My dad grew up in Texas while my mom was reared in Taiwan. So considering the cultural differences in these two countries, it was no surprise to me that my mom didn’t have a dog or cat in their home while she was living with her parents. In fact, her dad raised over 200 pigs in the countryside for a few years, so if she had any interaction with animals, guess what? It was a pig!

My dad on the other hand grew up in Texas and had several dogs during his school years. The only guinea pigs that came across his path were the ones his younger brother introduced to the family household when he was in elementary school.

Often my dad would hear these guinea pigs when he would go to the refrigerator to get anything to eat or drink. They were in the utility room next to the kitchen and the sound of the refrigerator door meant to them that it was time to eat because my brother would get lettuce and carrots out of the frig just before feeding them.

Well, for me, I wanted a dog, but my dad said no because our home did not have any backyard space for a dog to dwell and he wouldn’t let one in the house. Then I asked for a cat and he said no for many reasons. So next on my list were guinea pigs! And my dad said I could get one, but that I probably should get at least two.

It turned out that I got first a male, and then a female, and although we tried to keep them apart but close to each other, we ended up with a total of 7 babies. When we offered them to the public, we had dads and moms come take a look for their children’s interest. Only one young girl called on the ad but she ended up taking more than one because she found the first one so lovable.

From my experience over the past 6 years, I would highly recommend a guinea pig or two to any child over 6 years old and any adult at any age. My feeling is that after watching my dad taking such an interest in my guineas that being older does not keep one from being attracted to these little critters. They all have a personality of their own, they almost never, ever bite anybody, and they have a high tolerance level to meet most circumstances. Just love them and they will love you back.