Cuy Page

Cuy Gallery
In my effort to document every cuy we come across I started taking videos and pictures of all Cuys that cross my path.
Cuys are really big guinea pigs that traditionally have been bred in Peru as a source as protein. They don't make for good pets because they are very scared, very large, skittish and very hard to tame. Most people think they are doing something wrong and believe they are over feeding the animal, completely unaware their guinea pig is a Cuy. Petco, Petsmart and other pet stores have been selling them and there is no letting up. They need to stop selling Cuys. Well they need to stop selling all any live animals but if we can get them to stop buying Cuys from their suppliers then that would be a really good start.

The Cuy in Our Sanctuary

How to identify a Cuy

They are usually solid orange or orange and white, though different colors have been observed
Their coat is smooth and they sometimes have a crest on their head as shown in the pig pictured on the left.
Big ears that flop down
When picked up a grown Cuy will often make an audible breathing sound through their nose and squeal more and harder than regular guinea pigs
Cuy are much larger than regular guinea pigs. They can weigh between three and 8 lbs
They have a large nose
Babies grow at a seemingly abnormal rate
Extremely scared and skittish. They often put themselves in danger rather than be picked up
They usually hide the moment they become aware of human presence.
Almost impossible to pick up because they are very fast and will do anything and everything to get away from you.
Can easily jump three to four feet.

Rosey - Another Day Another Cuy - 15 november 2014

November 8, 2014 Kimmie the Petco Cuy - yes another one...

November 8, 2014 Another Cuy Rescued and Surrendered. This Cuy was taken from a girl that was giving her away. This family has taken care of her till we had space here at the shelter.
Please share these Cuy videos - we need to spread the word and stop petco from selling them.

November 6, 2014 Rachel And Ginger the Giant Cuy

Today Rachel came to surrender her pig. She was so sad because she thought she somehow must be doing something wrong and that she was making her guinea pig unhappy. By surrendering her she hoped that Ginger would find a home that she somehow would be happier in. This is before I explained that Ginger was a rather big Cuy.
When i showed her all the other Cuys here she felt much better and realized that it was not her at all but that Ginger by nature is just skittish and scared.

Once she understood that, instead of surrendering she actually ended up getting a much bigger cage and adopted a buddy for Ginger!

Allison S. contacted us today, October 5, 2014, to be added to our surrender waiting list. She want to surrender her piggies because they are too wild. She also had no idea that her two girls are Cuys. She writes:
What is the reason that you can no longer keep them?
I have done everything to try to tame them and get them used to me but they are so skittish and scared. Every time I go near the coroplast cage they go crazy and run amok until I leave. I fear one day they will die from fright. They are sweet animals and deserve a better life. When I see them running crazy in their cage I feel so sorry for them. This is no way for them to live. I have asked friends and neighbors and even put an ad on craigslist but so far nobody wants to adopt them. This is my last resort. :(

October 18, 2014

October 10. 2014