Good afternoon team,

I hope you are all excited for Guinea Pig Awareness Week. This is a rare topical Fem Fri – I love piggles and am thrilled that there is a whole week devoted to promoting the welfare of these delightful little beings.

I had guinea pigs from the age of seven to the age of fourteen, and my final two, Ruffles and Tiffany, lived a (mostly) happy bachelor existence together. I’m sure you’re thinking, surely Tiffany is a name for a lady piggle – delighted you asked, in fact he was named (by my mother) for Louis Comfort Tiffany.

As I said, these lads shared a hutch and were normally very happy together. But every month or so Ruffles would think

HANG ON

I’M A GUINEA PIG

THAT MEANS I SHOULD BE MAKING GUINEA PIGS

WITH ANOTHER GUINEA PIG

Whereupon he would JUMP RIGHT ONTO Tiffany. Tiffany, who had had no such recent thoughts (potentially, no recent thoughts at all?) would decisively shrug him off like

COME ON MAN

I’M TRYING TO ENJOY THIS CARROT

WHY DID YOU THINK I WOULD BE INTO THIS 

After that peace would pretty much reign until two weeks later Tiffany would realise

HANG ON

I’M A GUINEA PIG

THAT MEANS I SHOULD BE MAKING GUINEA PIGS

WITH ANOTHER GUINEA PIG

And the whole little drama would repeat again in reverse! Aaahhhhh I loved them so much. 🧡🤍🧡🤍🧡

Here is an interview with Amy Garrett, piggle fan, who explains this behaviour – not in the below pull quote, you need to click to read it. There are plenty of charming details here:

Guinea pigs are also very affectionate. They're not like hamsters, mice or gerbils, who don't care if there's a human in their life. Guinea pigs bond with you; they love to be held. I once had a guinea pig who would run up and put her paws on my feet when I got home from work. That's not common, but all guinea pigs do squeak a greeting when you walk in the door – probably for food, but also to say hi.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Confessions-of-a-Guinea-Pig-Lover-3303932.php

Now how about an interview with celebrity piggle fan Phoebe Waller-Bridge:

But before I met Hillary who stars in Fleabag I wouldn’t have answered that way! Beforehand I had no pre-existing relationship with guinea pigs. When I was young, I had a hamster that I adored, so before Fleabag I would have said that. But I’ve since played with a guinea pig on set endlessly and fell insanely in love with that stupid little rodent.

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/amazons-fleabag-phoebe-waller-bridge-on-sex-femininity-and-guinea-pigs/

Love,

Alex.