So it's a bit off topic but just thought this would make for an interesting post.

I'm turning 30 in a couple of weeks time and like with these things it makes you think! I live on my own at the moment but I'm in a serious relationship and we plan to move in together next year.

It just seems so crazy how much my life is probably going to change in the next five years - I might have children! So I'm thinking about my two guinea pigs, three gerbils and four hamsters!

Two of the hamsters - won't be here - well not unless they live to be 8 years old....., but two of the others should be alive and kicking for the next two to three years, as will the guinea pigs and gerbils - so they will be around if I had children!

I just wondered if anyone else went through this and what the change was like? Alot of people get family pets but what about pets that pre-existed the family?! At the moment I get absolute authority on what happens with my animals, where they live, their cages etc - it seems so odd that there may come a time when someone could reasonably say to me - "darling - we're not having the hamster in the bedroom, I know you like to lay their watching them - but it's driving me nuts - they must go in another room!" To be honest, I get away with blue murder with my OH, but even I would have to back down if the hamsters were preventing him from sleeping.

So just wondered about your tales and stories of when your life changed and you had to adjust and compromise with your small furries??

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Mummy to 4 piggies, Manny, Floyd, Izzy and Eve, 3 hammie's, Jean Claude van Ham (aka JC), Princess & Prince Philip, 3 Gerbils Itsy, Bitsy and Ditsy. Foster piggies China & Alfie.

I've always had animals growing up on a farm and always had dogs wen I was a baby we also had cats then as I grew older I got my hamsters,rats,rabbits and mice. Then I moved into our house now with hubby and I've had no end of pets. We've been in our house for 7 Years in that time I've had cats,rabbits,hamsters,guineas,and now rats oh and our 6 yr old german shepherd.
I don't have kids and I dont intend to my life is complete as it is.
I have 14 rats and blade our gsd.
Hubby makes out he has a say but tbh I do as I please regards rats.
Im at my limit with them now though.

Oh and I'm 27 years old.

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I'm Amy I have a
German shepherd-blade.
10 male rats.
2 male mice.
1 Syrian hamster.

I've always had animals through my life, I had them before I met my OH and he was told that my animals are my life so don't ever try to make me choose as you will loose

He accepted that, and I try to make him feel like he has a say (he sooo doesn't ) so he feels involved but really I do as I please

I don't have children and I never will have them so I don't have to compromise there


I'm 33

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. I too have had animals all my life and have had 3 kids now all grown up but have never had any probs integrating them together they will be fine like sausage and mash, steak and kidney, salt and vinegar... God i feel hungry...

You are not !! No way!! I thought you were the same age as me (25) You look so young !

Sorry OP this is the 2nd post today ive gone off topic on

I too have always had pets. A couple years ago when i got my own house with my partner i had 11 rats at the time. We went on to get a dog and then another one and then i decided to take in unwanted pets. My OH just goes along with it, i also like to make him think he has a say too (sounds like we are all pretty similar there). We have had a few rows about pets though but i think as we dont really clash on anything else it would be unnatural never to argue.

One thing he always moans about is degu poop/bedding in his drawers and yet he is the one that leaves them open

We also had a few arguments about our foster dogs, i said we would only ever have one and then i got asked to take 2 untrained 7 month old pups and with all the other pets i needed his help with them. I still have them and now they are fantastic fully toilet trained pups waiting for there forever home

As for kids they are definatly not for me i have such a tight routine to keep to so that everyone here is well cared for kids just dont fit into it.

Aww thanks hun, but yes I am

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It's making me laugh how many people have said - no kids, just pets! hehe.

My OH is ok - he's probably not as good as your OH's when it comes to the pets.

He likes animals though in general, he just doesn't like the responsibility of them. He's sulked a fair few times though when I've brought a rescue home! For example, he was like yeah we'll give the old chap Prince Philip a nice retirement home, wasn't too impressed though when I turned up with Princess the same night.....But in saying that he's totally fallen in love with her, and I've caught him a few times taking her out and giving her a stroke, once I caught him kissing her on the top of her head and calling her darling. He goes straight over to her home when he comes round - but then again Princess is something completely different, it would be impossible not to fall in love with her. Can I just say she has the cutest hamster bum bum in the world, it proper wiggles when she walks and she's so ditzy!!

I do want children in the future but I also want lots of pets too. I can imagine it's a really tough juggling act - but I guess you just adapt to your circumstances. Plus I can imagine the pain of bottling feeding a baby at 3am has got to be made slightly sweeter when you can watch your hammie having a good old play at the same time

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Mummy to 4 piggies, Manny, Floyd, Izzy and Eve, 3 hammie's, Jean Claude van Ham (aka JC), Princess & Prince Philip, 3 Gerbils Itsy, Bitsy and Ditsy. Foster piggies China & Alfie.

I met my oh at 17 so only had my family pet and two pet rats that were old ladies by then.

When i moved out with him at 18, i took the rats with me and we also got a cat (thtough his mum whos cat had kittens she was the runt and dying, the soft sod couldnt leave her and we took her to the vets that night!)

12months later we got another cat, since then we have had snakes, another cat, mice, hamsters, 2 dogs, 19 rats Oh and two kids lol

the kids came in after the cats but before the other pet.

Im now 27 my children have grown up around so many different animals and have such respect for them. They are passionate and hate leaving single rats in pet shops they have been known even at 6yrs old and 7yrs old to voice their opinion on single rats so funny to see a 6yr old girl giving them a b*llocking about it.

I also grew up with pets we had lots of rodents and a pet dog as kids and loved it and am so grateful for my parents to allow us!

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Owner to-
lots of rodents
2 monster dogs
1 slinky cat

My pets are my children and I wouldnt want it any other way. I do plan on doing some serious traveling once I've brought a house and the pets have passed. Which is why I dont just rescue all the pets my heart goes out to. When I come back I would love more than anything to get a dog and he/she will be the most spoilt child ever. My partner does want children tho so I may have to give in at some point.

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I'm 28 and I've been married for 4 years. He hadn't ever had pets before and said he wasn't bothered - you should see him now when I put a lemming on his lap or harvest mouse on his head or something

We've got an 17 month old boy and the latter part of the pregnancy and the first 6 months of new baby the vast majority of clean outs/feeding/handling and so forth was done by my husband. After that I've got back in my stride and been able to start again - recently took in a colony of elderly lemmings for example.

They are rodents so Aiden won't really remember them - but one of his first attempts at words was 'gurbull' which is a lovely feeling!

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http://crittery.co.uk
Exotic and common rodent information; UK rodent rescue map.