KITCHENER — Catherine Warren never intended to run a guinea pig sanctuary in her home.

It all started when her son wanted a hamster. They ended up adopting a friend's unwanted guinea pig instead. Then they went searching for a fuzzy buddy for their new pet. Soon Warren started bringing home more and more of the unwanted little creatures.

"We fell in love with them," she said. "I got to 16 pigs in my house and I thought, 'what are we doing?'"

Warren decided to find new homes for the guinea pigs and within a year her grassroots shelter, Guinea Pig Sanctuary, grew from those first 16 pigs to about 70 wriggly rodents today.

"We need a farm," she said with a laugh.

Warren's little pig sanctuary now is run out of the basement of her Kitchener home. It began as a casual endeavour but is now almost like a full-time job, she said.

"There were lots of them needing new homes. I saw the need, but I never knew it was this big."

Warren said it is difficult to find small animal shelters and rescues that will take in pets from people who just don't want them anymore. She said many of them focus on sick or abused small animals that need the most care. So whenever there is a guinea pig in need of a new home, Warren steps in.

"I just can't say no," she said.

Warren said there are lots of misconceptions about guinea pigs as boring house pets.

"They're sweet little animals. I would liken them more to in between a hamster and a bunny," she said. "They each have their own little personality."

The little wriggly nosed rodents usually live in Warren's basement, but they are scattered around Warren's house these days as she works to make the basement a more accommodating space for her sanctuary.

"It's a work in progress," she added.

Warren said the guinea pigs are small and contained so she hasn't any problems with the city or heard any complaints from her neighbours.

The Guinea Pig Sanctuary accepts donations to help pay for food, care and vet bills. Adoption fees go toward these costs as well. Warren also grooms and boards pet guinea pigs to raise funds to run her sanctuary.

Guinea pigs are social creatures that prefer to have a companion, Warren said. That is why she usually adopts bonded pairs.

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Guinea Pig Sanctuary is hosting two adoption events this month: on Oct. 14 at Pet Valu, 315 Arthur St. S., Elmira, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Oct. 21 at Pet Valu, 350 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information about the Guinea Pig Sanctuary, adoptions, fostering or sponsoring a guinea pig, go to the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GPSguineapigs or the website at www.gpsguineapigs.wixsite.com/kitchener.