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Wild guinea pigs live in South America. However, they do not look quite like our domesticated piggies. They are known as the Brazilian guinea pig and can be found in the jungles of Brazil and still in parts of the Andes, where they originated.

Guinea pigs were domesticated by the natives of South America for food and treatment of illness. Through this domestication they became fatter and more docile, therefore easier to catch and eat. These domesticated guinea pigs were then brought to Europe thus becoming what we know as a guinea pig.

Europeans did not like the idea of eating rodents. However, because of their quaint and docile nature they became pets. They were the perfect pet for the cramped conditions of an overcrowded Europe. This is still true today for England, where the guinea pig is the most popular pet next to cats and dogs.

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14y ago

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