Hello, I’m Pippin, and I’m a guinea pig. Today I’m going to talk about Ubiquitous guinea pigs, which Mummy suggested, and I liked better than Urine. I think we’ve talked about bladder problems already. Also, as I haven’t fitted in Age, or Death, I’m doing Undertakers.

We’re helping out our Mummy, Jemima Pett, who is doing the A2Z this year by putting together all the posts we’ve done here on George’s Guinea Pig World, to make a book on Guinea Pig Care from A to Z. You can see her posts here: jemimapett.com/blog/. We’re filling in the gaps this month.

Guinea Pigs are Ubiquitous

We get everywhere. And we’ve been everywhere since a long long time ago. I think one of the earlier A to Zs found us in pictures from the 1500s or earlier. The artists didn’t get us right, but then, they didn’t get horses right until relatively recently, either.

Because of this painting (which is one of the better ones of us), and the spelling in contemporary books, scholars know that we are not named after the guinea coin. That wasn’t invented till later. In England we are Guinea pigs, and in France and Italy we are ‘Pigs of the Indies’; in Germany and in Scandinavian languages we are Little Sea Pigs.

So it seems to indicate that we were being sold in a place called Guinea, on the South American coast, near the West Indies, and ships would dock there for trade. Sailors took to us because we were friendly and would hide in their coats. That’s why I hide in Mummy’s jacket at cuddle time. It’s a long tradition, practically in my genes. Then the sailors would sell us when they reached Europe, because we were so popular. And I suppose we got to North America and Australia the same way. Cleaner than ship rats and much more popular!

Undertakers

We don’t live long enough. That’s what Mummy says. Our lifespan is usually 5 – 8 years, although 4 and upwards is perfectly normal, and pigs can die younger, or course. Some pigs get to really, really old age, eleven is known.

The oldest our tribe has done is seven. Colman had his seventh birthday in 2015 and Victor the First had his sixth birthday in 2014. They both left a couple of months later. Mummy had thought they both got to eight, but the birthday cake* candles are only seven and six. Kevin was probably seven, and Ludo was over six. We don’t know how old Roscoe was, but he was probably seven. Neville too, as he left six months later, and when they arrived Mummy thought Colman was about six months older than him.

But eventually we all go over the Rainbow Bridge, which is the tradition for animal companions. And it’s very sad for all who are left behind. Mummy likes to let us all say goodbye to the departed one in our own way. Sometimes we sit with their bodies for a while, sometimes we just leave them be and get on with our own business. I think it depends how close we were to the departed.

Mummy used to bury the bodies in her Norfolk garden. But when we moved to Hampshire she found she couldn’t do that, so she found a Pet Undertaker for everyone after Bertie died during Covid, when the vet took care of him. So the undertaker takes our bodies and exchanges them for a little box of ashes, which Mummy goes and scatters where the bluebells grow on a nice evening at sunset.

You may be able to find a Pet Undertaker near you by looking online. Ours is at Fair Oak, in Hampshire. Mummy says it’s the cost of another vet bill, but she prefers it that way.

If you haven’t got a garden, you can keep the ashes in a safe place. Auntie Dawn keeps her past piggies in little urns on a shelf. But if that isn’t for you, and you can’t bury them, please wrap them securely in a bag and dispose of them as waste. But you wouldn’t do that with your friends, would you?

I hope you found my U post Useful. See you tomorrow for Victor, I mean V.

love

Pippin xxx

How to make a *Piggy Birthday Cake

• Put half a portion of pellets per pig into a bowl.
• Add dried herbs they like, mint and oregano are good.
• Cover with tepid (not hot, not cold) water. Leave to soak.
• When the water is gone, mash with the back of a spoon until it gets to a sort of mushy texture.
• Prepare a small straight-sided dish with dry herbs in the bottom.
• Spoon the mushy mixture into the dish and press down with the back of the spoon.
• Leave to set overnight if possible, or for at least six hours. If you want it quicker, it may fall apart.
• Run a straight knife around the straight sided dish and invert onto a suitable serving plate (Mummy uses a plastic lid). The herbs you put in should help it come away easily.
• Decorate with pieces of cucumber and other favourites.
• If using candles, do not light them. Keep them in for photos, then remove them and let the pigs eat the cake safely.