What Type of Guinea Pig is Right For Me?

The main difference between different breeds of guinea pigs is hair type and hair color or patterns. You will see many different combination's of hair types from long to short, wavy to fuzzy, straight and single colored, to swirly and multicolored. The choice is up to you! So how do you choose?

If you are looking for the easiest option, go with a short haired breed. Short haired guinea pigs require the least amount of grooming. All you need to do is brush through their hair once per week as part of your normal care routine.

Long haired guinea pigs are especially beautiful and very popular with people looking to "show" their pets. This just means that they are interested in competing against other guinea pig owners to see who has the best looking animal (as determined by a panel of judges.) If you find you have fallen in love with longer haired guinea pigs, know that you will have to brush their hair daily and over time this is going to be more work. Never choose a long haired guinea pig if you are not prepared to invest time in grooming.

Longer hair is more likely to attract small particles of debris as well as tangle and become matted. If a long haired guinea pig is not groomed properly this can actually result in health problems as tangles turn into sections of matted hair over time. These sections will actually start to pull and pinch your guinea pig, resulting in sores in the most extreme cases.

If you and your family are interested in a breed that is very easy to care for, consider the American Guinea Pig. This is a very old short haired breed that comes in many colors. The American is the "classic" guinea pig and looks exactly like what one imagines when one thinks "guinea pig."The easy to groom, short, smooth hair makes this the ideal choice for a young child or busy family.

If you are looking for a more exotic breed consider the Abyssinian. The Abyssinian is known for having fur with a unique pattern of swirls known as rosettes. Abyssinians are very popular show guinea pigs. If this is something that interests you, be sure to select one with eight "rosettes" as this is considered ideal. The Abyssinian is more difficult to groom despite having shorter hair as the hair grows in so many directions. For this reason, this would not be an ideal low maintenance pet.

Finally, if you are looking for the ultimate in long haired guinea pig, look no further than the Peruvian. This guinea pig can grow hair up to a foot in length! This breed requires a lot of brushing, hair washing, and detangling so it is only recommended for people who wish to show guinea pigs.

Just remember that short haired and long haired guinea pigs are equally sweet and adorable. You need to decide as a family how much time each person is willing to devote to caretaking and grooming. If you expect to be pressed for time on most evenings, go for a short haired guinea pig. Everyone will be happier.