u/Legendgrass

For context, I have 3 bonded female guinea pigs ~5 yrs old whom I adopted from their previous owner 1 year ago. They live in my room in an apartment with 1 roommate who isn't involved with their care. 

I initially looked into getting guinea pigs as pets because I am depressed, could not get a cat as I would've liked due to my roommate's allergies, and guinea pigs were purportedly one of the cuddlier kinds of small pets.

I love them. I think I take good care of them, logistically. But the cons vs. pros of keeping them are becoming more and more apparent.

Pros: 

• They are cute
• It is comforting to have little beings who exist in the same room as me
• I have to stay alive while they depend on me

Cons:

• They are not, in fact, cuddly. The most they allow me to touch them is to pet them on the head sometimes
• They make my room smell like hay at best and poop at worst
• Cleaning their cage, doing their laundry, clipping their nails, feeding and watering them, and generally monitoring their health and wellbeing is a significant time commitment
• Regularly buying their hay, pellets, veggies, and pee pads is a significant financial commitment. Plus less frequently, vet visits and new beds/hides/toys/bowls

Independent of them, things are not great. I work 7 days most weeks, 5 of which are night shift. My girlfriend of 9 months just left me. My friends live in different states and are awake at different times. My family lives 1.5 hrs away and love me but are homophobic. I take 2 antidepressants but still mostly feel like nothing matters. 

All that to say, I am afraid I am losing the energy to keep up with their care. I haven't stopped, of course, but I am tired of having to pick up 1 million poops a day, do laundry once/twice a week, and make sure they stay stocked with fresh veggies. I don't try to handle them because they hate it and I don't let them out often because setup & cleanup take longer than the time they spend exploring. They are relatively comfortable with me but also don't really give a crap about me. All this considered, it seems like they are content, but I feel bad for not doing more. 

I don't know if it would be more positive or negative to look for a different home for them. Is their maintenance worth the company they provide? Am I hurting them by not interacting with them enough? Giving them up would be a relief in some ways, but also a giant bummer. I just don't know what to do and wanted to see if other owners had any advice.

Thanks.