Other forms: guinea pigs
Guinea pigs are small, soft, tailless rodents that make great pets. If you don't have room in your apartment for a dog or a cat, you might consider adopting a guinea pig.
Despite their name, guinea pigs don't come from Guinea and are not related to pigs! The little oink-like squeaks an excited guinea pig makes may partially account for the name, but experts are still scratching their heads over it. A guinea pig is sometimes called a "cavy," for its family, Caviidae, and genus, Cavia. In some places they're raised for food, but guinea pigs also make easy, sweet-natured pets.