Guinea pig production is practised by all strata of society in Cote d'Ivoire, without regard to gender, age, religion, instruction level or community. It is essentially a source of income, but socioeconomic and cultural background significantly influence the approach to guinea pig production. Adult owners use animals as a source of income. Children eat a significant part of the production themselves. Adolescents progress from consumption to marketing. This preliminary study opens the way for future work that could measure changes over time in the socioeconomic profile of guinea pig farmers and the attitude of the population towards guinea pig breeding.