Rescuers find 100 guinea pigs in one home

23 minutes ago

Helen Burchell

RSPCA A guinea pig with a piece of cucumber

An animal charity has rescued more than 100 newborn and adult guinea pigs from a home.

The RSPCA said the number of guinea pigs "rapidly grew out of control, leaving an owner unable to cope".

About 70 of the animals are being cared for at the charity's Cambridge branch, 21 in Milton Keynes, and 10 at the South Buckinghamshire branch, with more sent to other centres. Some have also been allowed to stay with the owner.

The RSPCA has put out a "desperate" plea for foster carers as it expected the numbers to increase, as many of the rescued females were pregnant.

RSPCA Two guinea pigs are in a cage. There is grass beneath them. — The RSPCA has appealed for fosterers and donations to help care for the animals

The charity said its branches had "taken on the large number of small furries at short notice" and were under pressure.

They said 120 were removed from the property, and while most were in good health, four had to be put to sleep, and those that remained with the owner had been put into same-sex pairs to ensure no further breeding.

Some of those being cared for at the charity's branches had already given birth.

RSPCA Close-up of the face of a guinea pig. It has brown and white fur. — The majority of the guinea pigs are being looked after at RSPCA rescue centres

The mass rescue, supported by Woodgreen Pets Charity in Cambridgeshire, was dubbed "Operation Guinea Pig".

Rosemary Rodd, treasurer at RSPCA Cambridge and District Branch, said: "We are so grateful to our amazing team of volunteers and fosterers who all rallied to our cry for help and enabled us to help so many of these little ones.

"Our branch took 69 in total, but the numbers are already starting to increase as one foster carer has already reported the birth of some babies."

Louise Norman, who runs a small animal sanctuary and volunteers at the RSPCA in Buckinghamshire, said: "On the day they arrived, one baby was born and she weighed 100 grams (3.5oz) - thankfully she was mum's only baby.

"We do, however, strongly suspect that all the females are pregnant - and some of the girls are only eight to 10 weeks old."

RSPCA About four guinea pigs can be seen inside a blue carrier. They are various shades of brown and white. — The animals will eventually be put up for rehoming

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Maya Thakrar said she was "blown away by the support of my colleagues at our branches and centres who all offered to help take on these little ones at such short notice".

"This rescue is just one of those multi-animal rescues we are having to deal with, and we are struggling and need help," she said.

"As with many multi-animal rescues, this was not a case of deliberate cruelty - but something we are seeing far too often when people are overwhelmed unintentionally by not neutering early enough."

The RSPCA said it was dealing with an average of 410 "multi-animal" incidents involving 10 or more animals every month, an increase on 2025 - which it said was already a record-breaking year.