The day Lisa Usher took ownership of a guinea pig was the day her life changed forever.
Prior to November 2016 the Dundonian had worked in Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, India and many other foreign countries as a tourist rep and manager.
Lisa wanted a pet but was wary about the commitment so opted for a beautiful ginger guinea pig who she called Rosie.
“Rosie literally changed my life,” says Lisa. “Within a few months of having her I thought I should work with animals. She made me change my career.”
Lisa, who grew up in Fintry and now lives in the West End, soon enrolled on an HND course in animal care at Dundee and Angus College.
She is set to graduate in the summer and wants to work in pet rescue for guinea pigs and rabbits.
“Rosie rescued me and because of her my goal is to give many guinea pigs the life they deserve,” Lisa says.
“If I ever open a rescue shelter it will be called Rosie’s.”
First of many
Rosie turned out to be the first of many. She was joined by Ava, Jessie, Pearl, Primrose, Poppy and Lilly.
“I have bonded with all of them,” says Lisa. “Guinea pigs are seen as pets for children but they have each got incredible different characters.
“They make different noises to communicate how they are feeling. If I open the fridge and they know I have vegetables in there they make a weasely sound. When they are happy they purr like cats.
“People are surprised by their noises and how calm they are.
“They are affectionate, which people don’t often see because they are prey animals. You have to be gentle with them until they come out of their shells.
“During lockdown I had six weeks when I barely spoke to anybody so they kept me motivated and were great company.
“Guinea pigs are thought of as easy-to-care-for pets but actually need a lot more space than most pet shop cages provide and vet bills can be expensive as, just like rabbits, they are seen as exotic pets.”
Rosie heartbreak
The other major downside is that guinea pigs have a lifespan of just four to seven years and are prone to cancers due to overbreeding.
“That means it is more important to make their life here as good as it can be.
“I have mainly got rescue guinea pigs so I don’t always know where they have come from and been treated.
“Because they are prey animals they try to hide their illnesses so you have to be alert.”
Lisa has sadly lost two of her guinea pigs. Ava died in 2019 after living with her for 18 months, then Rosie was put to sleep last year at the age of seven.
Rosie’s passing was particularly hard to take but Lisa found some solace by opening her heart in the Facebook post below.
“I don’t have kids so the guinea pigs are like my little family,” she says. “Anybody who knows me talks about them in that respect; they ask ‘how are the girls?’
“I don’t think I could be without them. It’s good to have a few of them because their lifespan is short so none of the are on their own.
“I love them all but Rosie was definitely something special as she was so affectionate and she would follow me around the room waiting on cuddles.”
‘She has impacted many humans, not just me’
Lisa says she is still able to travel confident that her girls are being well looked after at Pitlessie Rabbit Retreat and Guinea Pig Care.
“Going to Fife to drop them off is a journey for me but I would not trust anyone else. They send me pictures to show me how they are doing and let me know if anything is wrong.
“I’ve a few friends who actually got guinea pigs after seeing photos, videos of my girls on Facebook or after meeting them, especially Rosie as she was a diva who would give anyone a cuddle and was never scared of anything.
“So she has impacted many humans, not just me.
“Guinea pigs are thought of as easy-to-care-for pets but actually need a lot more space than most pet shop cages provide and vet bills can be expensive as, just like rabbits, they are seen as exotic pets.
Lisa is rightly proud of her guinea pigs, and below we profile her beloved pets.
Rosie
Arrived November 2016.
Age Died July 16 2020 (Guinea Pig Awareness Day), aged seven.
Background Rescue.
Personality Fearless diva who would give anyone a cuddle.
Jessie
Arrived June 2017.
Age Four and a half.
Background Rescue.
Personality Nicknamed ‘rock star’ due to her mohawk and her rebellious attitude.
Pearl
Arrived June 2017.
Age Two and a half.
Background Rescue.
Personality Despite being a bit of a wimp, is known as the sumo wrestler because of her large size.
Ava
Arrived June 2017.
Age Died early 2019.
Background Rescue.
Personality A bit of a live one, would bite the cage and run around in circles when it was feeding time. Blueberries were her favourite. She also did the craziest ‘zoomies’.
Primrose
Arrived September 2020.
Age Five.
Background Rescue.
Personality Very affectionate, though may be a little blind so easily startled. Has to be approached slowly. Poppy’s sister.
Poppy
Arrived September 2020.
Age Five.
Background Rescue.
Personality Often up to mischief and bosses her sister Primrose. Looks like David Bowie during his make-up era.
Lilly
Arrived March 2019.
Age Two.
Background Pets at Home.
Personality Arriving from Pets at Home at six weeks, Lilly is the only one of Lisa’s guinea pigs not to have been rescued. A princess who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she is ‘the boss’ who is also a TV addict.