Angela Mitchell is editor-in-chief of Guinea Pig Today and writes for CavyMadness. She volunteers with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, which rescues and fosters cavies in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania; and supports the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine. She travels to pet conferences, expos and other events around the country as a guinea pig advocate. She lives in Northern Virginia with her guinea pigs Papua and Phoenix and cats Toast and Navy.

March is Adopt-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month! After all, guinea pigs, a.k.a. cavies, end up in shelters and with rescue groups just like dogs and cats.

Here are 10 reasons to give a rescued guinea pig a chance:

1. You'll know what you're getting. At rescue groups and shelters, volunteers learn their guinea pigs' personalities and can tell you a bit about them. Cavies might be small, but they have big personalities. You'll find guinea pigs can be shy or outgoing, just like dogs and cats.
   
   
2. Adopted guinea pigs come in all shapes and sizes. Long hair, short hair, bushy hair and even no hair at all! There are many different breeds of guinea pigs to be found at your local shelter or rescue group.
   
   
3. The shelter or rescue group can help you learn to care for your new cavy. When you adopt a guinea pig, you're adopting a community of support as well. Volunteers can show you how to do routine grooming such as nail or hair trimming.
   
   
4. Your current guinea pig can find a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals and are happiest in pairs or small groups. If you currently have one guinea pig, a rescue group or shelter can help you find a compatible friend for him or her.
   
   
5. You can get a vet referral. Volunteers at rescue groups and shelters can help you find a qualified exotic-animal veterinarian who treats guinea pigs. General dog and cat vets don't always see guinea pigs, and your new pets will need a check-up now and again.
   
   
6. Rescued pigs of all ages need homes. Guinea pigs can live up to eight years, but a rescued guinea pig might already be a few years old. Can you give a senior pet a comfy retirement home?
   
   
7. You might be able to foster-to-adopt. Even if the pig you foster isn't a good fit for your household, you might find fostering is a better option for your family. Volunteers are always needed to give temporary homes to guinea pigs who need loving families.
   
   
8. Some rescued guinea pigs have already been spayed or neutered. You won't have to deal with finding a qualified veterinarian for the procedure -- and you won't have any unexpected babies!
   
   
9. You can get guinea pigs who are already bonded. Sometimes pregnant guinea pigs are left at shelters, and that means there are pups who need homes as well. Bonded siblings make an instant pair if you're looking to adopt more than one.
   
   
10. Adopting guinea pigs makes room for more guinea pigs to be rescued. Shelters are already crowded, so you're giving a chance to other guinea pigs waiting in line for their forever homes.
    

After the jump: Can't adopt, but want to help homeless guinea pigs? Find out how.

March is Adopt-A-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month. To celebrate, we're holding a live Q&A about small mammal adoption and care on our Facebook page Wednesday, March 28, from 12-2 p.m. ET! Lisa Hutcheon, director of Canada's Small Animal Rescue Society of BC, is joining us to answer your questions.

How to participate:

• "Like" Petfinder on Facebook
• Visit our Facebook page Wednesday, March 28, from 12-2 p.m. ET
• Ask your questions about adopting guinea pigs, caring for hamsters or gerbils and more!

About Lisa Hutcheon:
Lisa has been in rescue for 12 years and co-founded Small Animal Rescue Society of BC in Burnaby with two other volunteers in 2004. The organization is 100% volunteer-run and has rehomed more than 1,630 small animals to date. Small Animal Rescue's main purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome any small animal in need, with priority given to sick, injured, neglected or abandoned animals. None of it could be done without the help of the group's vets, donors, volunteers and supporters.

Whitney Potsus is vice president of The Critter Connection guinea pig rescue in Durham, CT, which has taken in more than 800 animals in seven years. She also writes the group's blog, Guinea Pig Connection. She got her first guinea pig when she was 30 and has shared her home with 14 pigs of her own and nearly two dozen foster pigs in the years since.

Each year, Adopt-A-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month educates a few more people about guinea pigs and the rescues dedicated to their welfare. Invariably, when we do public appearances in March, we hear over and over again comments like:

• I didn't know guinea pigs needed rescues.
• I didn't know there was such a thing as a guinea pig rescue.
• How can such a small animal be given up so often? I mean, they don't take up nearly as much space as, say, a dog or a horse.

The truth is that all species of animals can run into trouble if they land in the care of the wrong humans, or if they're taken in by people who didn't do enough research beforehand or weren't realistic about what they could take on.

Guinea pig rescues are full of sweet critters who have been abandoned outdoors, left behind in empty homes, seized by authorities in abuse/neglect/hoarding cases or, quite literally, thrown away. There are pigs who were surrendered because kids lost interest, adults lost jobs, families had to relocate or caretakers were overwhelmed by the costs and/or labor required for the proper care of this species.

Why adopt and not buy?
Despite all this, rescued guinea pigs remain open-hearted to good humans willing to make a serious, long-term commitment. The advantages of adopting these sweet critters are numerous. Here are just a few:

When Sue Walters of Aurora, Ont., was looking for suitable pets for her two autistic sons, Devin and Michael, she decided guinea pigs might be perfect. 

"Our lives are too hectic for a dog, and a cat would not be a great fit either," she says.

To begin her search, she visited Petfinder. "Knowing how many pets are put up for adoption, we were glad to find Piggles Guinea Pig Rescue close to our area," she says. "We fell in love with Morris and Victor when we saw their pictures on the site." 

Soon the piggies had a new home and were introduced to "pats" parties, which they enjoy. "We put the piggies into the boys' laps with a special treat (carrots and flat-leaf parsley are favorites); while they snack, the boys pat them," Sue says.

Calico Jack, then named Larry, was among 14 senior guinea pigs who found themselves homeless when their pet parent passed away.

The Critter Corral in Steger, IL, took them in and set about finding them homes. One person who learned about the pigs was Ilana Ostrar, who had worked with the Critter Corral in the past and who'd been thinking of adopting a friend for her guinea pig.

"I contacted The Critter Corral and told them I could offer one piggy retirement," she says. "I told them my pet situation and let them decide who would best fit in my environment.

Annie was the center of attention as a classroom pet, but when the school year ended, her glory days seemed over.

She was surrendered to Piggles Guinea Pig Rescue in Unionville, ON. Fortunately, Cassandra Jackson of Barrie, ON, was looking for a friend for the family's piggy, Spunk.

Cassandra filled out an application and the Jacksons went to visit the rescue. But there were many adoptable guinea pigs. How could they decide?

Fortunately, they received expert advice from Caroline at Piggles and adopted Annie.