Where can I sign up?
Guinea pigs have to be one of the world’s most underrated pets. They’re almost as cute as puppies (and they remain that way for life), and they do everything cute a hamster does like eat tidbits of lettuce out of open hands and scurry up your leg without looking like it belongs between subway tracks.
Appreciation for guinea pigs has caused the country of Switzerland, where the adorable rodents are apparently more popular than they are here, to make it illegal to own only one at a time because guinea pigs are naturally social animals. While the rule is obviously humane for the pets, it’s created a problem for some owners.
That’s why Priska Küng, who lives with six cats, a number of rabbits, hamsters and mice—80 creatures in all— has created a service where she rents out her guinea pigs to owners who have recently lost one of their two furry companions. Spiegel.de reported this morning:
Without her rent-a-guinea pig service, the owner would have to purchase a new, probably younger guinea pig as a companion to the ageing survivor, whose eventual death would force the purchase of yet another guinea pig, locking the owner into an endless cycle of guinea pig purchases in order to adhere to Swiss law — even though he or she may only ever have wanted one guinea pig in the first place.
Küng, an entrepreneurial cat lady (who also happens to be president of IG Meerschweinchen, the umbrella organization of Switzerland’s three guinea pig breeding associations) has found a solution to a common problem among guinea pig owners—one which benefits the rodents, owners, and cat ladies everywhere.
As a possible future cat lady myself, I’m proud to see an animal hoarder putting her passions to such good use.
