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Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are living beings with needs, wants and feelings just like you and I. They require time, money, care, understanding and commitment — over 5 years' worth in many cases. Having guinea pigs in your life can be a wonderful experience and very rewarding, but only if you think through your decision very carefully before you adopt and ensure you and your family understand and accept all that will be required of you as a responsible, caring guinea pig guardian (owner).


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Guinea pigs commonly live up to 7 years old – this is much longer than many other small pets.

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Guinea pigs originally come from the Andes Mountains in South America.

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The name for a male guinea pig is a ‘boar’ and the name for a female guinea pig is a ‘sow’.  A baby guinea pig is a ‘pup’.

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Guinea pigs are not actually ‘pigs’ – they are rodents.

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Why are guinea pigs called guinea pigs?  Some people think that the term ‘guinea’ is actually a mispronunciation of the country of Guyana which is in South America – where guinea pigs are from.

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Another name for a guinea pig is a cavy (pronounced “kay-vee”).

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Guinea pigs have incredible hearing and are very sensitive to noise.

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The world record for the longest ever living guinea pig is 15 years!

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Guinea pigs have a total of 258 bones in their body.

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When guinea pig pups are born, they already have all their fur.

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Guinea pig pups have their eyes open when they are born and are able to eat solid food straight away.

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The amount of time that a sow (female guinea pig) is pregnant is for 70 days.

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Guinea pigs make lots of different noises when they want to communicate. These noises include squealing, chirping, purring and rumbling.

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In the wild, guinea pigs live in social groups which are referred to as ‘herds’.

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Guinea pigs have four toes on the forefoot and three on the hind foot.

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Guinea pigs have been around for a very long time – fossil records of the guinea pigs existence date back to the Miocene period over 18 million years ago.

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Guinea pigs have been around for a very long time – fossil records of the guinea pigs existence date back to the Miocene period over 18 million years ago.

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South American legends suggest that guinea pigs are mystical beings that can heal the sick and assist the dying in the journey from the world of the living to the great beyond.

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The wild ancestors of the guinea pig looked very different to the colourful varieties which we know today as domestic pets. Their coats had a greyish pattern similar to that of the wild rabbit and this coat provided them with a good level of camouflage.