021 Guinea pigs myths

If you think that guinea pigs are hilarious pets who sleep most of the time, you are 50% right. The other half is reserved for being an annoying creature who demands more food! There are many myths about those animals and today I would like to debunk some of them.

1.       Guinea pig are little

Many people find those animals little because they see guinea pig babies in zoological shops. Meanwhile, when they grow up, they become big. An adult guinea pig is about 30-35 cm long!

2.       Guinea pigs don’t like human attention

Guinea pigs love humans and being caressed by us! Sometimes my pets demand loudly to take them out of their cage and hug them. They are very trustful and they can even go asleep on your knees.

3.       You can take your guinea pig on a walk

Never! Although you can buy a leash for your pet in a zoological shop, it isn’t the best idea to use it on your pet. Guinea pigs’ spines are very sensitive, so it is a high risk to damage it. Moreover, they are a bit fearful creatures, so a dog barking can give them a heart attack.

4.       Guinea pigs are stupid

Guinea pig are rather intelligent pets. They are capable to respond to their names, they know when their owner is angry with them and can respond to some simple commands.

5.       You can keep your guinea pig with a rabbit in one cage

People tend to think that guinea pigs and rabbits have the same needs. However, many rabbits are carriers of a dangerous bacteria for guinea pigs – e. cuniculi. The infection may cause even death of your guinea pig!

6.       You can keep only one guinea pig and it will be happy

Guinea pigs are herding animals and it means that you should keep at least two guinea pigs in one cage. A lonely guinea pig can be depressed and even die because of its broken heart and missing the other one’s companionship.