Guinea Pig History, Behaviors and Characteristics

Many people ask: What is a guinea pig? Guinea pigs are familiar, but they are not easily identifiable. They are not pigs and they do not come from the island of Guinea. They are rodents and they are originally from the Andes Mountains of South America. They are very similar to rabbits, however, and were nearly classified as that species years ago. Most of the time, they are called a “cavy,” which is a nickname of their scientific name.

Guinea pigs, or cavies, are one of the more popular pet choices because they love companionship. There are millions of pet cavies worldwide. There are at least 13 different breeds of guinea pigs, although there are still more that are not officially recognized. Each breed has its own unique characteristics and even within these breeds, each animal himself will exhibit unique personality traits that will make your guinea pig all its own.

Guinea pigs amuse their human owners with a range of behaviors that are very different from rabbits and hamsters. They are essentially timid, but they can do a number of funny and amusing habits that are delightful to their owners. They can wheek or whistle, popcorn or hop when they are happy that display more personality than their mammalian cousins.

Guinea pigs are relatively small and they will be no more than 10 inches and no more than 2.5 pounds in weight. Typically, a guinea pig only lives for 5 years, but some have been known to live 9 years. They have a lot of fun and enjoyment in their small stature and time.

Some guinea pigs look like rats with a narrow face, while others look more like a rabbit with their rounded faces. The ones that look like rabbits have short ears, however, which signals they are guinea pigs. Some long-hair breeds are the Peruvian guinea pig, while the short-hair breeds are the familiar American type. All of these guinea pigs have a similar diet and unfortunately, same possibility of getting the same diseases. No matter what, all of these breeds are incredibly cute.

You can breed your guinea pig year-round. You can produce as many as six litters of guinea pigs, which is a lot of new pets running around your house. In addition, six litter would definitely tire your mother out. It takes about two months of gestation for a guinea pig and they produce roughly 3 new guinea pigs with each birth, although bigger births are possible. The young are active immediately upon birth so you will need to keep an eye on them. They suckle their mothers, but they can also eat grass immediately, so you can give them some timothy hay, fruits and vegetables.

Cavies are quieter and lazier than other rodents, but they can enjoy chew toys and cages with ramps. They love to snuggle in blankets or shavings and need to have some interaction to keep from being bored. These toys and activities keep them mentally healthy.

Introduction to Guinea Pig Breeds and Behaviors