In Switzerland, It's Illegal to Own Just One Guinea Pig

The profound social nature of guinea pigs is rooted in their evolutionary history as herd animals in the Andes. In the wild, they live in close-knit groups, communicating through a complex range of squeaks, purrs, and chirps. For these creatures, solitude isn't just quiet—it's a source of genuine stress and depression that can negatively impact their health and well-being. This scientific understanding of their deep-seated need for companionship forms the basis for some of the world's most compassionate animal welfare legislation.

In 2008, Switzerland codified this principle into its Animal Protection Ordinance, a sweeping set of laws that views an animal's social environment as a crucial component of its care. Under this legislation, it is illegal to own just one guinea pig, as denying it a companion is considered an act of abuse. The law extends this thinking to other social species as well, including rabbits and many types of parrots, mandating that they be kept in appropriate pairs or groups to ensure their psychological needs are met.

This regulation created a unique problem: what should an owner do when one of a pair dies, leaving the survivor (Review) illegally alone? To address this, a clever and compassionate solution has emerged in the form of guinea pig rental services. An owner can "hire" a companion animal for their grieving pet. This rented friend keeps the survivor company for the rest of its life, ensuring no guinea pig has to live out its final days in isolation and preventing owners from getting stuck in a perpetual cycle of buying new animals.