Short and Brief Cavy Guide - Wheek! Wheek!

I have recently done a whole new cavies website, it is at http://cashmincalcavies.tripod.com - some parts are still under construction.

As well as the rabbits I have some cavies which I show in the cavy classes at my rabbit shows and very occasionly at Cavy Shows. 

This page just has some basic cavy information and some photos of some of my cavies...enjoy!

I have listed some of the more popiular cavy breeds:

Abysinnian
Agouti
American Crested
Coronet
Dalmation
Dutch
English Crested
Harlequin
Himalayan
Peruvian
Rex
Satin
Tort and White & Tort and Black
Self
Sheltie
Texel                                                                                                       

For more information of cavy breeds and desciptions go to http://www.cavyland.org.uk/ 

Feeding Cavies - A Rough Guide

Like us humans, cavies are unable to produce their own vitamin C so you will need to supply it for them. I recommend that you feed a good quality cavy food with a high vitamin C content, for example, Guinea Pig Museli by Spillers, which I am feeding my cavies at the moment. I do not recommend feeding your cavies shop bought treats as many of these has many additives and sugars in them which are not ideal for cavies, although Excel have recently brought out a range of treats with herbs in which seem to be well-received by my cavies, especially my chief tester “Dandio”. 

Cavies should also be provided with a “cup” full of fruit and vegetables a day, suitable vegetables and fruits are listed below:

Carrots

Parsley

Curly Kale

Cabbage

Spring Greens

Apple (but feed sparingly as it can cause sores around their mouths due to the acidity)

Runner Beans

Corn on the cob (uncooked)

Spinach (not canned)

Cucumber (an ideal “treat” for cavies)

Beetroot (on occasion)

Tomatoes

Pears

Strawberries

As well as the fruit and vegetables listed above cavies also require hay to keep their gut moving and their teeth in trim. I feed my cavies on meadow hay they seem to really enjoy.  I get my hay from my local wholesalers/feed merchants and it is good quality hay, which looks and smells divine, it certainly goes down well with my cavies. 

FOREWORD Before you breed your cavies, please think carefully before you do it. Are you breeding to further your present breed? If you are going to breed your cavy for pets, please think carefully about what you are going to do with the cavies when they are born. Also, I recommend that you contact a breeder (many are listed on http://www.cavies.net) so that they can advise you about cavy genes and much more..

Point of note* - Never ever breed Dalmation to Dalmation or Roan to Roan as this can produce "lethals".

Cavies have to be under 9 months when first bred from because their pelvic bones fuse together and they will have difficulty giving birth. When you mate up a cavies you can put the boar in the the sow or vice versa. It is common practise with breeders to put in a boar with a large group of sows. Cavies come into season every 2 weeks so leave the boar in with the sow for 1 month to ensure that she has taken. Remove the boar before the sow/s give birth as it is quite common for the boar to remate the sow after she has given birth as she is extremely fertile.

Cavies will carry for two months. Young cavies are born fully furred and are eating within a few hours of been born and they look like Miniature versions of their mothers. Leave the baby guinea pigs with the mother for about 6 weeks before separating them as the young boar/s are "active" at a young age.

First of all, you will need to find out when a show is on and book in either by phoning up the secretary or by sending of a entry form. The "Cavies Magazine" has show dates and contact details of the clubs.

I personally bath my cavies in a small animal shampoo for cavies and small animals called "Squeaky Clean" and more recently trying the gorgeous guineas range . If you have a male guinea pig it will need its grease spot cleaned, as a dirty greasespot will penilize him. A grease spot is a greasy spot near a boars bottom which is their scent gland (a picture of which is located below!). To clean it I use fairy liquid and a soft toothbrush and I very gently rub in the fairy liquid and then rinse it off. After cavies have been washed they need to be dried with a hair drier or with a towel. Keep you cavy inside so it doesn't get chilled. When they are dried cavies may need their ears cleaned (be careful) and then be brushed with a soft brush. You may also need to cut your cavies claws, but be careful not to cut their quick.

For your cavy at the show take hay and some veg and fruit for your cavy to enjoy (although I reccomend carrots for after judging - not before ;)). Use a suitable pet carrier to transport your cavy to the show, I use wooden boxes. Leave home in plenty of time to get to the show allowing for any traffic jams or holdups. When you get to the show, go to the secretary to ask for your paperwork and collect it. It is likely that you will be given a sheet with your cavies pen numbers on it and at cavy shows, their ear labels. Check your cavies over and settle them into their pens. Later on the judging will begin. The cavies will come out in classes, for example Smooth Cavy and be judged by their pen number. For a pet cavy, it must be clean (no stains, clean greasespot), well presented, in a fit condition, nails cut, ears clean and be a friendly and easy to handle cavy. Each judge, off course, will have different preferences of what he or she likes a cavy to be. The winner of each class will go against to find the Best (pet) Cavy in Show.

The location of the cavies greasespot is shown above this text.

Best of luck!