I have been waiting and watching the cages in the small animals agriculture room next to the art room where I teach.  I was fascinated by the pregnant guinea pigs, and was checking daily on the progress.  I asked the teacher if he knew anything about the genetics, terms, why some are smooth, some "angora-like".  Anyway I started looking for answers to my questions online.  One of my saddest childhood memories (11 years old?) is finding my "Snowball" who looked just like Lucky gone one morning.  We had our guinea pigs in an outdoor pen with a huge wood box that my Dad must have made for us.  It had a door that would open and close to allow them freedom to run in and out.  To this day, I am not sure what happened.  My memory of the facts is blank.  Did I leave them out?  My dad said an owl must have got them at night.  Or maybe a fox.   Your story brought tears to my eyes.  I was thinking about adopting or at least caring for one for the summer.  I hope they do go to good homes.  I enjoyed your site.