family & friends

Lila the Wonder Pig, Adhya the Adventure Pig and their guardian angel Sashi the Amazing Pig have a loving, extended family and many devoted friends! These are Lila's birth parents, "Best of Breed" winner Cutie Pie Acres Sky and Bright Eyes King Arthur:

These are Adhya's birth parents, Adventure's Trinity and KSJ Pretty Boy:

These are Sashi's birth parents, "Best in Show" winner Bright Eyes Guinevere and Bright Eyes King Arthur (he gets around, that piggie!):

These are the piggies' human parents, Kelly (Minga) and Robert:

The girls' grandparents, godparents, aunties, uncles and a few of their friends:

familyandfriends

cavy history

Cavies (commonly known as guinea pigs) have been around for a very long time. Fossil records of their existence date back to the Miocene period, over 18 million years ago. Archeologists in Venezuela recently discovered the fossilized remains of a cavy-like creature called Phoberomys Pattersoni, which grew to approximately 9 feet in length.

The cavy was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC by mountain tribes in the Andean region of South America. Revered by the Incas, statues of cavies have been found in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador dating from ca. 500 BC. In many villages in Peru, cavies still hold a hallowed place in native folklore, where it is believed that they are mystical beings who can diagnose and heal the sick.

Cavies were first introduced to Europe as a domestic pet during the 16th century. In 1554, the Swiss zoologist Konrad Gesner wrote "On the Indian Rabbit or Piglet" (initially, people assumed that Columbus had actually discovered a new sea route to India and therefore everything that came from the New World was "Indian"). Holland, Portugal and Spain had colonies in South America and the explorers returned to Europe rich with gold, precious gems, and exotic and exciting animals from the New World. At this time, cavies became very popular status symbols in the homes of aristocrats. Queen Elizabeth I of England, daughter of Henry VIII, had a cavy of which she was enamored, and so cavies soon became an essential "fashion accessory" for everyone in her court.

Selective breeding of cavies began in Europe and spread to North America during the 1920s when fanciers began exhibiting their pets in competitions.

The popularity of cavies continues to grow and a quick search around the internet shows clubs and cavy websites the whole world over -- from Japan to Canada and from Sweden to Australia.