Has anyone ever used a guinea pig before. I have ideas but I am not sure how well it will work.
Zippy

I wouldn't recommend using a guinea pig for an effect since these little creatures get stressed out easily. And it may cause problems for them.

Brian, thanks for the advice

Your welcome!

I have used a guinea pig for years now. My guinea pig (Piglet) is now 5 years old. I use him in the main effects and he is better then ever. I should tell you that their life only last 5-8 years and the last time I took him to the Vet (not that long ago) they said he looked around 2 years old and he looks to be in perfect health! It does not bother him to much from what I can see. So that's what I do I put a twist into my show my using a guinea pig not a rabbit(nothing wrong with rabbits) People love him. When he does pass away I will be getting another guinea pig because they are great to work with!

Lucas

Harry Anderson Performed a Guinea Pig effect years ago on Saturday Night Live.

Harry Anderson secretly switched the Guinea pig for a ball of cotton candy, then ate him... funny idea.

Marty Putz, a prop comic, shoots a gerbil out of a canon at a giant target. Fake gerbil of course...

The SPCA loved that performance...and so did SKIPPY.

Ellen

Yep, that is the "Guinea Pig Box" that used to be marketed by Viking. It appears they still make the effect, although I'm not sure if other manufacturers also produce it. He is a link below.

http://www.vikingmagiccompany.com/?nd=full&key=244

The basic routine is that you take the guinea pig out of it's cage and sit him on top. You tell a story about shopping with your pet and the store had a "no pets allowed" sign. So, you explain, that you took a sheet of newspaper and rolled your guinea pig inside. (you do the same same, as you tell the story.) However, a clerk approached you and asked you what was in the newspaper. You poke a hole in the paper to expose a tuft of hair and explain that it's cotton candy. The clerk, not believing you, asks you to taste the cotton candy. You proceded to do so, stuffing the "fur" in your mouth and eating it. You continue to do this until there is no "fur" left and you have "eaten" you guinea pig. You open the newspaper to show it empty, and then crumple up the paper and take your bow.

Cris

Ive used Guinea Pigs in my act also, and people are a little surprised, instead of just seeing the common rabbit.

theyre so easy to work with because they don't move around too much, they don't try to escape, run or fly away.

the problem is sometimes they squeal from their load chamber, specially when they recognize my voice or scent (they are rodents and they are smart) me=food, and people wonder what and where that sound is coming from. LOL!!!

ref. see "Chicken Production" post

yes ive also read that they stress easily, but ive never had this problem since my pigs are already acustomed to myself and our act.

there are different breeds available, some even have super long hair that you have to brush regularly so that they won't matt.

good luck on your decision

Harry Allen has a quite humorous yet sad story about producing his guinnea pig in a dove pan a kids birthday party in his younger years...but when it appeared...it was dead! So to save the embarrassment of showing a dead animal and making children cry, he picked it up, and worked it like a rocky raccoon for a few moments until he could put it out of sight!

I certainly would not wanna be in that situation!