Big rise in guinea pigs and pet rats and mice being given up by their owners, RSPCA says

Guinea pigs are often seen as starter pets for children but have complex needs and are not always cheap to look after, the RSPCA charity says

The RSPCA says it has seen a big rise in the number of guinea pigs and pet rats and mice being given up or abandoned by their owners.

The animal charity says there has been a 37% increase in the number of guinea pigs being taken in at its animal rescue centres between January and August this year, compared to the same time in 2022.

In total the charity took in 237 guinea pigs between January and August - that's almost as many as were taken in during the whole of 2022.

They said the situation was similar for rabbits, and worse for pet rats and mice, for which they had seen an increase of more than 190% being taken to animal rescue centres for rehoming.

Why is this?

The RSPCA says one of the main reasons for in the increase in the number of guinea pigs being given up, is because of overbreeding, due to a lack of knowledge about guinea pigs.

Dr Jane Tyson, the RSPCA's small animals welfare expert, said: "Pet ownership rose significantly during the pandemic and people often think that guinea pigs will make good starter pets for their children.

"But, like other small animals, they actually have complex needs and they are not easy or cheap to care for well."

Another reason for the rise in people giving up their pets is the cost of living crisis - meaning people might not have enough money to care for their pets.

The charity runs a help line to advise people about alternatives to giving up their pets and it has also partnered with food banks to help owners who might be struggling with the cost of feeding their pets, as a way to keep more pets and their owners together.

Here are the RSPCA's top tips for owning and caring for guinea pigs:

• Guinea pigs can live for up to five or six years and some may live longer.

• Guinea pigs are active for up to 20 hours per day, only sleeping for a short time.

• They are very social creatures - in the wild they live in family groups of around five to 10.

• They get lonely and shouldn't be kept alone - they're happiest in pairs or small groups.

• Guinea pigs need a high fibre diet with lots of vitamin C to keep them healthy.