WHAT IS A GUINEA PIG?

DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS

"Domesticated rodent descended from the Brazillian or Peruvian cavy, Cavia Procellus, having variously coloured hair and no visible tail, and widely kept as pets and as experimental animals."
(Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary)

"A small furry animal without a tail"
(Oxford Pocket School Dictionary)

"a short-eared, tailless rodent of the genus Cavia, usually white, black, and tawny, commonly regarded as the domesticated form of one of the South American wild species of cavy: often used in scientific experiments or kept as a pet."
Dictionary.com

"a small stout-bodied short-eared nearly tailless domesticated rodent of the genus Cavia (C. cobaya) often kept as a pet and widely used in biological research called also cavy"
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary

"guinea pig (gin' e), domesticated form of the cavy, Cavia porcellus, a South American rodent. It is unrelated to the pig; the name may refer to its shrill squeal. Guinea pigs were raised by the Incas and have long been used as food in South America. They were first imported into Europe from Guiana in the 16th cent. There are a number of varieties, some with short, smooth hair and others with longer hair, and a great range of color combinations, including mixtures of black and white and many shades of brown. They have rounded bodies, large heads, and blunt noses and reach a length of 6 to 10 in. (15–25 cm) and a weight of 1 to 2 lb (450–900 grams). Females produce three to five litters, usually of three or four young, per year. The guinea pig's rapid reproductive rate and high resistance to disease make it a valuable laboratory animal; it is used for testing serums and antitoxins and for experiments in genetics and nutrition. It is also sometimes kept as a pet. It is classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family Caviidae."
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia

CAVY HAVEN DEFINITION

A guinea pig (aka; cavy - pronounced 'kay-vee') is a small furry* animal with an approximately oval shaped body, stubby nose, small round ears, beady eyes,short legs and no tail. Guinea pigs come in a wide variety of colours and coat types. They are very easy and relatively inexpensive to care for. Tthey are vocal, responsive and friendly, and they are superb pets.

Guinea pigs are possibly the fourth most popular pets in the western world - after cats, dogs and rabbits. They belong to the rodent family which includes mice, rats, gerbils and hamsters. Strictly vegetarian, they eat almost constantly to wear down their ever-growing teeth. They have a wide range of vocalisations and respond extremely well to human contact. The more they are handled, the tamer they become. They are not particularly intelligent but are quick to learn food-related signals such as the sound of the fridge door being opened or a bag being rustled and will squeak loudly in response - ever hopeful of a tasty treat!

*There is now a newly developed and somewhat contraversial variety of hairless guinea pig called a 'Skinny' or 'Baldwin'.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN BRIEF
A male guinea pig is called a boar
A female is called a sow
Babies are called pups and are born, after a gestation of approximately 10 weeks, fully furred, eyes open, all senses fully funtional, and eating & running around within minutes of birth.
Both boars and sows are capable of mating at 3 weeks of age but the ideal age for the first litter (particularly for the sow) is between 5 and 9 months.