Night City is a mess. It’s a neon-soaked, chrome-plated nightmare where life is cheap and the water probably tastes like battery acid. Most players spend their time worrying about Adam Smasher or whether they should side with Reed or Songbird, but there’s a much smaller mystery skittering around the corners of the map. I’m talking about cyberpunk 2077 guinea pigs. Yeah, those tiny, squeaking rodents that seem totally out of place in a world where almost every other animal has been wiped off the face of the earth.
It’s weird.
In the lore of Mike Pondsmith’s universe, the "Avian Flu" and various ecological collapses didn't just kill the birds. They decimated the ecosystem. Dogs are rare. Cats are basically ghosts. So why, in the middle of a high-stakes heist or a dive into the Pacifica slums, do you stumble across these little guys?
The Biological Loophole: Why Guinea Pigs Survived
Most players assume the presence of animals in the game is just a developer oversight or a recycled asset. It isn't. CD Projekt Red is actually pretty meticulous about why certain creatures are still kicking. According to the "Pet Laws" established in Night City's municipal code (which you can actually read on shards scattered throughout the game), owning a pet is a luxury that'll cost you thousands of eddies in monthly taxes.
But cyberpunk 2077 guinea pigs occupy a strange niche.
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They aren't exactly "pets" in the eyes of the law, or at least, they aren't protected or regulated the same way a dog would be. In a city where real meat is a myth and most people eat "SCOP" (Single-Cell Organic Protein), guinea pigs serve a dual purpose. They are small. They breed fast. They don’t need much space.
Honestly, they're the perfect urban survivalist animal. While the horses and cows died out during the collapses of the early 21st century, these rodents became a staple of the underground economy. You'll see them in cages in the back of markets or in the cramped apartments of NPCs who clearly can't afford the "Pet Tax." They represent a desperate attempt to hold onto something living, something organic, in a world that is increasingly synthetic.
Where to Actually Find Them
If you're looking for them, don't expect them to be out in the open like the cats (Nibbles being the obvious exception). You have to look in the margins. Check the nomad camps in the Badlands or the cluttered stalls in the Kabuki Market.
One of the most famous instances—if you can call it that—occurs during the "I Walk the Line" quest in Pacifica. While you're sneaking through the Grand Imperial Mall, keep your eyes peeled. There are cages. There are signs of life that feel remarkably mundane compared to the giant "Animals" gang members trying to cave your skull in with hammers.
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The Meat of the Matter: Food or Friend?
Let's get dark for a second. In the Cyberpunk 2077 tabletop RPG and the 2077 video game, the scarcity of real protein is a major plot point. Most people consume "All-Foods" synthetic meat. When you see cyberpunk 2077 guinea pigs, you aren't always looking at a beloved family companion.
In many cultures today, especially in the Andes, guinea pigs (cuy) are a primary food source. In the hyper-capitalist hellscape of Night City, this tradition has likely seen a massive resurgence. It's grim. It’s also incredibly realistic for the setting. If you can’t afford a synth-steak, and you’re tired of eating flavored soy-paste, a backyard-bred rodent starts looking like a gourmet meal.
This adds a layer of environmental storytelling that most people miss. Seeing a cage of guinea pigs in a nomad camp tells you more about their supply chain and their refusal to rely on corporate food than any dialogue tree could. They are "off the grid" protein.
The Technical Side: Assets and Animation
From a game development perspective, CDPR used these animals to break up the visual monotony. Night City is a lot of metal and glass. Adding small, animated creatures—even if they just sit in a cage and squeak—makes the world feel reactive.
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However, they don't have the same level of interactivity as the cats. You can’t pet them. You can’t take them home to your Megabuilding H10 apartment. They are, for all intents and purposes, "living props." This has led to some frustration in the modding community, with several creators attempting to make more animals interactive.
Why the Community is Obsessed with Tiny Details
Why do we care about cyberpunk 2077 guinea pigs? It’s because the game had such a rocky launch that players began to scrutinize every single pixel to see what was "real" and what was a "placeholder."
When people found the guinea pigs, it sparked a massive debate on Reddit and the CDPR forums. Was this a sign of cut content? Was there supposed to be a pet store? Or was it just a way to show how far society had fallen?
The consensus among lore hunters like those on the Cyberpunk 2077 Wiki and the "Neon Arcade" community is that they are a deliberate choice to show the "de-extinction" and "survival" themes of the game. They aren't a mistake. They are a statement.
Actionable Insights for Lore Hunters and Players
If you want to dive deeper into the ecological state of Night City and the role of these creatures, here is what you should do:
- Read the "Tax on Animals" Shard: You can find this early in the game. It explains why you don't see dogs or birds. It sets the stage for why small rodents are the only things left.
- Visit the Badlands: Look at the nomad camps specifically. These areas have more "illegal" or unregulated animals than the city center.
- Scan Everything: Using your kiroshi optics on animals often reveals flavor text that you might miss otherwise.
- Check the Food Stalls: In the more "industrial" parts of Santo Domingo, look closely at what’s being prepared. It’s not always soy.
The presence of cyberpunk 2077 guinea pigs serves as a reminder that even in a world of cyborgs and digital ghosts, biology finds a way to persist. They are a small, squeaking symbol of the "little guy" trying to survive in a city designed to crush them. Next time you're sprinting through a mission, stop for a second. Listen for the squeak. It’s one of the few real things left in Night City.