Regarding cuteness level, guinea pigs are high on the list. After all, who could turn away from a pocket piggie who fits nicely in your hands, looking up at you with those beautiful beady eyes?
Fact: there are over 100,000 guinea pig households in multiple countries worldwide. More and more people are choosing to adopt guinea pigs as pets because of their unique attitudes and cuteness!
Unlike other rodents who sit in a cage and say hello occasionally, guinea pigs can be trained for tricks. They’re curious explorers and can express themselves in many ways.
In this article, you’ll learn why guinea pigs are so popular and why their cuteness is attracting so many homeowners across the globe.
Top 10 Reasons Guinea Pigs Are Cute
1. Guinea Pigs Are Empathic
Guinea pigs are gentle, caring, and affectionate, which are learning factors that make up empathy. Perhaps, one of the main reasons guinea pigs have become popular house pets is due to their kind and loving nature.
More people are adopting guinea pigs because they’re cute and have a knack for being emotionally supportive. Children and adults with anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders turn to pets for support and emotional stability.
Aside from their cuteness, guinea pigs are becoming well-known emotional support animals due to their empathic characteristics.
2. Their Appearance
Have you heard of baby schema? Baby schema is the theory that cuteness solely relies on the aspect that small things are just cuter than bigger things.
Guinea pigs’ physical appearance attracts most people due to their big ears, chubby cheeks, beady eyes, and soft round noses. The cute factor compels us to look after something as small and helpless as a guinea pig.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Guinea pigs may seem small, but they’re compact with huge personalities, which is another added cuteness component.
3. Guinea Pigs Love Showing Their Personality
All animals have individual personalities. However, there’s nothing quite like the guinea pig that will allow you to see all of what makes them specifically unique. Guinea pigs are not a one-size-fits-all entitlement. Some guinea pigs are crazy, active, vocal, and expressive. Others are quieter, more discreet, and shy. Then, there are some that you just can’t pinpoint an exact personality trait because they show all sides of the guinea pig traits.
What makes them the cutest domestic pet on Earth is that they aren’t afraid to tell you exactly who they are, how they feel, and what they want.
4. Guinea Pigs Are Communicative
Speaking of getting what they want when they want it, the communication adds to the level of cuteness guinea pigs portray. Unlike most domestic pets, you’ll never have to guess how a guinea pig feels.
When guineas are excited or happy, they’ll dance and zoom around, combined with tiny or loud squeaks that say, “Pay attention to me; I’m showing off for you!” However, when they’re sad or not feeling well, they’ll hide and only come out when you approach them.
A guinea pig’s behavior depends on how you raise them. It’s just like a baby. If that’s not cute, what is?
5. They’re Manageable
For starters, guinea pigs adapt well to most situations. They’re easier to care for than cats or dogs, though they have more needs than gerbils and hamsters.
What’s cute about guinea pigs is that most are laid back and like to go with the flow. If you love strawberries, they’ll likely love strawberries. If you want to relax and watch a movie, they’ll pass out watching one too. If you want to spend time with them, they want to spend time with you.
Other than maintaining a clean environment and routine feeding habits, what else is there to keep this laid-back, friendly pal from not being cute? When it comes right down to it, going out of your way to help them will enable a beautiful forever friendship.
6. Guinea Pigs Are Playful
Don’t you think guinea pigs are adventurous? That means you’ve never set up a crash course for them. Try making a maze or rodent gym for them to crawl under, over, and tunnels to run through. Guinea pigs are naturally curious animals, so they take adventure to extreme levels.
Anything that they can bury their faces in, jump into, or run inside of, they’ll try to be playful companions. With all this excitement, your guinea pigs will have you laughing or dying in cute overload.
7. They Can Be Trained
What’s more adorable than pocket-sized tricksters? Guinea pigs can be trained to come to their name, use the potty, fetch, spin, and high-five. While most animals may be difficult to train, guinea pigs are actually super intelligent and are easily trainable with the treat and reward system.
Spend some time understanding your guinea personality type. After forming a close bond, your friendship can only grow when you spend time with your pocket pal, teaching them tricks and manners.
8. They Love You!
Has your guinea pig ever headbutted you? This type of body language, among other forms of communication, is just one of the many ways they tell you they love you.
When you hold out your hand, and they come running, or when they greet you as you come home is their way of saying, “I’m happy to see you.”
9. They Dance When They’re Happy
Popcorning is one of the cutest gestures a guinea pig can do. Popcorning is when your guinea pig hops up and down in their cage, followed by excited squeaks and whistles.
When popcorning is combined with the zoomies, your piggie is very active and shows excitement. In a way, they are dancing for you.
10. Guinea Pigs and Their Kisses
Speaking of cuteness, guineas love cuddling and kisses. Next time you’re cozying up to a movie with your piggie pal, hold your finger before them; you may be surprised they give you a gentle nibble. In a guinea’s mind, they’re grooming you, which is how they show love.
Final Words
Guinea pigs are clean, easy to care for, hilariously entertaining, and very empathic. What’s not to love? Although guinea pigs are reasonably easy to live with, they require loads of attention and a ton of space to run around in.
Provided that you supply a healthy diet and appropriate lifestyle, your guinea pigs will have you melting in cuteness and more love than you can imagine coming from any pet.
Featured Image Credit: Birute Vijeikiene, Shutterstock
