IF you are looking for the perfect pet for a child, or perhaps an adult who has never kept a pet before, then the guinea pig may be just what you are looking for.

The name 'Guinea Pig' is a little misleading as its native home is not Guinea and it is in no way related to a pig. Guinea Pigs are native to South America and still found wild in the grasslands and mountains of Peru, Argentina and Uruguay, where in some regions they are regarded as food.

They are more properly known as cavies, which is a word derived from the Latin Caviidae, given to classify animals with short or no tails, and their scientific name is Cavia Porcellus, which means 'pig-like cavy'.

They were introduced to Europe in the early sixteenth century and were quite rare and valuable. They arrived in England about 150 years later and it is thought that the 'guinea' part of their name comes from the fact that these animals were once sold for one guinea.

This would have been a huge sum of money in those days, when an average yearly wage would have been about eight pounds. Now, of course, they are relatively inexpensive to buy as their popularity has increased.

There are many breeds of guinea pigs in many different colours and they can be short haired or long haired, smooth coated or rough coated. When choosing a guinea pig it is wise to remember that the long haired breeds will require daily grooming to prevent the hair becoming tangled or matted.

Guinea pigs can live indoors or outdoors. If you keep yours outside you will need a weatherproof hutch in a sheltered position. In very cold weather it is advisable to move the hutch into a shed or garage and cover it with a blanket or something similar. Extra fresh hay bedding will also be required.

Guinea pigs that live indoors can be kept in special large plastic pens, which can have wire or clear plastic covers. They present no problem indoors as they are practically odourless. This is because of their herbivorous diet and because they meticulously groom themselves like cats.

Female guinea pigs are known as sows and males as boars, and both make excellent pets. They are pack animals which means it is best to keep more than one, so choosing which sex to keep is important. Obviously a boar and sow together will breed, so if you don't want this you will need a same sex pairing.

You could have as many sows as you have room for, but if you choose to keep boars it's probably best to stick to two as more than that may not get on well together.

They seldom bite and as long as they are handled regularly from about six weeks of age, any sign of initial nervousness will soon disappear giving way to a docile and cuddly nature.

The more you handle your guinea pig the better it is for both of you, and you will be rewarded with a cute and loveable pet for up to six or seven years.