New Breed of Guinea Pigs - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**kurzon** · #1 10-23-04, 10:24 am

Well, it appears that scientists have developed a new breed that is supposedly larger and heavier. It's touted as a super guinea pig created specifically for consumption in Peru. Here is the news article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3946771.stm

I don't mean to make anyone queasy but I thought it was a relevant info. It makes me sad knowing that guinea pigs are still being used as..."guinea pigs" but I love my pigs even more.

**loves2travel** · #2 10-23-04, 11:10 am

a similar article was brought a few days ago and the thread ended up being locked.

**My Baby Mu** · #3 10-23-04, 11:13 am

That is gross that they eat them. It would be fun to have a super-sized pig.

**CritterLuver419** · #4 10-23-04, 12:57 pm

that's so sad... I think people should join together and protest!

**pebbles** · #5 10-23-04, 01:10 pm

I don't like that they eat them either but we could say the same of any animal. they are all wonderful.

**cinn&sprinslave** · #6 10-23-04, 01:11 pm

That is sooo sad =0(

**kurzon** · #7 10-23-04, 01:31 pm

What do you all think of these new, bigger guinea pigs? Pebbles is right, most of us eat animals, some of them just happen to be other people's pets.

I just hope the new breeds they create don't make the animals more burdened than if they were wild. For example, some 'real' pigs are bred to have such large amounts of lean meat that they often have heart attacks and die during handling and transport. (Imagine if someone purposefully engineered you to be overweight or fat before you were born).

**mncavylover** · #8 10-23-04, 06:14 pm

I think that's the point, sad as it is, kurzon. It's just like genetically engineered pigs or chickens... that's why I'm a vegetarian. Yuck.

**loves2travel** · #9 10-23-04, 06:18 pm

yuck. yuck. yuck.

**Starbucks** · #10 10-24-04, 05:41 am

i wonder how big they are compared to our little guys. the article didnt really say.

it is a shame that they are being made JUST for the food industry... but that would be neat to have a big one as a pet. i just hope they are as healthy as regular piggies because of the experiments. poor guys. we should protest it.

**mncavylover** · #11 10-24-04, 01:52 pm

Yes, I hope they are healthy and not just overgrown. A fat little pig would be cute, but not if they're only bred for food. Thanks for bringing this up, kurzon, it's an important topic.

**loves2travel** · #12 10-24-04, 01:55 pm

starbucks, we SHOULD protest, but it wouldnt be right. Unles you're a vegetarian, it would be wrong to protest the consumption of one animal while we happily chow down on others. My first intinct when i read your post was "yeah! we should do that!" thn i thought about it....... good idea though.

**mncavylover** · #13 10-24-04, 02:11 pm

Well, I think some of us could protest--I'm veggie now, yay!
I totally agree though, that if you're eating one you can't charge anyone with eating another. Speciesism sucks, like peta says.

**loves2travel** · #14 10-24-04, 02:26 pm

yea,

, mncavylover can protest. I can protest on mondays, thursdays, and fridays. LOL

**mncavylover** · #15 10-24-04, 02:33 pm

Yeah, I remember that! That's funny, l2t. Sounds like a schedule...

**Starbucks** · #16 10-25-04, 03:38 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by loves2travel

starbucks, we SHOULD protest, but it wouldnt be right. Unles you're a vegetarian, it would be wrong to protest the consumption of one animal while we happily chow down on others. My first intinct when i read your post was "yeah! we should do that!" thn i thought about it....... good idea though.

oh i meant about the experimentations. it seems like animals have no rights in this world.

im sorry to confuse everyone, i didnt mean about the food consumption. i mean although we are all against it (eating cute little piggers) i totally agree with what everyone said about protesting one animal if you eat another. that wasnt what i meant.

hope this clears it up.

**jennz11** · #17 10-25-04, 02:56 pm

How cruel!! I can't believe some people would create a guinea pig just so people could eat them!!! How could they do that??!!! its absouletly horrible!!

**CavyCrazyMom** · #18 10-25-04, 07:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jennz11

How cruel!! I can't believe some people would create a guinea pig just so people could eat them!!! How could they do that??!!! its absouletly horrible!!

Kinda the same thing as cows. They are kept in small areas so they can't move around a lot. That way the meat is more tender. (do you think that's terrible? Do you eat beef??) The thing that I think people aren't looking at is that in some countries that's what they eat. And it's acceptable there. And although I think it's revolting, I'm not going to say that they are wrong. It's a different culture, and you have to be open minded even if you don't agree. Maybe they think eating chicken is revolting...you know what I mean?? I would NEVER allow that to happen here in America...but if I grew up in a country where we don't have a McDonalds on every corner and any kind of animal would be my next meal or I starve...

And I'm sorry if the above offended anyone, but I tend to look at the reality side of it. I love my pets...but some people aren't lucky enough to grow up as we did with pets and fast food. And obviously I would never think about trying that meal seeing as I did grow up fortunate enough to be able to distinguish pets and 'food'.

**roosterboy** · #19 11-12-04, 08:17 pm

Cavies were originally domesticated as a food animal. It is because of this that we now have them as pets, and they are so common. I've read they eat 60 million a year down there. Compare that to the chinchilla which is not eaten and is all but extinct.

As with any farmed animal, it is only natural that it be cared for, and played with by the young members of the group. My uncle had a pet chicken when he was young. When I grew up, we had a swimming pool full of bass. We all grew up reading stories about friendly farm animals. There is a symbiosis where we do eat animals, but we do care very well for them.

**hoispoer** · #20 11-12-04, 09:24 pm

Even though it is sad they eat them. That is their culture from way back. Protestors should probably back down on this one and just enjoy the ones that are here and not there. Overthere that may be like our Chicken.