Guinea Pig Pages - Introduction

Introduction

When many people think of guinea pigs they imagine sad, dull, smelly creatures that lived in the science labs at school or in a friend's backyard hutch. These impressions cause many people to overlook the humble guinea pig when choosing a pet. Yet guinea pigs are not naturally sad, smelly or dull. A well cared for cavy is surprisingly lively, engaging and clean.

With proper care, guinea pigs make great pets. Admittedly, you can't take them down to the park for a walk, or play catch with them. But if you want a pet that is quiet and manageable, with interesting habits, a guinea pig could be ideal. Because they can be caged, guinea pigs have much less impact on your house and lifestyle than a dog or cat, and they can easily be kept indoors. They're also kinder to the environment than many other domestic pets, because they are grazers not hunters.

What kind of animal is the Guinea Pig?
The domestic guinea pig is classified as a rodent, though it belongs to a different sub-order than well known rodents like rats and mice. It is closely related to animals such as the porcupine, the agouti and the coypu. These animals belong to a group called Hystricomorpha, which literally means "porcupine shaped" (from the Latin word for porcupine - hystrix). Like all rodents, guinea pigs are gnawing animals and they have sharp incisors. But unlike rats and mice, guinea pigs have no tails. They have stout, compact bodies, with four toes on their front feet and three on their back feet.

The scientific name for the domestic guinea pig is cavia porcellus, from which we get the common name cavy. Wild cavies are native to South America, where they live as grazing herds in the grasslands. They have an important place in the culture and traditions (and -gulp- diet!) of many South American peoples. It isn't clear how cavies came to be domesticated and spread to the European world. Most historians suggest that guinea pigs were brought to Europe in the 16th century by Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish merchants. They were traded in markets and gradually spread to different countries.

Guinea pigs are known by a variety of names. In Germany they are called meerschweinchen, which means 'little sea pig' (or little pig from across the sea). In France they are called cochon d'inde ('Indian pig'), and also cobaye. In early Britain the guinea pig was known as the 'little pig coney' ('coney' being an early English word for rabbit).

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