Why guinea pigs?

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Hemmy

Hemmy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Alot of people seem to be gobsmacked that I have guinea pigs at my age! The general concensus is: "But why guinea pigs?" @)

My general answer of "They're like little cuddly sausages but with feet" seems to only confuse people more!

So! I was thinking it would be fun to ask. Why guinea pigs, everyone?

How did everybody here get in to piggies and why do they love them so much? (You know, apart from the adorable sausage thing! x) )
 
I get that from my Nan. "When are you going to grow out of it" (the fact that when she last asked this I'd just adopted 10 more didn't seem to give her a clue that it's not something I'm going to grow out of!) is what I quite often get, too.

Basically it started with piggies because I couldn't have anything indoors as my mum is allergic to almost everything except dogs. But we can't have a dog as we're not in all the time to take care of it. So I had my first piggie when I was about 1 1/2 (obviously not 'mine'!) and I've never not had them since. I've been allowed hamsters since and we've almost always had rabbits too (not any more though) but piggies have always stuck. I'm well and truly in love with my piggies; so much so that now I'm in a position to own more, I've now got 19 of the furry monsters rather than the 2-4 I used to be allowed. I'm 21, and according to most people I should be out getting drunk, doing all sorts of unspeakable and weird things but no. I am quite content with my guinea pigs and spending my spare money on them. They give me more pleasure than a night on the town, or a trip to the cinema or something. I still do those things, but only when I have extra money.

My piggies give me more joy and happiness than just about anything else (except my family and boyfriend). When I'm not feeling my best at uni; which is pretty much all the time because for some reason I just can't function on campus at all, going home to my pigs just cheers me right up. My boyfriend has often said that my face lights up beyond anything he normally sees when I have a pig in my hands, so I guess that explains that. I'm just a piggie lover obsessive crazy lady! AND PROUD.
 
I went in the shop for a fish and came out with Lacey, best decision I ever made or rather my very excitable 10 year old Neice made for me, she was up for adoption and the lady got her out and put her straight on me, she climbed up and snuggled right in my neck, that was it, I couldnt leave without her..... I'm hoping to get her a friend soon too
 
I grew up with guinea pigs and have come back to having them again as an adult. They just pack so much personality in such a little adorable package; piggies make sure that you can't ignore them... and they never fail to brighten my day!

I have stopped telling my mum how many piggies I have or when one dies. I got so sick of her "don't forget they are only animals!" and her "for heaven's sake, get a life!" - Thanks, but I have made wonderful friends on here!
 
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Why pigs? Good question, all i can say to that is "but have you seen they're lil faces! x) xoxo x)

On a serious note - there cute - there cuddly - they don't spend all day hiding - they don't go round in wheels making that daft squeaking noise all night long, they have very separate personalities, there fun to watch, they never bite (unless they're really really grumpy!) there not too small and not too big, they have very cute but very HUGE backsides ( :)) ) they have tiny cute tootsies!

Oh seriously the list could go on! you'd be better asking me why i wouldn't want guinea pigs! lol
 
Because nearly all the Guinea Pig's I've ever had, have had little happy faces, and you can be in the worst mood ever until you see them munching away on something with their ears wiggling away :)

Plus you can talk to them and they'll always respond not like the dog who gives you an odd look and walks away.

Who else will ever be as fond of you because of your food? :))
 
i had piggies as a child- kept in a very different way to how ours are kept now, in the garden, in a draughty hutch, dont remember having a run to put them in, they were picked up though, but that was the way the majority of people kept them, we knew no better, i do feel bad about that now, . times have changed, and we have our guineas because we can give them everything they need now,they are cuddly, sweet, and it is something me and my 13 year old daughter really enjoy doing together...We guinea watch in the evening s now instead of watching the soaps!
 
Aww! It's funny that everyone has mentioned how much they can cheer you up! So true! x)
 
I got my 2 pigs after my hamster Bella died. I wanted something similar to a hamster but something that hopefully lived longer. I did my research and decided that pigs would be fun to have.
 
I like that they are not nocturnal, they are a good size, they are always happy to see me, they are cute and come in lots of different colours/styles and I dont need to walk them in the rain..... and why not guinea pigs....

x
 
I grew up with rabbits and new that they were a lot of work as well as needing neutered/spayed and vaccinations every 6 months. I live in a flat, with only a decked area outside and no garden and I know how much my rabbits love the garden! Of course piggies would love a garden too, and I take them to my parents garden when I can but decided piggies where what I could afford as a student.

They have cost me a fortune due to unexpected illness but I have managed to afford it and I love them :)

I have my mums rabbits down to stay when she is on hol and they do cause a riot running free in my flat and just beg to get outside constantly so I made the right decision!
 
Good question, My dog that i had had for 17 years had just died, had her since I was 4, I couldnt bare not having a pet and mum said no more dogs so I got two Boy piggies, never looked backed and now I'm hooked :)
 
:)) good question! I'm allergic to cats and a dog was out of the question, I have no room for a dog so when my neighbour told me her guinea pig was pregnant (guess where she bought her girls from?!:x) I did a bit of research and decided I wanted to have a couple of babies! I got all the cage ready and I was given what i was told were two boys. hum, no! it was a girl and boy so they got seperated straight away:)) too late though cos she's already pregnant. I just think they're really sweet, loving and funny little creatures. They aren't nocturnal either which is good. I just love them! I have a hamster also and I've had rats in the past. so these are the next step
 
I like the fact that there is no malice in them at all - they're just so cuddly.

On top of that, it's all their character traits and individuality and stuff. The little noises and the fact that they very rarely sleep - they just nap - so they want to interact all the time :)

Plus the lips and the floppy ears!
 
They are just bursting with personality and always make me smile. :)
And they're incredibly cuddly of course! :))
 
The main thing I've found is animals don't hurt you like people can. And though it's been said so many times before, it's true.

They can only hurt you one time in their lives, and ironically, it's when they have to die.
 
My folks both had piggies that procreated like mad when they were kids so when I wanted one as a teen my Mum was well keena dn we ended up with a trio of boys.... (bad plan - i know not to do that now...) one for me, one for little brother and one for mum.

When I left home - long after these boys had died I decided to get a pig for company in my flat. He was a lone pig but was so friendly he never got lonely - everyone in and out the flat fussed him like mad and it's never stopped since.

My mum is very pro-piggy and Dad doesn't mind. My OH is besottted with the boys, just need to persuade her we can have more now!
 
I had been resisting the urge to keep guinea pigs again for a long time. When I lived on my own about 24 years ago I had two guineas. I already had two small dogs and a tropical tank I didn't want any more work, plus my husband always said 'over my dead body' if I so much as mentioned wanting any.
A year ago I was in Pets at Home buying something for my dogs then went over to look at the guinea pig section. I saw one that stood out from all the rest, his markings were so unusual and with a crest on his head. I couldn't get him out of my mind and went back next day to film him. I spent all weekend pleading with my husband to let me buy him plus another and eventually got my way!
I didn't realise how much hard work they are though, constant cleaning and feeding. I totted up all the money I've spent on them ( kept all receipts) and it comes to £1,150 ! ( bought an Eglu for £440)
I love their bellies and their lips and the soles of their feet.
Since joining this forum I realise I'm not on my own, and I'm not behaving like a little girl after all.
 
Because they are fantastic little creatures!

Personality is a big thing for me, I never knew what big characters they had until I had Rodney. He made me LOL every single day with his attitude, he made me smile everyday with his affection, and he made me swear everyday with his poops all over the place lol!

They are so adorable. I just wish I had discovered them years ago as I had always had cats and dogs before.

I just love them! and anyone who doesnt have one,, is just missing out!
 
100% due to their personalities! x)

I honestly believe they're more than just pets,, they manage to become one of the family with all their squeaking,, love & stubourness.

Me & my husband can never walk past the guineas room without someone squeaking a hello! :)

People who don't have guinea pigs just don't realise how amazing they are!
 
liquorice allsorts said:
i had piggies as a child- kept in a very different way to how ours are kept now, in the garden, in a draughty hutch, dont remember having a run to put them in, they were picked up though, but that was the way the majority of people kept them, we knew no better, i do feel bad about that now, . times have changed, and we have our guineas because we can give them everything they need now,they are cuddly, sweet, and it is something me and my 13 year old daughter really enjoy doing together...We guinea watch in the evening s now instead of watching the soaps!
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I feel exactly like that, I meant to mention it when I replied to this thread. Mine were in a single storey hutch on my balcony, never went on grass and they didn't have any of the toys that they have now for Guinea Pigs. One was called Dougal because he looked exactly like the one on The Magic Roundabout with long hair.
 
ghostbusterbunny said:
i get that from my nan. "when are you going to grow out of it" (the fact that when she last asked this i'd just adopted 10 more didn't seem to give her a clue that it's not something i'm going to grow out of!) is what i quite often get, too.

Basically it started with piggies because i couldn't have anything indoors as my mum is allergic to almost everything except dogs. But we can't have a dog as we're not in all the time to take care of it. So i had my first piggie when i was about 1 1/2 (obviously not 'mine'!) and i've never not had them since. I've been allowed hamsters since and we've almost always had rabbits too (not any more though) but piggies have always stuck. I'm well and truly in love with my piggies; so much so that now i'm in a position to own more, i've now got 19 of the furry monsters rather than the 2-4 i used to be allowed. I'm 21, and according to most people i should be out getting drunk, doing all sorts of unspeakable and weird things but no. I am quite content with my guinea pigs and spending my spare money on them. They give me more pleasure than a night on the town, or a trip to the cinema or something. I still do those things, but only when i have extra money.

My piggies give me more joy and happiness than just about anything else (except my family and boyfriend). When i'm not feeling my best at uni; which is pretty much all the time because for some reason i just can't function on campus at all, going home to my pigs just cheers me right up. My boyfriend has often said that my face lights up beyond anything he normally sees when i have a pig in my hands, so i guess that explains that. I'm just a piggie lover obsessive crazy lady! And proud.
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hear hear!
 
I think for me it was pretty much a default choice (My BF is allergic to anything with fur except piggies! Rabbits, cats, hamsters and dogs are a no no for him). So I got piggies. And loved them! :D ! Now they're my favorite little critters :) . x)x)x)
 
I took one look at my friends newly adopted guineapigs and decided that I would have one, whatever it took! A couple of years and a lot of negotiating with my mum, and TADAA, I got two beautius little girlies. And plus, they are the most gorgeous, snuggly, happy little monsters! :')
 
When I was younger I had a guinea pig. He was lovely. I loved how he squeaked for food and was very loving and playful.

I didn't have any memories of him ever biting and because I have a fear of most animals, from being scratched, bitten or jumped at, my memory of my past guinea pig made me want a guinea pig as I missed Itchy even though he had been gone for at least 8 years.

My parents knew I had wanted guinea pigs for a few years since Itchy died but didn't want me to have one until they knew I could care for something and clean it out.

So one day when I was 20 my mum said to me, would you like a guinea pig now as I had been talking about them a few months prior. Excited we went to check out some pet shops and I saw 3 beautiful guinea pigs. I had initially only went in for one (unaware they needed to be in pairs) and I couldn't bare to split the three boys up. I wanted to think it over before making a quick decision and so looked at some other piggies in another shop and then went home. I returned the next day to the first petshop where the older albino guinea pigs were along with their brown cage mate but to my surprise and sadness, he was gone. I had already thought of three names so I took home the two albinos as I didn't want to split the guinea pigs up further. Thus I got Ludwig and Gilbert. =)

I love guinea pigs because they are so sweet and rarely, if ever bite. Plus unlike cats they will be there all the time. :)
 
I first became interested in them after having to watch a video for Spanish class about South America. :red I was horrified at the...cuisine...there. And that's how I got interested in piggies. They are fascinating, adorable, cuddly and just plain cute. x) And now I'm well and truly hooked.
 
We got them mainly for the sake of our daughter. She's the only girl of our four children, and feels like a bit of a 'girl sandwich'. She's always wanted a pet, but my husband is wildly allergic to pretty much anything so we needed something we could keep outdoors. Plus my husband did actually have guinea pigs as a child, despite his allergies, so knows how lovely they are. I grew up with cats, and it wasn't until I held our two little piggies that I realised that they are rather adorable. And Professor (the grey one in the picture) is incredibly handsome, don't you think?
 
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