Choosing a Pet Guinea Pig

Look for a breeder who will guarantee that no matter what, with adequate warning, they will always accept the return of their animal if for whatever reason you cannot keep him or her. Also, ideally a committed breeder will want to check on the welfare of his or her progeny years down the road to get feedback on the breeding process.

breeding guinea pigs, breeding guinea pigs

Try to avoid ones that are panicky by nature, especially when handling them and if they fail to relax quickly. Likewise avoid one that is overly quiet and calm, this could indicate that the animal is ill and you could incur vet bills from an unhealthy pet.

The question of pedigree is a hard one to answer. Just as with domestic cats and dogs, there are a lot of different breeds of guinea pigs, but not all are recognized by governing organizations. In North America, the American Cavy Breeders Association holds power, while the UK has its British Cavy Council. There are a few more such bodies, but to the ordinary pet keeper those things do not particularly matter. What most people want to know when asking about guinea pig breeds are the different descriptions and aesthetic characteristics.There are about a dozen or so named breeds. Because many of these breeds have "ideal" characteristics in contrast to the natural variability of actual characteristics, confusion may arise. For the sake of argument, we will skip most of the talk on rosettes and focus on the hair length and characteristics as the main points of differentiation. The body shapes of guinea pigs are similar across all breeds, unlike with dogs and cats where one breed can look vastly different from another. Colors can vary also, and colors are not particularly associated with most guinea pig breeds.

The first on our list is the Rex. The Rex's hair is short and fuzzy, and stands on end uniformly across its entire body.The Teddy looks kind of like a teddy bear, due to its dense, fuzzy, erect coat. The coat is moderately long, enhancing the huggable appearance much like the stuffed toy it is named after. This breed is quite popular, especially with younger pet owners.

· The Crested breed has a singular rosette on the head, giving it the eponymous crest.

· Coronets are long-haired like Silkies, but with crests like the Crested.

Most people think that it is wiser to adopt guinea pigs than buy new ones. By adopting their pets, they could help homeless cavies in finding a new family that could love them. If you want to try adopting too, you should know about the advantages of adopting instead of buying cavies. Here are some of the reasons why it is better to visit your local rescue centers and look for your newest family member. There are many benefits in adopting guinea's from local animal shelters. Firstly, they have physically fit bodies. Unlike pet shops, animal shelters do not sacrifice the health of pets under their custody. Once you start to adopt guinea pigs, you will notice how healthier they are than cavies sold in pet shops. Credible veterinarians regularly check them in rescue centers. They are also more sociable because they are already accustomed to being held and hand fed by humans. Lastly, there is actually no risk of getting pregnant guinea pigs from rescue organizations.