Do you treat your guinea pig like royalty? Protect it with a suit of armor!
There’s an eBay listing for a handmade, steel scale-mail armor for guinea pigs that comes with a tiny helmet. According to the tongue-in-cheek description, the item will safeguard beloved rodents from bullies and “the perils of the modern world.” The bidding – which ends June 21 – started at a mere $5 on June 11 and was going for more than $1,200 as of Monday night.
(MORE: Millions on Pet Halloween Costumes? Why We Spend More and More on Pets)
The owner of the listing, Sean McCoy of Fairfax, Virginia, told TIME in an email that he originally designed the costume for his pet guinea pig Lucky – who recently passed away around the age of four after being weighed down by a non-cancerous tumor in his stomach. (R.I.P.) Now McCoy is planning to donate all proceeds of the online auction to the Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue in Virginia where he first found the furry creature four years ago.
The steel creation may be well-suited for a brief photo op…and that’s about it. While the description boasts that the outfit is perfect for taking guinea pigs to a Renaissance fair in style, Lucky actually “hated” the piece, McCoy told TIME:
It was a bit heavy on him. He did very little other than pose for photos [and then] doze off. The helmet and armor must have reminded him of a blanket (one of his favorite things).
This suit of armor is just the latest in wacky pet costumes, from hand-knit sweaters for turtles to punk rock attire for dogs.