March is national "Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month" and the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) is actively seeking potential adopters for homeless and rejected guinea pigs.

Although guinea pigs are largely low-maintenance animals, they are the fifth most surrendered pet in America. Overpopulation is the largest contributing factor.

"These small mammals make excellent pets," said SAS Director Don Jordan "By adopting a guinea pig from a local animal shelter, you help reduce the suffering caused by the country's tremendous pet overpopulation."

Petfinder.com , a searchable database for animals that need homes, states that there are about 3.3 million guinea pigs in American homes. Last year, 10,000 homeless guinea pigs were posted on Petfinder.com.

According to Pawprints and Purrs, Inc. an animal adoption advocacy group, "owner ignorance" populates shelters with abandoned pets.

Guinea pig overpopulation is an issue that can be easily resolved by simply doing a little research, said Mike Kokernak, an SAS animal care officer.

"People go to pet stores on impulse," he said. "They don't check with the landlord if it's okay to have a pet."

Kokernak also said that guinea pigs are more popular with the college crowd, particularly grad students.

According to Petfinder.com, guinea pigs, properly known as cavies, are very social animals that thrive in the company of a companion. In groups, they are much more active and increasingly vocal. The average life span of a guinea pig is 10 years.

A common misperception in caring for guinea pigs is the belief that they should be provided with exercise wheels or exercise balls. These devices are particularly dangerous because they can seriously injure the animals' spines and feet.

A few guinea pigs that won't be rescued or adopted this month are the rodents reserved for scientific research at some UW labs.

Nona Phillips, director of UW's Office of Animal Welfare, said most research animals are killed for tissue samples.

UW purchases their animals, such as mice, from specialized vendors like the Jackson Laboratory, which supplies nearly two million mice to research centers all over the world, Phillips added.

UW research animals are not taken from animal shelters.

"Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month" is sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Petfinder.com, and the House Rabbit Society.

Reach reporter Anthony Shelley at news@thedaily.washington.edu.