Real Estate Innovation

The Wonderful World of Guinea Pigs

Many a time when you visit with a friend or relative one of their children will drag you out to see their pet guinea pig, but have you ever stopped and asked yourself what you know about these delightful pets?

They are adorable creatures that make excellent pets, but they have not always been a family pet, so what is their history and where were they first discovered?

A cavy is the proper name for the guinea pig, and they are a member of the rodent family.

They have sprung into popularity within the past few decades and this might well make you think that they are a new pet, but think again. Archaeologists have uncovered fossilised remains dating back millions of years, making them a very old pet indeed!

Those same fossils indicate that the guinea pig used to be much larger than it is today, anything up to 9 feet long.

The first people to domesticate the guinea pig were the Incas, and South America is where they were first discovered. They were, and still are revered as both an Icon, and a source of food, in many South American countries.

In many parts of Peru they are thought very highly of because of their apparent ability to heal the sick and bring comfort and solace to the dying as they move into the next life.

The guinea pig first arrived in Europe and America as a result of sailors bringing them there to sell for one guinea, and this is how they got their name.

The second part of their name, pig, comes from their likeness, at the rear end, to pigs, and also to the fact that they tend to squeal a bit like pigs.

One of their claims to fame is that they have been popular in the field of research and who I wonder has never heard the expression ‘being a guinea pig’?

Medical science has benefited greatly from the use of guinea pigs in their laboratories but of course although they have saved many a human life, the cost in the lives of the guinea pigs has been high.

Even today they are still used for research but in a more humane way which we are told does not cause any distress to the animal.

In the South American country of Peru guinea pigs are held in such esteem that they often are given as gifts to people, and they are involved in ceremonial occasions.

You may be surprised to learn that a rodent could be so well loved, but a recent survey placed guinea pigs just behind dogs, cats and rabbits in the popular pet league.

Next time you look into a friends cage at their pet I think you will appreciate all the more what you are looking at.