RSPCA urges people to have pets neutered on Guinea Pig Appreciation Day after rodent baby boom in Lincolnshire

Guinea pigs are being left to breed uncontrollably in Lincolnshire, an animal welfare charity has warned.

The lockdown has meant people have been unable to get to the vets to have their furry friends neutered.

This has led to a rodent baby boom with RSPCA officers regularly called out to reports of guinea pigs being kept in poor conditions.

The charity received 1,127 reports about guinea-pigs in need throughout England and Wales last year and 338 so far this year, up to July 10. In Lincolnshire, there were 27 reports about guinea pigs in 2019.

To mark Guinea Pig Appreciation Day tomorrow (Thursday, July 16) the RSPCA is now urging people to have their pets neutered.

One of the biggest issues is said to be multi-animal households where breeding has become “out of control”.

Vets have understandably had to prioritise emergencies during the coronavirus crisis which has led to many unneutered guinea pigs having unwanted litters.

Dr Jane Tyson, the RSPCA’s rodent expert, said: “Guinea pigs breed incredibly quickly so one unneutered pair can quickly lead to an owner having lots of guinea pigs on their hands!

“We would always advise owners to have their male guinea pigs neutered before introducing them to a female.”

She added: “Many of the guinea pigs that come into our care have come from a multi-animal home where there have been large numbers of guinea pigs living in often cramped, dirty and unsuitable conditions.

“This also means that they may have experienced very little handling and are wary and fearful of human hands and need their confidence building up in RSPCA care.

“This is why, this Guinea Pig Appreciation Day, we wanted to encourage people to neuter their guinea pigs and help tackle the problem of overbreeding.”

In April this year, the RSPCA rescued around 40 guinea pigs from a home in Lincoln where breeding had become out of control. Many of the female guinea pigs rescued were also pregnant at the time.

Four of the females were taken in by the RSPCA Altrincham and Cheshire branch and had 12 babies between them.

Chief Veterinary Officer, Caroline Allen said: "On average a litter contains two to four guinea pigs, but can be as large as eight pups. A female can have up to five litters per year and can become pregnant within hours of giving birth.

“This, coupled with the fact that guinea pigs can breed at just a few weeks of age, means that if females are housed with unneutered males, numbers can very quickly get out of hand as even siblings will mate with each other. However, guinea pigs are social animals and it is important for their welfare that they are kept with other guinea pigs.

“Whilst a good combination can be a male with one or more females, it is really important that the male is neutered before being paired with the females and even after neutering the males can remain fertile for four to six weeks so will need to be separated from the females. Female guinea pigs tend not to be routinely neutered as the procedure is more complex. Neutering of male guinea pigs is generally a straightforward procedure."

For more information on neutering, visit www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/guineapigs/health