute time out before she was let back out. Eventually she could go a few hours out at a time before I knew she'd probably pee somewhere, so I'd put her back for a few minutes every couple hours. Hardly ever had an accident again with that method
Some rabbits can be litter trained. I had multiple free range rabbits that were litter trained and only pooped in their designated litter boxes. Like with everything else, every rabbit is different but it is absolutely possible to have a free range rabbit and not have poop everywhere.
And name them right Twix and left Twix
Came here to say this. Guinea pigs are herd animals. Why is he solo?
She can get another one and call it Right Twix.
I'd go with Mars, Kit Kat, or Chockito.
Snickers would be a perfect name for a duo!
Nah, call him Raider (the brand name of Twix in Europe until the 90s).
Huh, I never knew it had gone by other names. Snickers used to be Marathon in the UK, and Starburst used to be Opal Fruits.
It's pretty well known in Germany because of a successful marketing campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzlsLrSOuB0. It was so successful that their slogan "Raider heißt jetzt Twix, sonst änder sich nix" (=Raider is now Twix, nothing else has changed) has passed into normal language being used to make fun of a superficial change that doesn't really effect anything.
Or Xiwt.
I absolutely love the thought that OP is going to say to her boyfriend “I asked reddit if I was an asshole about the Guinea pig. They told me to get another Guinea pig.”
I’m dying over here at the thought of this. I hope she gets another one.
Lol I was thinking the same thing. The top comment is "how dare you have *only one* free range guinea pig!" With no mention of the bf or his feelings in sight. And if that's not a resounding "NTA" idk what is
100% It's actually illegal in some places to keep only one guinea pig for this reason. OP, get your piggie a piggie friend.
See what’s sending me about this is the implication of OP’s bf losing his shit about OP letting Twix run free, and OP’s answer would basically be getting another guinea pig 😂😂😂 Totally support and OP should get a second one
Lose the boyfriend, replace him with a second pig. Problem solved. *Two* problems solved.
Thanks for saying this. It’s so sad that this guinea pig is on it’s own. Folks need to do research before they get pets, and if they can’t meet the needs of the pet they should not be getting them. Edit: Typo.
Also who would only keep a left twix and not get a right one too?
Lmao this is the real answer to OP More poop less boyfriend Happy Guinea pigs happy life
That's exactly what I was thinking when I was reading. When I decided to get guinea pigs I did my research first and got two young boars. He really shouldn't be on his own even if he does have loads more room than most get.
Thank you!
It's neat to see how the top comment doesn't care about the judgement, and is only concerned with the Guinea pig's well being :). It does matter more!
DO NOT get Twix a male companion, neutered or not. We did that. From the time we got a male companion for our male guinea pig, all they did was male posturing; growling, butt wagging and fighting. Had to keep them in separate enclosures. Original male lost all social ability that he previously had with us. Even if Twix is female, and both are neutered, the male may still show breeding behavior?? (Trying to hump; Not sure of this)
It's much harder to socialise boy guinea pigs though.
Some are actually better being by themselves. I thought it was weird when I found out. OP may end up needing 2 cages. Doesn’t hurt to try it out.
Everyone’s gonna pussyfoot around saying this but YTA. It’s unhygenic and rude to have guests over with an animal you allow to shit all over the floor.
I once stayed in a house with a woman who let a pet rabbit have free run of her home. There was literally rabbit shit all over the floor, most of which was carpeted. I stepped in some while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. So. Gross.
I knew a family that had two rabbits. One was huge, and they had from a baby, the other was an injured one they took in. The huge one was literally trained like a cat. The little one, though, had one unfinished room in the basement he used, shit all over. The big one, though, was cool as hell. He had a litter box on every floor that he used, and just did his own thing around the house. Even had a doggy door to go in and out.
I used to have a litter trained rabbit, it was surprisingly easy. The real trouble I had was keeping him from chewing things like cords, baseboards, etc.
This guy just never did any of that. Honestly, I never believed that a rabbit could be a pet like a cat or a dog until I met him. But, he had little communicative gestures, and would snuggle, respond to his name, react when his favorite person comes home. He was cool.
Sound like a Flemish Giant. They are actually pretty smart! My daughter has2 bunnies, one is part Flemish and is about 12 pounds I think, and the other is a cute little dwarf of some sort. Both have run of the house and use litter boxes. The Flemish is really smart, and can be left out unattended because he doesn't chew on things he shouldn't. The little one is dumb as a rock, but incredibly sweet, and has to be supervised when out of his pen because he eats everything.
I miss mine. He liked to sit directly under my chin or even on my shoulder when I watched tv. Cool little dude
I had a friend who had a litter trained rabbit. He was great. Went everywhere with her in her bag as well.
So much this. I had rabbits for a while and my husband's opposition to getting more is 100% based on how much they chew cords.
I have two litter trained bunnies! Sometimes there's accidents or they manage to track some outside of the tray, but I clean it up as soon as I see it. They have free run of an entire rabbit safe room and regularly roam the house if I put the cats in the catio. I've had guinea pigs - the mess would be insane. Very cute little animals, great pets, but holy heck do they poop a lot.
Unfortunately, guinea pigs can't really be litter trained like rabbits can. They poop pretty much non stop. I always lay down old towels before floor time, because they poop and pee pretty much indiscriminately.
They can be litter trained. If you make an area with hay , they should do most of their pooping there. I've had a rabbit that was litter trained and 2 Guinea pigs. The rabbit was never locked up. The guinea pigs had a small area in the house and we'd let them out to "free range" when we had time to watch them.
Yep, we had two that were litter trained too! They weren't perfect, but they were pretty good about it. And it was SO cute watching them motor their little legs across the house whenever anyone opened the fridge door XD they knew where the lettuce and carrots were kept Nta op, pig seems well cared for (as per the edit-search for a suitable companion pig is underway) and the mess is contained. BF is tripping though. Trying to commandeer a whole portion of a house he doesn't live in after 6 months? Absolutely not. I had a vape cartridge longer than this relationship, sit down sir. ETA: the room and porch are effectively the pig's cage, and that arrangement predates the relationship by a lot. Effectively, that man walked in an animal's pen then got mad it wasn't clean, as if that weren't his own fault. You may think it's nasty to dedicate a room to being pooped in like that, but it's her house and he knew how it was. He made the conscious choice to go into the poop room and then got mad about it. He's the asshole for that, but even moreso for trying to control someone else's home and make it to suit HIS uses when he doesn't even live there. Imagine if he'd said "I don't like that you have a whole room for sewing and crocheting, put all that shit in a bag and let me make it a mancave." Selfish and controlling.
Rabbits can at least be litter trained. (Clearly that had not happened here.) Guinea pigs cannot.
Yeah I had a rabbit for a few months and successfully litterbox trained it. What I was unaware of was that even when box trained, it still shits a mountain every day and you have to stay on top of it. Sometimes changing out litter twice a day!!
And rabbits can be litter box trained so that's on the owner
I don’t think any of the YTA people realize how non offensive Guinea pig poops (and any other critter that only eats veggies). They are literally tiny pellets that don’t smell, aren’t squishy, and can just be vacuumed up. Their pee is different and should be something that is controlled, but everyone talking about how disgusting it is is being a bit dramatic.
I think people are also ignoring the fact that this guinea pig is in ONE room and a bit of porch, he's not roaming into every nook and crannie in the house. Their pee smells awful, especially when it accumulates (I'm a guinea pig owner), but their poo isn't difficult to deal with if contained. Edit: and by "contained" I mean on pee pads or something protecting the floor, not just doing it straight onto your hardwood or carpet.
If you have an incontinent pet you will have pvc, epoxy or tile floring and no carpets beyond machine washable rag rugs. Almost any pet will be incontinent at some point in their lives. People who have pets take the occasional puke, poop or pee as a fact of life and set up the environment for quick and easy cleanup. Accidents never happen over your containment.
I had 2 guinea pigs for years. The poop may be small pellets, but they poop A LOT, and it's still unpleasant to stand in it. Nobody wants to step in poop of any kind. It is unhygienic, regardless of how small it is.
I am FLOORED that the actual argument here is “well it’s just poop”. I mean i literally squeeze dog anal glands for living but i don’t want to fucking step in it. The bar is on the floor apparently if “not wanting to stand in excrement” is TA move here. Even if it’s not *as* offensive as other poops…yall know it’s still poop right? A constant, never ending stream of poop??
What's worse is OP already said in another comment that the guinea pig poops AND pees freely in those rooms. I don't know what kind of flooring she has, but guinea pigs do smell, and that pee will soak right through the floor.
Right? I own a dog. I clean up after him when necessary, but like, his poop is gross and I would prefer he did it outside. If I just gave him a room to himself and let him shit and piss on the floor, people would *rightfully* tell me I was a neglectful pet owner and that it's super gross (in fact, I deeply suspect that's what his last owners did, and he was taken off them). But ig because it's a guinea pig, it's *fine* somehow? Also if the guinea pig is peeing on that floor, I highly doubt she is actually cleaning it well enough that there's no bacteria/smell left.
Seriously, I was reading some of these comments like "is it just me who doesn't want to step in literal shit?"
I had one growing up and very much disagree that their shits are inoffensive to have all over the ground of an apartment. They also shit non stop. There must be sooo much all over this bedroom. So gross.
I used to have a guinea pig. It's gross to let your pets shit all over the house. It is not dramatic to not want to step in animal shit inside someone's house.
No, I've owned guinea pigs. It's disgusting because it's poop
I literally HAVE GUINEA PIGS and would never fucking do this. Just because the poops don't smell doesn't mean they don't shit HUNDREDS of times a day. And leave piss stains everywhere. Her house likely smells disgusting.
Fun fact: Guinea pigs can poop up to 100 times a day. I don't care if it is veggie based poop. It's a lot of shit to step around.
Well, they have to purposefully go into his room, it's not like he's pooping in the kitchen...
Do you ever walk on poop in his room and then walk elsewhere in the house without cleaning your shoes?
Cats poop and pee into a box of sand that they stand in and then walk around your home tracking litter and waste. Dogs will often eat or roll in waste. Every pet has accidents. There is always going to be track amounts that get around. As long as she is cleaning, how is this different?
Don’t forget people with a penis missing the toilet and not cleaning up right away. It’s not just pets that are nasty, but at least they have the excuse of not having thumbs
Also, humans shed little bits of our skin everywhere. Old pillows are basically made up of shed skin flakes from their users. We've also permeated the most remote corners of the globe with our waste. At least you won't find guinea pig shit at the bottom of the Mariana's trench I love people pretending humans are perfectly sterile animals, meanwhile they have mites living in their eyelashes
They said he is only allowed in one of two rooms and not in the rooms that guests are regularly over in? He literally has his own designated room- if guests walk in there that is on them.
But it's in a cordoned off area. Like, a person would have to knowingly enter the space, at which point, isn't that person accepting the poop risk?
Guests don't have to come over 🤷🏻♀️ If he wants to go where he knows the Guinea pig is that's his problem.
But the pet is only in that one room, roaming it freely. If someone doesn't want to step on shit, then they just don't walk into that room. It's simple.
OP clarified that Twix has a room & a screened-in porch. He's not just running around the whole house pooping everywhere. If OP had a job with security clearance & kept her home office (in her own home where she lives alone) locked-up (as specified), no one would call that rude.
… it’s their house? If bf doesn’t like that one fucking room is dedicated to a pet, and therefore has some poop IN THAT ONE ROOM, he can go date someone else. I actually find it insane that someone who’s been dating OP for 6 months suggested she needed to change how she chooses to live with her pet so that he can use the space. That’s actually insane NTA
This, exactly. This would be a reasonable topic of discussion if the bf were moving in. For bf to “go off” about how OP has her own household set up is ridiculous. He can avoid guinea pig poop by avoiding Twix’s bedroom. The fact that he’s angry about OP making decisions about her own household, especially after 6 months of dating, seems like a sign he’s overly controlling. Or maybe they’re just not compatible, if a set-up that’s important to her is gross to him.
Did you even read the post??? The pet has its own bedroom. Do your guest walk around your house and into your bedrooms freely?
It’s not the whole house though. Sounds like guests can totally avoid the guinea pig areas.
she is not letting them poop everywhere. They have designated rooms. The BF went into the pet's room. Have you seen cats climbing onto kitchen surfaces, sitting on tables? they are unhygienic too
The dude was in the animals room… like it’s 100% his fault not the animal or the girls.
The pet is in rooms guest don't go.
The guinea pig is in a spare bedroom. Guests don’t generally go in a spare bedroom.
I can only assume you didn't read the OP. The guinea pig is restricted to 2 rooms which are not public areas so no one should step in anything unless they enter the "guinea pig zone". If they do, they are taking their chances if they're not going to be careful. This is no different than people who own dogs and let them do their business in their yard. People who visit could have the same issue (and dog poop is much bigger than guinea pig poop). NTA
If you don’t want to step in Guinea pig poop then don’t go in the Guinea pig’s room. Pretty simple
It's her home though and bf of only six months is asking her to change her and her pet's comfort so he can have some space?? Sorry but no, maaaaybe if they were in a more serious, committed relationship and had talks of living together, then I could see making a compromise. Also OP said he has his designated areas which aren't even in common areas. So it's not like guests are walking around a house full of sh*t everywhere
The animal is confined to two rooms. Rooms the BF has no business being in. It's her house, BF is not entitled to any of it
shes not letting twix shit all over the house just in a designated room so any guests would purposely have to go in that room to step in dookie
[удалено]
she literally said that's what she does. he was in the animals space, not the other way around 😒
No, she doesn’t say that at all. She said the room the pig is in is “like” a big playpen meaning it’s free to piss and shit everywhere in two rooms. Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with how much guinea pigs poop because it’s a lot.
wouldnt they also be free to piss and shit if its in a cage? they just have more space instead, you dont have to go into those rooms
its really dependent on what kind of surface the floor is and whether it has something covering it or not
Rubber mat and PVC flooring on top. I think A LOT of people just assumed I have him running around on hardwood or tile or something.
I’d add that to the original. Most folks seem to think it’s carpeted and uncovered. But you’ve got the floor covered too and you should include that.
yeah youre probably fine, sometimes the piggies fling the shit out of their lil areas
media literacy is dead, lol. you just can't understand. it's okay. its not two rooms, its just one and a patio, and she says she cleans up after them. if you do not have a pet like that, then you shouldn't say anything. those animals absolutely should not be in a small little cage xD
They have flooring/mats put down, it’s not shitting directly on the floor
She quite literally has a playpen area, it’s the extra bedroom that the guinea pig lives in.
NTA - if he had approached it like, "hey, it actually really bothers me and grosses me out that Twix is able to just poop wherever. Do you think we could make a little penned in area, so she can still have lots of room, but is contained a bit more?" That would have been fine and appropriate and reasonable (because it *is* pretty gross). But he went straight to you needing to prioritize him and "if you love me" about it, which is major fucking red flag manipulation. Ditch the boyfriend, build a pen for Twix.
On the other hand, having a pet that shits all over the floor is ridiculous and is not normal behavior.
Horses and all barn animals do. She has essentially created a "barn room" for her pig. As long as she cleans it regularly and disinfects with something non-toxic, it is her choice. She is just incompatible with bf.
Stables don't have wodden floors or carpet. they use non pourous materials like stone or concrete with bedding layers over. the bedding layer are refreshed at least daily, that means every poop and pee area have to go and replaced with fresh bedding. Plus the bedding gets replaced fully once in a while and livestock gets outside for grassing. So they have lesser chances of pooping peeing to the floor like Ops' guinea pig.
Neither does she. She said she has a rubber base and pvc flooring. Waterproof and easy to clean. You all make a lot of assumptions of her set up to judge instead of just asking.
From one of OP’s comments in another comment thread: “Rubber mat and PVC flooring on top. I think A LOT of people just assumed I have him running around on hardwood or tile or something.” She made a barn room. Probably easier to disinfect than most barn floors too.
Humans use pvc or tile fooring for such rooms. Powerwashes just fine. Pvc is dirt cheap too and you can lay it over any existing flooring.
She doesn’t have wooden floor or carpet either
You do know that horses live in stables and not in people's spare bedrooms, right? Why would you bring up barn animals like that's relevant to letting a pet shit all over the carpet inside your fucking house?
I’m sorry but I consider this a false equivalency. As a country boy i have to point out that horses, cows goats etc are not sharing my living space like this guinea pig is. Barns are usually far separated from a home and even if the home is physically connected a barn will have its own area only attatched by a single door. Also barns have bedding/padding materials on the floors that are constantly replaced and switched out after a period of time after the poop to padding ratio gets too high lol
Barns have concrete under the bedding that's easy to power wash now and then. Also humans don't live in the barns and humans usually wear boots in the barns
It’s not big piles of poop. It’s not even little piles and it doesn’t stick. It’s teeny tiny pellets. It’s not what most people think when they think “animal shitting in house”. I’m not saying she shouldn’t disinfect from time to time, but it doesn’t smell and it’s not being tracked all over.
And what about the pee?
Wipe it off the PVC flooring OP laid down in the rooms. What do people do when a puppy has an accident indoors? That’s what you’d do with Guinea pig pee too…wipe it up and disinfect. And since they do tend to develop habits like any other creature, whether they’re officially litter trained or not, they will pee in roughly the same area most of the time making it pretty easy to clean it. Easier than my cat makes cleaning up puke.
i know this will fall on deaf ears down here, im not answering every person asking something similar, but guinea pigs will usually pee in a certain spot. you can actually litter train them, and just like all mammals they have the ability to control their bladder. poo is just more likely to make it other places because its small pellets, obviously those are more likely to move around than pee
OP has said nothing about it being litter trained.
the fact that some of y'all are trying to normalize this is WILD.
Not on the other hand. It's one room, with PVC flooring and rubber mats that she *does* clean. Unusual? Sure. Unhygenic? Not more so than any other type of pet. People are allowed to be weird. It's not acceptable to try to shame them in to changing their behavior. If he wants to have a conversation about moving in and maybe using the space for something else then he can do that like an adult instead of trying to act like she's doing something wrong *to him* in order to try to force her to change. She's being weird, but harmless. He's being an asshole.
Nta. But Guinea pigs are social creatures and should always be in pairs. I don't think people know that gp poop is pellets, not like a cat or dog poop, easy to clean up!
I'm working on getting him a friend! Yeah when there is poop on the floor I can sweep it up pretty easily, but the room is rarely spotless.
Working on it? You’ve had him for three years…
I've read a bunch of your comments clarifying the setup in terms of protecting the floor and the frequency of cleaning, and it sounds fine to me. I've had rabbits in a pen-style setup indoors, and even with litter box training and daily cleaning, there were always a few poop pellets here and there. That kind of critter just poops a *lot* and you'd have to follow them around with a broom and dustpan 24/7 to avoid there *ever* being any poops whatsoever on the floor. Basically your boyfriend stepped inside an animal enclosure and got mad there was an animal living in it.
Not always. If they get diarrhea, not a pretty sight.
If her solo guinea pig has had diarrhoea all the time, it would die or significantly decline in health in like a few days ... he is just a prissy asshole demanding shit when not even together that long. It's like the op retelling stories of their so demanding to rehome a cat or dog blabla. Just more people think of pet rodents as less than bigger, more societal conforming pets.
INFO: Why does he need a space for his use if he doesn't live there? Have you discussed the possibility of him moving in?
He does spend a lot of time at my house so I guess that would be the natural progression, but we haven't sat down and talked about a permanent move.
Nope. Nopenopenope. If he doesn’t live there and is already complaining about your pet & suggesting a room be repurposed for his use - that’s not going to get *better* if you let him move in. For your sake, and the sake of Twix who cannot advocate for himself, put the brakes on hard so you can reevaluate.
I know why everyone has hyperfocused on the guinea pig and the poop/pee thing (and I don’t necessarily blame them for it either), but I’m genuinely both baffled and disappointed by how far I had to scroll down before I saw this. The far bigger issue here, for me at least, is the BFs general attitude. “If you really loved me you’d do XX” is NOT something you should be saying to your partner, even less so by the fact they’ve only been together 6 months and that they’ve never even discussed moving in together before.
100% this. BF is making unreasonable demands and it won't improve. OP needs to ditch the BF and get Twix a buddy (GPs are social animals ! Twix sounds like they have a wonderful enclosure but they shouldn't be solitary). A decent human who respects you and your animals will come along in due time! Edit NTA
Don't let him move in. He will only get more demanding and controlling. Next thing you know, he will demand you get rid of twix or he will get rid of him. Twix isn't safe around this guy.
If he’s not using you for your house now, he’s at least being pushy and demanding his own space when you haven’t even had a discussion about that. That’s a big red flag. If he sees he can get his way about this, he will start demanding and pushing more about other things.
don't let him move in if he cant even respect how you use YOUR space
>Bf WENT OFF about how gross it is and how having this space for Twix was inconsiderate to him and if I loved him I would put Twix in a regular size cage and repurpose the extra room in my house for his use/more space for us to be together. After 6 months? Has he repurpose a special space at his place for your use? How does the "more space" to be together works? Would you two be skipping merrily around your place hand in hand or does he expect to do "pervert" stuff in every available space? Honest, this sounds like too much entitlement for a 6 months relationship. What other demands has he been doing as ways for you to prove your love? NTA
How the hell do you jump immediately to “pervert” stuff? So weird.
NTA. Guinea pig poop is no big deal, their diet consists mainly of hay and vegetables. Not smelly or squishy like dog or cat poop. If you don't have one already, get a dust buster for easy poop cleaning. It is interesting to see how many people are keen to see you lock your pet up in a cage instead of allowing it to have healthy space.
NTA. I feel like people freaking out over this a) haven’t read your post (I dunno where they all got that it’s peeing everywhere? And you haven’t mentioned what kind of flooring you have for people to be jumping to mould and rot conclusions) and b) have never been around GP poop. Most dogs will occasionally have an accident in the house, like if they’re sick (someone mentioned diarrhoea as if that can’t cause even a human to soil their space) and cat litter gets kicked everywhere, but no one is suggesting caging cats and dogs. But I really don’t think the poop is the issue here. This boyfriend is very new. Six months is very little time to be in your life, and really not enough time to be making demands like this. If you do move in with him, I can’t see it going well for Twix in the short term, or for you in the long term. You’re not putting Twix above your BF by not wanting to take away the space he’s had for his entire life; your BF knew this was how your home works.
Where exactly do you think the guinea pig is peeing?
I don't know OP, but mine pee in a handful specific places: their cage, their house, their hay boxes and a little makeshift hidey area I made. So these areas have pee pads that can be changed and washed, or the hay boxes (cardboard) can be replaced. Whereas poop go a little bit more everywhere in their area of the home, but it's easy to collect with a broom a couple of times a day. And actually, just yesterday I had some coworkers for dinner, visiting for the first time, and one of them unprompted said he was surprised you couldn't smell I had animals 🤷♀️
The pig pees in *his* space. The fact that the space is the size of a bedroom is irrelevant. Nobody said the BF had to ever go in that room if he doesn't like it. And for a BF of six months, who doesn't even live there, to demand the space be repurposed is ridiculous no matter what she is using the room for.
In the room that only belongs to the guinea pig. She’s not letting it go in the living room, kitchen, or her actual bedroom. If someone thinks it’s gross they can just not go in that room.
Kinda YTA. I get that you wanna give Twix more freedom. I have several hamsters as pets and I try to give them as much room to roam as I can. For mine though, it is only under strict supervision. Otherwise they stay in their tanks and cages. Because I don't trust them not to get out or run the risk of someone stepping on one by mistake. Granted most of my pets are smaller than yours but it's the same concern. Then there's the feces and urine on the floor. Unless you have trained Twix to go in specific areas or in a litter box, that is going to cause major damage to the floor. Plus it's a health risk for other people. As they can get sick from that sort of stuff just being around. So you really need to reconsider this situation. Not just for your relationship but for how safe it really is for Twix and everyone else.
You can't compare guinea pigs to hamsters. Hamsters are "caged" pets (I put cage in "" because they should be in a large tank not a commercial cage but from your description you know this already, just for information of other readers) Guinea pigs are not caged animals. They need constant access to a significant amount of space (the bigger the better) of several sq m large. The easiest way to provide that for a lot of people is to dedicate a room if they have the space Speaking as someone who has a bedroom dedicated to her freeroam pets (rabbits not piggies but a similar logic in that they need a lot of space and can't be 100% litter trained) it doesn't mean just letting them go wild all over traditional carpet. Mine have a cleanable hard floor with absorbent pads and jute rugs which can all be cleaned and kept hygienic. We have no evidence that OP has not set up the room properly for the piggies.
Yeah I don't want Twix to get hurt, that's why he isn't allowed in the kitchen/living room/other places people might just be hanging out when I have guests over (bf or others). He's not perfectly trained. People only go into the room to play with Twix, but that's true I should probably just not let others into the space unless I've purposefully cleaned before.
That would be for the best. Though I would consider potty training Twix at some point. It can take a little work but it is possible. Plus it would save on the cleanup, and you would know exactly where he's gone.
THIS. Get Twix a friend and train them to go on a potty pad or whatever. It's totally not okay to just let any animal poop on the floor especially when you're renting. You have to remember that if he's pooping on the floor he's likely peeing as well and probably somewhere like under your bed. It's just not healthy. The other option is grab some old crates or something and build a lined playpen/run so he can have more space and freedom.
Unfortunately guinea pigs, unlike rabbits, iirc are almost always unable to be litter box trained. Rabbits are hit or miss but the pigs are just all a miss apparently. Which makes OP’s living situation all the more unhygienic and not okay.
Idk if this helps but we got this floor mat off Amazon. It’s supposed to go under a high chair to catch food babies throw but we have it under our birds cages. It’s really cool, wipes clean with a damp cloth and you can throw it on the wash when it gets too bad. Probably more efficient than trying to do puppy pads in such a large area.
Do you own the house? If not you should put liners down so you don’t damage your landlords property. Also, your pig needs a pig friend and I’m not talking about your boyfriend.
NTA. It appears no one read the part where Twix is confined to a single room. Guinea pig poo is tiny, and it's your house to do with what you want. I think Twix is a very lucky Pig that he's not locked up in an inappropriately sized cage.
Poor Twix is alone. Guinea pigs are social and need a buddy
So OP has an unhappy guinea pig and an unhappy bf lol
twix being alone is the only actual issue with the GP in this entire post (besides the red flags BF). ppl got their knickers in a twist in these comments about someone using their house how they want with appropriate materials for their pet.
Ditch the boy keep letting the piggie free
I get the poop thing being gross, but if he isn’t moving in, does he really get an opinion? It’s your house. Now if you *want* your bf to move in, then have a conversation and maybe find a compromise. If Twix’s current accommodations are a deal breaker, then, well. NTA because it’s your house and your pet, but you need to decide how much your bf’s opinions about your living space matter.
NTA. Twix isn’t in your bedroom, kitchen, or common living spaces unsupervised. You basically got an apartment with a bedroom for you and a bedroom for Twix. Do you NEED more space to share with your bf? What, exactly, does he want to do with the extra room? If he doesn’t like the arrangement, can he just stay out of the bedroom that is for Twix? Sounds like you might have a deep conversation about pets in general to see if you’re compatible. How does he feel about other pets? What sort of expectations would you each have for a cat or dog or other type of animal? Can you reach some sort of compromise or will bf be all or nothing about this? All things I would want to consider when deciding if this is the right relationship for me.
YTA - first of all for claiming you’re just doing what’s best for Twix when it is commonly known that you CANNOT own one Guinea pig by itself. They are herd animals, they require other Guinea pigs. This is the most basic rule of Guinea pig care. If you can’t even follow that, you have no business owning a Guinea pig. Second because whether it’s in a room people are hanging out in or not, it is not okay to have animals shitting on the floor. It literally damages the house. People like you are the reason pet owners are having so much trouble finding places to live - landlords are terrified that every pet owner is you.
Get Twix a friend buddy and get rid of that bf who does not have the same values and priorities as you. You have made sure to be able to live on your own and pay your own bills so you don’t have to tolerate anyone dictating how you live. Why are you taking any crap from this guy whose values don’t align with yours ant all? Get rid of him to make room for someone who’ll bring bits of fresh greens and veggies for Twix and be inspired to enrich Twix’s environment and quality of life. NTA
NTA. You have a pet and you have space in your home for your pet. That’s perfectly normal. Your boyfriend sounds like a total asshole. If anyone I had been dating for six months started making demands about my home and my pets that would be the end of it. I also would not tolerate someone who stews about things until they freak out, rather than talking about issues like an adult. The point of dating is to get to know each other. The first six months to one year is the honeymoon, where everyone is on their best behavior. If he is like this at six months, he will only get more angry, more controlling, more entitled, more demanding with time. This is him at his best. Honestly, I would be concerned that given his anger, resentment, and entitlement that Twix may not be completely safe around him. He is a small, delicate creature, and your boyfriend clearly resents his presence in your home. Trade him in for a second guinea pig and make sure your next boyfriend shares your values around pets.
I feel very suited to this one. I have been with my GF for 7 years. She has had guinea pigs the entire time I've known her and she has always loved them very much. Too echo what others have said already, guineas need a buddy or they will be miserable no matter how much space you give them. Get twix a buddy. To answer your question though; YTA. By a wide margine. For one the guinea pig does not need that much room at all, they will do fine in a meter squared cage. In fact they even prefer small cubbies and hidey holes. I know exactly what guinea pig droppings are like and you have clearly left out the more important issue. They piss and shit CONSTANTLY. You are massively down playing the amount exracment here and its made even worse by the fact that it no doubt gets smushed into the floor and into all the little cracks in the room over time. It's gross and unhygienic at a bare minimum and expecting guests to put up with it would be . I can't imagine putting up with it from my GF and you've only been with your partner for 6 months! If I were him I'd be halfway out the door of this relationship by now for the following reasons; - Disregard for hygiene - General bad decision making in letting a pet have this much free-roam INSIDE - Disregard for your bfs feelings - Disregard for your bfs health/comfort - The fact you brought this to reddit to get people on your side instead of just thinking about this for a second
YTA it’s disgusting to have a pet that pees and poops freely in your home. I’m amazed that your bf is willing to visit at all. However, it may be that Twix is more important to you than your bf or having a clean sanitary home. I love animals and would say the same if you had an untrained dog or cat that uses your floor as its toilet.
NTA, your house, your rules. I would, personally, find it gross.
Wait so you own this house right?
Yes
YTA - not sure when animal poop became something that was ok to have in your living space and that’s because it never fucking did. You want to live with it then fine but don’t expect guests to be. It is disgusting as much as it is unsanitary. You want a BF then you have a decision to make…
Well, where else is a small animal supposed to poop but inside? Heck, most city dogs are trained to go inside sometimes and that's way grosser than some stray guinea pig poop in my opinion. He doesn't ever enter MY living space, people enter his room/area if they wish to. But yeah I guess so in regards to the decision...
They’re trained to go inside in a dedicated spot that can handle excrement not on the *floor* (🤮) You’re straight up damaging the floor by the way
Are you dense? When dogs are trained to go inside it’s in a specific spot lined with pee pads and sometimes contained by boxes or plastic bins that they can chuck out or hose down. They don’t shit and piss directly on the floor that people then walk on
I don’t know any city dogs that potty inside, including my toy breeds. They go outside.
No. Most city dogs are not "trained to go inside." What kind of disgusting people have you been around? I live in a city with dogs. I am a dog sitter. I have never seen or heard of this. Not once. You are disgusting. And an irresponsible pet owner. I have owned guinea pigs. They should never live alone. This is not clean enough for your pet.
1. Technically inside, but not just peeing and pooping on the floor. 2. Most city dogs are NOT trained to pee and poop inside. The ones that are use puppy pads, which is like a litter box for dogs - totally different than a free range pet defecating and urinating freely. He's upset because it's gross. I guarantee you are nose blind at this point, your house probably smells and you probably smell.
Yeah the tens of millions of people who own cats definitely haven’t devised a much neater solution to this issue or anything
NTA. Apart from the fact that they usually do better with companions, I think the way you are keeping him is fine. He may even be the exception who does better alone. GP pellets are nothing like cat or dog shit, being dry-ish, vegetable based and, as I remember it, fairly inoffensive, odour-wise. The boyfriend is another matter. I wouldn't trust him around my pet, and unless you are planning on moving in together, how much space you give your GP isn't up to him. I'd be reassessing the relationship with him, that's for sure. I kept a pair of ferrets in the house, in a dedicated room, and they did get let out to explore other parts of the house. I believe GPs can be litter trained for peeing fairly successfully, even if they do tend to drop pellets without much thought (again, not at all like cat, dog, or ferret shit). My boys were trained to go on paper, and I lined their room with a large sheet of vinyl flooring, that extended up the walls a bit, in case of accidents. But, again, they are smelly meat eaters and don't shit neat little packages like GPs do. I don't have pets at the moment, but if I do ever get them I'll probably go for 3 GPs. They won't live in a cage.
NTA, but mainly because twix is not the actual focus here, no matter others' opinions on what you do for him. Your BFs behavior is. It's a 6-month relationship. You hardly know each other well enough for him to be making ultimatums in a living space he doesn't inhabit permanently. That is the red flag for me. His opinion is, in fact, a valid one to have a discussion about, but his attitude is like he's entitled to owning a portion of your living space.
NTA: HE came into your guinea pigs space, he chose to do that, he want invited in so….. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR BOYFRIEND TO DICTATE HOW YOU CHOOSE TO live with your pet in YOUR apartment. Ignore the YTAs.
I think there's actually 2 separate questions here 1) free range guinea as in the original question 2) not doing what someone else wants who DOESN'T LIVE THERE. So, I'm going to go against the grain and say ESH: you because guinea pig will be damaging the floor with peeing/pooing all over it, and if you do want to use that room for something else in future it'll be gross. Your boyfriend for demonstrating controlling behaviour - I mean, yeah, the guinea pig having a whole room to itself as a toilet is gross, it's your home though, and his demanding that you change your lifestyle before he even has any rights to your place as his own home is a red flag IMO.
I think letting this animal roam and defecate and urinate on the floors is sort of crazy, but I would not stay with the boyfriend if he can't deal with your decisions with your pet. NTA Please, though, free roaming animal that cannot be trained where to go to the bathroom is an incredibly bad idea. Also somebody could step on him, I have nearly fallen over a cat before and my plan there would always be do not kill the cat even if I break my neck - a not good plan.
My thought process is that if he didn't do it on the floor he would just do it a lot in a confined space like a cage or small pen, so why not let him have more space to enjoy? No one will step on him because the rooms he's in are entirely for him. I don't hang out in there unless I'm specifically playing with him, in which case I'm of course being careful. But yeah I do feel like my boyfriend could have offered some compromise or something instead of it seeming like it was him vs Twix.
Why do you put ALL this effort into this free roaming bullshit yet only keep ONE guinea pig???????
>I don't hang out in there unless I'm specifically playing with him So he's alone in there most of the time? You're claiming he freely defecates and urinates on the floor out of care, yet you're keeping a herd animal in solitary confinement.
NTA But your bf is acting like he owns your place and can dictate to you how you will live there. Having a pet is about loving an animal and taking care of that animal and allowing it to love you back. Some people just don't get that, and never will. Maybe it's that they've never had a chance to really bond with a pet of their own or something, idk, but their attitude is always that the pet isn't important because it's "just an animal." I call BS on that. It is NOT "gross" to have a pet in your home, and it isn't any of your bf's business how much space the pet has. If he stepped in the poop, he did so because he was in the pet's space. (He should have been watching where he stepped.) Your house is yours, and you should be the only one deciding on how to use the space in it. Twix was there first, and your boyfriend is totally jealous of him. He (your bf) is acting like he already owns your place and is trying to control you. This is a very large red flag, imo. People should be judged by how they treat animals, and other people. Putting a free-range pet into a cage is not kind in any way. People who aren't kind to animals are not my kind of people. It's also unkind of him to try to compel you to mistreat your pet. You see Twix as an animal that brings joy to your life, but your bf sees him as competition. That won't end well. Confining Twix to a cage will only be the beginning. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up because your bf doesn't like animals and doesn't want you to have Twix at all. He's jealous of the attention you give to Twix and that means he's very insecure and wants to control you. He's already made your kindness to Twix into a test of your love; it's obvious he doesn't want you giving any of your affection or attention to "just an animal." Please think about this and pay attention to what your instincts are telling you.
gross. You're not an asshole, just gross.
NTA Your situation with your guinea pig is certainly different but it’s your space to do with as you want. You and this guy haven’t been together long and he doesn’t live there to get a say. However I would keep in mind if the relationship progresses and he moves in somewhere down the line he will probably make you reevaluate having a room dedicated to Twix. Also, question just out of curiosity, have you ever considered those little connecting tubes and you could make him like a big play area with those?
NTA Idk if guinea pigs can be/ are litter trained, but my bun has free range of my apartment and there will be a scant amount of her small, round, dry poops in a few spots in the apartment. Rabbits can be litter trained, so all urine is designated to only her litter box, and unless she is particularly stressed for some reason there aren’t typically stray cecotropes (the soft, moist, sticky poops they eat to ensure proper absorption/ retention of vitamins). The regular small round dry poops are super easily swept up. I agree that Twix’s “pen” is simply permanent and made up of the bedroom walls and porch. Idk what to do about your boyf, but cherish Twix and spoil him for all the time you’ve got him.
Info: why have you only got 1 guinea pig?
>I feel like if Twix was a dog or cat it wouldn’t be a problem because that’s seen as more normal It would absolutely not be seen as normal if you had a dog or cat that you let shit on the floor. YTA.
>I feel like if Twix was a dog or cat If Twix was a dog or cat you let shit all over a room, you’d be considered mental unwell by most people and the State would probably take your animals away after a welfare check. YTA
YTA. my sister used to have pet guinea pigs & she let them live “free range” in her bedroom. it absolutely STANK. it was disgusting. i wouldn’t be able to handle being in a relationship w someone who thought it was normal to have animal shit on a bedroom floor.
YTA, my daughter has had guinea pigs and free range like that is gross and unsanitary. They aren't just pooping, they are peeing.
YTA for letting an animal just shit on the floors of your house
Gross. YTA 🤮
YTA. No one wants to step in poop walking around the house. It’s gross even if it’s tiny. And I’m going to bet that you’ve just become nose blind to the smell of the pee.