Show Preparation

Preparing to show your cavies for the first time may seem quite scary. The truth is, all experienced breeders once upon a time had no idea what they were doing either. I am absolutely not an expert but as is the creed of this blog, I will share with you, what I have learned so far.



Cavies must be disease and injury free. To avoid putting your animal at risk and also every other cavy at the show and not to mention embarrassing yourself, ensure that you follow this rule. Visually inspect each cavy right up until departure. To put unhealthy (this includes under or overweight,) infested, malformed or otherwise hurt or unwell cavies on a show-board and present them reflects terribly on your reputation, your cavy club and the fancy in general.

Ears that have hems or are damaged can count as a fault. Likewise for additional toes and cysts. Breaks and/or sparseness of coat may count against you, as can a coat that is chewed, chopped, dirty or greasy.
Boar with an old injury where the ear has been ripped

Sows obviously in-pig should also be left at home. It is not appropriate for them to be taken to shows. Sows can be extra sensitive during this time and stressing a pregnant sow can cause the spontaneous miscarriage of her litter.
A boar and sow together for breeding. One of the scenarios commonly resulting in coats being chewed.

Cavies that have been de-sexed are not eligible to be shown in pedigree classes (according to ANCC rules.) The procedure results in a physical abnormality. It could also be used as an explanation to conceal other congenital defects making it  more difficult for a judge to discern between the two.

Identification of any form on your cavy is not acceptable aside from the paper ear tags used during the show for numbering purposes.

Cavies that have had substances added to their coat to enhance or alter their appearance and /or specific coat qualities are deemed an alteration to the cavies natural appearance (other than standard grooming and presentation practices) and will also equal a disqualification. If you're tempted to improve your cavies chances by adding a bit of hairspry, powder or even dye, don't do it! It equates to cheating and sooner or later you will get caught out. Remember this is a circle of people where trust and integrity is everything. If you burn your bridges by cheating it won't be forgotten by members of the fancy. Keep your cavy and your moral slate, nice and clean.

Standard grooming practices include vermin control, trimming nails, shampooing and conditioning. If a judge believes your cavy is unfit for showing you can be disqualified. You can also be ordered to leave the competition for bad conduct. So make sure you use your manners. If you are unsure whether certain behaviour is acceptable or not, read my blog post which is full of tips for newcomers or ask your cavy show manager, steward or club president.

Your cavy should be carefully assessed to ensure that it meets its breed standard. Err on the side of caution here. Regardless of the papers you got with your pedigree, if you don't believe the individual cavy meets the breed standard properly then don't show it. In some circumstances they can still be used for breeding. Other times it is best to relegate them to pet status.

The presentation and preparation of your cavy will depend on the breed. Long-haired cavies are typically wrapped for many months before a show and coat chewing can end a show career. Whereas Sheba Mini-Yaks can be successfully shown after having their coats chewed or being trimmed. It comes back to the basic principle of starting with one or two breeds maximum and understanding them properly.

Breeders each have their own personal preference as to how close to a show their cavies are washed and the products that they use. There is no hard and fast rules. If you are starting out try using Fido's products. They are widely used and trusted in the cavy fancy. Alternatively, any shampoos that are safe for puppies or kittens are general considered safe for cavies.
Fido's shampoo

Use pet nail clippers to trim nails but don't cut behind the quick. If you do, then quickly pop your cavies bleeding nail in some cornflour to help stem the flow.

Once you have them all washed, trimmed, combed or tousled and checked over carefully the final step is to load your cavies up into their travel cages and try your luck. Remember, if isn't fun, you're not doing it right!
Cavies in their transport cages, ready to go to a show.


Checklist for Showing

Brushes, cotton buds, fresh food, garbage bags, good sportsmanship, grooming mitt, hair dryer, hand towel, highlighter, lint-roller, nail clippers, newspaper, paper towel, pen, pins, rubber bands, show board/s, show cages, snuggle beds, spare bedding, spare round sticky dots, spare wrappers, sticky tape, table cloth, tweezers, water bottle, water bottles, water soluble eucalyptus oil, wipes/wet ones.

No comments:

Post a Comment