If you live in Switzerland, you likely own a guinea pig. It is a relatively common occurrence but even in other countries, such as the United States, guinea pigs are often part of the family. When most of us think about family pets, such as a dog or a cat, we may consider their rights as an individual. As it turns out, guinea pigs have the same rights, depending upon where you live in the world.
The Swiss want people to be happy and they also have the same desire for the animals living within their boundaries. Believe it or not, guinea pigs are given some protection under Swedish law and now we will never look at those little animals the same way again. That law states that you have to own more than one guinea pig because owning only one would make them prone to loneliness.
You can improve the quality of life of your guinea pig by having more than one in the enclosure. This brings up an interesting question. What if one of the guinea pigs dies before the other?
It’s not a problem because you can rent a guinea pig through various services. This can help you to keep from running afoul of the law.
Similar laws exist for other animals that should not live in isolation. Goldfish need to have at least one other fish in the tank and parrots need to be socialized with other birds regularly. You can own only one cat but they need to be able to see other cats when looking through a window.
It is yet to be seen how the government plans on helping human beings find a partner so they can also live a good life.