Inspiration comes in many forms, but rarely is it so delightful and udder-ly nutty. “Peanut was my strongest contender for a name at first, but unfortunately, my adorable new baby guinea pig was not at all the color of a peanut,” remembers Summer C., guinea pig parent and Nationwide pet insurance member. “She looked more like a dairy cow. What’s a more dairy-cow-sounding name than Penelope?”
Reaching a crossroads, she opted to combine her two inspirations into a piggy portmanteau like no other: Penelopeanut.
It didn’t take long for Penelopeanut’s wacky name to translate into a wacky reign. “Lenard, her companion pig, was always the head honcho, but between her relentless chatter mouth, lettuce theft and weaponized hip cannons—they don’t lie—she quickly taught him how to politely treat a lady.”.
After a difficult medical journey with her previous guinea pig, “I knew we couldn’t afford to repeat the same mistake,” says Summer. She opted to protect Lenard and Penelopeanut with pet insurance: “Nationwide is one of the only traditional pet insurance companies that covers guinea pigs.”
Summer C. Nationwide member since 2025
