Without a doubt, guinea pigs are one of the most favorite animals in the world. They have been domesticated in South America for thousands of years. They have become one of the longest companions for humans, especially for children. 
Their fluffy fur, squishy soft bodies, easy-going demeanor, and cute little ears give everyone the happy feeling. To keep such love for these cute little animals, the Guinea Pig Appreciation Day is celebrated every 16th of July each year.
About the Guinea Pig Appreciation Day
During this occasion, people do many kinds of activities that let them show their appreciation for their pet guinea pigs. People spoil their guinea pigs as much as possible by giving them snacks, buying a large cage for them, and finding them some friends. Those who don’t own guinea pigs take this day as the start of their journey on taking care of guinea pigs.
History
Unfortunately, even with extensive research on this topic, we are not sure as to how the Guinea Pig Appreciation Day started or even who founded it. But still, we can make a good guess as to why the occasion started – perhaps a person or a group of people thought that Guinea pigs are so much loved in different parts of the world. Hence, the event began and people celebrate annually to show how much they appreciate these animals.
Dates
As mentioned earlier, the Guinea pig appreciation day is celebrated every July 16 of each year. This means that the upcoming Guinea Pig Appreciation Day will be held on Friday, July 16,
Why Celebrate
The main reason why you should celebrate this day is that it is indeed extremely fun to take care of guinea pigs. You may have felt the jealousy when you have seen your friends or relatives having fun with their cute pets. This is your time to experience the same amazing feeling. So own these pets now.
Celebration Ideas and Activities
The following are the best things to do to make your celebration of the Guinea Pig Appreciation Day as best as it can be:
Adopt Your Own Guinea Pigs
One good idea for your celebration of this day is to adopt you own pet guinea pigs, if you still have none. But of course, you have to be responsible in taking care of these cute animals if you want to adopt one. The recommended cage for guinea pigs is a minimum of 8 square feet. So you need to keep in mind to buy this large cage.
Do keep in mind to keep same sex guinea pigs together. As young as 4 weeks, they are already able to reproduce. So if you want to control their population or if you don’t want your guinea pigs to be young parents, then do not keep males and females together. If you only have one cage, do try to make a wall that would separates the females from the males.
Spoil Your Guinea Pigs
If you already have guinea pigs as pets, then a good idea to celebrate this day is to spoil your guinea pigs. It would be amazing for your guinea pigs if you can buy them a big cage. You can also put in some toys for them to play. If you have a lone guinea pig, why not buy another one so that your pet will have a buddy? You can also make your guinea pigs indulge in their favorite snacks. Do not forget the playtime with your guinea pig pets.
Celebrate on Social Media
You can also take your celebration of this day on social media. You can use the hashtag #GuineaPigAppreciationDay to let your friends and followers know that you are also participating in the celebration of this important day.
Interesting Facts
- Guinea pigs are not pigs and do not come from Guinea. It is unclear how they got their name. They are a South American animal, while Guinea is in West Africa.
- Guinea hogs however are no relation but are a breed of pig that did originate in Africa.
- The earliest recorded use of the term guinea pig was in 1664.
- George Bernard Shaw in 1913 was the first to use guinea pig for the subject of an experiment.
- Guinea pigs have four toes on their front feet and three on their hind feet.
- A female guinea pig is called a sow, the male is a boar; babies are pups.
- The guinea pig was domesticated in South America around 5000 BC as a source of food.
- It was also widely used in traditional medicine, particularly in the treatment of arthritis and jaundice which were supposedly cured by rubbing a guinea pig on the affected areas.
- Fried or roast guinea pig is a delicacy in Peru.