Entering the show

Cavy shows are held throughout the year, and on any one weekend, you might expect between three and six shows to be held somewhere in the UK. Show are advertised in the monthly journal devoted to the cavy - CAVIES magazine. To subscribe to the magazine email for more information and subscription rates. This excellent publication includes details of clubs and shows in your area along with indepth articles and much more. You can also find contact details for national and local clubs by visiting the Links page on this site.

The schedule can look very alarming to start with, so if you are not sure how to fill in the entry form it is best to phone the secretary and ask, as it is easy to get it wrong at first.

If you look at the schedule you will see that all guinea pigs are shown in age groups: Adult (8 months and over), 5-8 months old, and under 5 months old. Pigs shouldn‘t be shown before they are 3 months (13 weeks) old.

Pet guinea pigs are further divided into classes for boars and sows, and by coat type - that is smooth, rough or long. For pets the coat can be in any colour or mixture of colours.

A smooth pet has a short smooth coat and all the hair must lie from nose to tail. A rough pet can have a curly coat, or it may have ridges, quiffs or rosettes. A cavy which has a smooth coat but has a crest (a round rosette) on its head is classed as rough, unless there are separate classes for crested pets. A longhaired pet cavy can be smooth or rough, but the coat in both cases is long.

Wash 3: Designed by Simon Neesam for the British Cavy Council © 2009