Happy Weekend: Gratuitous guinea pig swimming pool playtime photo

I don't know anything about the origin of this photograph, or who shot it. But I love it. (Thanks, Tara McGinley; via Picture This via kraftfuttermischwerk.de via Publique)

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

MORE: Delightful Creatures • pets

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Anonymous

Cos bOing bOing is a haven for sanity and humanity, and the idea of trolls here is disgusting.

Me gusta!
rebdav

Weep weep weep weep weep weep!
- DoctressJulia
  
  I LOLed. XD
Anonymous

So freaking cute! I love the the belly with two colors the most. Makes me want to clap some fresh romaine lettuce near them just to hear the squeaks and purrs.
Anonymous

Not intended to troll, at all. This is how a cuy is sacrificed for human consumption.
Pd. I am full carnivore

Moderator note: graphic gore
http://jumpaocular.carbonmade.com/projects/2756653
Carbonfish

It looks like the cooks were thinking ahead when they made so much brine. I’ll bet they can brine several dozen before they have to top up.

MMMMmmmmmm, Guinea Pig. Of course, a Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) will feed a few more people each, but they’re nowhere near as easy to work with.
In Blue

Do they even like water?
- Anonymous
  
  I don’t know if they like water, but I know from experience that they *hate* being held belly-up.
- Glippiglop
  
  They look pretty content. If they didn’t like the water I think they’d act more like my cats the few times I gave them a bath – scratching and clawing the hell out of me just to get out of there. The guinea pig on the left is barely being held and isn’t squirming away, so yeah, I guess they like it.
Anonymous

Secret training session for Guantanamo exposed.
Anonymous

who else thought the middle guy at the top’s knees were a pair of boobs
Anonymous

That’s really interesting that they don’t look stressed out at all. My friend had a pair of g-pigs that would constantly fight until she learned that if you bathe them together, the sheer trauma causes them to bond. She tried it, and apparently it worked like a charm!
Anonymous

Original looks to be here: http://pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=86742. Indicates it was taken at Makigahara Children’s Zoo, part of the Nogeyama Zoological Gardens in Yokohama.

Anon: I don’t like trolls either.
Anonymous

“Guinea pigs take over earth, humans enslaved to give massages.”
notplainjane

It’s like a mom-and-me swimming class for guinea pigs! too cute.
sean

It’s the GPSST (Guinea Pig Synchronized Swim Team) getting ready to work on a new routine.
dancentury

Blue watch man lost his piggy!
RHK

If this is Peru, they’re just washing off their food before lunch.
napstimpy

But for the love of all that is holy do NOT feed them after midnight!
Anonymous

Que tan ricos esos cuyes me parecen!
igpajo

Guinnea Pig water birthing class?
Anonymous

Poor creatures. They hate the water. They must be terrified :(
- Anonymous
  
  My guinea pigs loved the water! They always got happy when I gave them a warm bath!
grimc

Y’know, if they could float on their backs and learn to hold a can of beer upright on their bellies…
pinehead

Water aerobics is nice and all, but you know the piggies don’t think it’s nearly as great as chow time is.
irksome

They’re doing it all wrong; 2″ of water and STEAM them.
Anonymous

In Peru you can select your “Cuy” or Guinea Pig to eat, just like choosing a live lobster at a Seafood Resto! Well, you would have to come back later that evening to eat…yummm.
Anonymous

Having raised many guinea pig litters I can tell you that guineas can swim as baby piglets and take to the water very well just a few days after birth. They float and dog paddle while holding their snouts above the surface and enjoy a little dip. They prefer water that is shallow enough for them to stand in where they can sit on their haunches and clean themselves. I highly recommend them as pets.
Anonymous

dude the troll food is worse than the troll imho, what so hard not to understand about not feeding them? anyway the picture awesome all the cute stuff cheers me up thanks for all the positive cute stuff cant get enough.
Anonymous

Looks like innovative empathy training for children to me.
As we all know, empathy doesn’t really develop until later in childhood and so exercises such as this are invaluable.
- Bucket
  
  We call it Voight-Kampff for short.
  
  You’re holding a guinea pig in a kiddie pool of water, and it’s really not all that happy about it. Why aren’t you taking your pig out and drying him off with a towel, Leon?
Anonymous

I can provide some additional lineage for this photo up to a point:
-Someone originally posted it on 2chan’s “Animals that are not cats or bugs” Board (http://up.2chan.net/d/futaba.htm)
-I sort of puzzled over it and reposted it to my ‘blog’ (http://dogproblem.tumblr.com/)
-Which was then picked up Picture This, I am assuming.

It sure is strange seeing things I sifted off japanese image boards end up on here.
- Anonymous
  
  They’re not so far from a capybara, which is a thoroughly aquatic creature.
Anonymous

Why do so many jerks ALWAYS have to point out that some people eat guinea pigs, rabbits, etc.?

It is SO annoying how many times when I mention my love for my rabbits in an obvious context of being companion animals, a good percentage of folk have to mention “you know you can eat rabbits. derp derp derp” NO, REALLY??? wow, I have NEVER heard that before…. *sigh*

How would you folks like when you are mentioning your cat or dog I point out that in some places, people eat those too and go into great detail about it? (just like I have experienced with my bunnies)

so disrespectful and annoying and very cliche’ to people that really do love their guinea pig or rabbit as a PET and not MEAT…
- Daneel
  
  Om nom nom nom.
  
  Seriously, I wouldn’t care or get upset by it. Not sure why you do.
- wigg1es
  
  Nature should have considered your feelings before it made all the delicious animals adorable.
  
  So what if people eat rabbits? Are they eating YOUR rabbits? I didn’t think so. Get on with it.
  - peterbruells
    
    Oh please, anon has a point. People usually don’t go around telling people how good dogs or cats taste when someone posted a lolcat, but it’s common with guinea pigs and rabbits. It’s nosy bad taste and intended to provoke a reaction.
RyanH

The one in the top right looks like it’s wearing swim trunks
Eric

OK this just became my desktop
Anonymous

Could be worse.

At dinner one night, friend in college was telling me of his happy memories of visiting his grandparents in Boliva when he was little. He especially enjoyed playing with all the guinea pigs in the room just off the kitchen.

Then he paused, thought for a moment, and said “Those weren’t pets, were they?”
Anonymous

why isn’t this a video?
The Hamster King

Aquatic training is proceeding as planned.

Excellent, excellent … .
kevomatic

“Still waiting for someone to invent physical violence over tcp/ip.”

UFC/IP?