What would you get if you crossed a llama with a rabbit? That’s probably a question that can’t (shouldn’t?) be answered. But the result just may resemble an alpaca guinea pig.

Guinea pigs, which are native to the Andes Mountains and can still be found in the wild there, are not all identical. Hence, the alpaca version, which grows longer fur that has a distinct wave to it. Kind of like a bad ‘80s perm.

For Mackenzie Rathjens, her alpaca guinea pig, Olive, is the ideal pet. But, why an alpaca guinea pig, of all things? “I babysat a neighbor’s guinea pig, and my birthday was coming up,” she says. “When I came back from vacation, I got Olive!”

Now Mackenzie and her guinea pig pal are best friends. Olive likes to cuddle and eat vegetables. “She likes to crawl on my neck and go into my hoods and my pockets,” says Mackenzie. Olive also likes yogurt drops and alpaca treats. 

For a youngster, Olive already has a few neat tricks. “She can climb up and down stairs—with support,” says Mackenzie. Olive can also jump up to her cage from the ground. On nice days, Mackenzie packs up Olive on her cart and takes her for walks around the neighborhood. 

Around the house, Olive likes massages, and Mackenzie and her brother build forts and tunnels for her to play in. Olive also loves to have her hay refilled. “She will start jumping around and get the zoomies in her cage,” says Mackenzie.

Olive might be a pint-sized pet, but she is the perfect match for Mackenzie.