HELLO,
My name is Laura De Stefano (nee Humphreys), and I think I must have been a guinea pig in a previous life!
I’m currently Mum to three boars – Woody, Rupert & Timmy – and live in Huntingdon, Cambs, with my husband. I decided to start up Tiny Paws in 2018 with the aim of offering an exclusive, specialised, guinea pig only environment providing grooming, holiday boarding and a multitude of additional services I intend to incorporate just as soon as I can.
I have created a mini-CV below sharing a few of my credentials. I really should work on an actual CV sometime though…
PUBLICATIONS
For over 10 years I have been a leading voice in the campaign to improve guinea pig care, medical care and welfare. I have published one book of my own relating to my experience with guinea pigs, Charlie’s Memoirs, with another book on general guinea pig care in the works. I was also instrumental in designing, rewriting, contributing to and delivering the British Association of Rodentologists comprehensive 300-page professional textbook, which deals specifically with the medical care of guinea pigs. I also wrote extensively for Guinea Pig Magazine, which I co-launched and contributed heavily to for more than 6 years.
ONLINE PRESENCE & ADVISING
I have run around a dozen websites and forums – most were for guinea pig health and care – in my late teens and early twenties. I was very active on some major online forums back in those days and held in high regard for my commonsense and logical approach. Those forums included (but weren’t limited to): Guinea Pig Cages, when it was still known as Cavy Cages; Cutiecavies; Guinea Lynx; TKCC; Guinea Pig World; and The Guinea Pig Forum. The most notable sites I ran and owned myself were The Piggy Boards, a forum of my own, and the educational website and advice line Guinea Pig Helpline which ran for several years in the early 2010s.
NON-GUINEA-PIG STUFF
Away from the world of guinea pigs, I have a fairly wide spectrum of interest, so here are ten random points of interest (or not?!):
- I’ve lived in Huntingdon for 15 years, but I grew up as a military kid.
- I’m a Formula One obsessive.
- I take far too many photographs that I do nothing with.
- I practice yoga, weightlifting, and occasionally bouldering and ice skating.
- I have very diverse music tastes.
- My favourite drink is water.
- I wanted to be a translator when I was in secondary school.
- I was an only child for 17 years, when my parents had twins.
- I live with illnesses that have at times been life-limiting, including agoraphobia.
- I love driving.
Creator of the 2019 Summer Campaign #guineapigsdieinhothutches as featured on ITV Anglia

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION,
The Resident Pets
Throughout my 30 years I have grown up with and kept 36 guinea pigs, 5 dogs and 1 hamster. We currently have very few pets of our own, but, exactly in life as in business, we are a guinea pig only household – we don’t keep any other pets.
At present, we have 3 guinea pigs – Woody, Rupert & Timmy – each of whom have a short bio below. The names of all of my previous piggies, loved and lost, are listed further down the page.
Elwood Mungo (Woody)
Cream self
Estimated DoB: 19 August 2021
Personality: Houdini-turned-soft sappy chunky snuggle bug.

Rupert William
Silver agouti teddy (and possible part capybara? 1.6kg!)
Known DoB: 14 January 2022
Personality: Teddy bear in name, breed and character. Gentle giant.

Timothy Linden (Timmy)
Cream and white semi-long haired
Estimated DoB: 14 July 2024
Personality: Part sweet, part scrappy. Thinks he’s scarier than he is.

He lives with Rupert, merrily trying to destroy Roo’s peace and quiet.
PIGGIES PAST
Loving Memory:
Charlie, Tuppence, Lottie, Jasmine, Dexter, Gwenivere, Saffron, Breanna, Franklyn, Meghan, Willamina, Harrison, Pandora, Kingslie, Rosemary, Delilah, Sophia, Elijah, Errol, Gabriel, Archie, Amelie, Felicity, Miranda, Sampson, Wilbur, Hugo, George
A Special One – Wilbur
We lost Wilbur in January 2022, a loss that remains particularly painful. Wilbur was one of two boys I had at the time I conceived the idea of Tiny Paws Guinea Pig Groomer and he oversaw so many major changes in the 4 years he was around for. I like to imagine him being at the Rainbow Bridge to meet the many piggies we have had the honour of knowing when they cross the Bridge. His spirit lives on here as, without Wilbur, there would have been no Tiny Paws.
Wilbur Bartholomew
29 May 2016 – 15 January 2022

Last Updated: 17 December 2024