The guinea pig and humans
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
Guinea pigs win people’s hearts in no time at all. Guinea pigs are very sensitive animals and – unlike humans – do not immediately lose their hearts to them. Picking them up is uncomfortable for the rodents, and stroking them too much is also not encouraged at first. This means that the guinea pig’s love for humans grows over time. Guinea pigs are absolutely not cuddly animals – they feel soft and silky, but everything that makes us humans happy is stressful and exhausting for the little animals.
Guinea pigs only give their hearts to their humans once they have gained their trust. This takes patience and time.
The history of the guinea pig
In Europe they are pets, in South America, their homeland, guinea pigs can be found in the wild. Hundreds of years ago, guinea pigs arrived in Europe with Spanish sailors. So they travelled by sea, the little pigs squeal like pigs, and that’s how the name “guinea pig” came about.
There are many different breeds of guinea pig. They have short hair, long hair or longer hair that sticks out from the body. The latter are also known as rosette guinea pigs. Angora guinea pigs are cuddly soft, but require an incredible amount of care to prevent their fur from matting. The coat colours come in a wide variety of patterns.
Guinea pigs as food animals or laboratory animals
The popular guinea pigs are used for medical tests, to research stress and social behaviour, or to test active substances in medicine. In zoos and animal parks, they are used as food animals for predators, birds of prey or as snake food.
Tenno, Ying and Yang were spared being fed or being used as laboratory animals, but they had to find a new forever home.
Tenno, Ying and Yang - there was no garden for the new flat
The family had to move and a new addition to the family has arrived. The new flat is designed in such a way that there is unfortunately no garden for Tenno, Ying and Yang. So the request came to Gut Aiderbichl’s animal emergency centre, and the three guinea pigs – Tenno, red-coloured, Ying, tricoloured and Yang, black and white – found a home in the guinea pig family in Henndorf.
They are healthy, still a little reserved, but are making good friends with the guinea pigs Pippi, Roxy, Josefine, Rosalinde, Liquorice, Muffin, Seppl etc.
Yours sincerely, Gisela
The world is not a work of art and animals are not manufactured for our use.
~Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), German philosopher
