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?
Well, guinea pigs are technically known as Cavies, and they are a part of what we know of as the rodent family.
These delightful animals have been around for millions of years, and we know this because of fossilised remains that have been uncovered and it is only relatively recently that they have become a family pet.
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.
Ever thought a rodent would be considered to have healing powers? Well in some parts of Peru they believe this and they think that the guinea pig can aid the transition from this life to the next. Now that is quite something!
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 other part of the name comes from what is in my opinion a vague likeness to the rear end of a pig, and also to the tendency to squeal like a pig.
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.
We are still using guinea pigs for research even today, distasteful as this might sound to you, but I am assured that they are not hurt or mistreated in any way.
Today in Peru, guinea pigs still play a prominent role in various ceremonies, and quite often a person will give one as a present when they are trying to impress.
Guinea Pigs have come a long way over the years, and a recent poll showed that in the domestic animal popularity league they come fourth, just behind dogs, cats and rabbits.
Well now, the next time your friend’s children show you their latest pet I think you will look at it with different eyes.