The Cavy Fancy is Not a Macca's Drive-Through

When wanting to buy a new cavy, you can't just roll on up, place your order and wait to be served. It simply doesn't work that way. I often receive emails from people asking whether I have any cavies of a certain breed for sale and telling me that no-one in Queensland has any available. Truth is, there are plenty of cavies around, especially boars but no-one is going to sell to a newbie who treats the cavy fancy like a fast food drive-through.



Cavy breeders love their animals. They spend a lot of time and money taking care of them. They will test you, to ensure you can offer a good home for their animals. If you fail the test, you will find yourself in the "nothing available" zone.

Without intending to cause offense, many newcomers inadvertently do. I have watched several people attempt to buy, only to give up empty handed or end up with really poor quality stock because none of the good breeders will touch them. So with that in mind, if you want to buy a cavy, pet or pedigree, these are my top tips.

Young Sheltie boar.

1. Know your stuff! 

Understand the breed types, be educated on cavy care and know what you are talking about.

Why? Breeders will often drop topics into a conversation to see how clueless you are - pubic symphisis, impaction, diet, they could ask you anything about cavy care. If you don't know your stuff, a breeder will soon switch to, "Sorry I don't have anything available" mode.

2. Be prepared. 

Have your hutches, bedding, water bottles and food ready.

Why? It's sensible. A cavy should not live in a cardboard box with newspaper while you shop around for a hutch. If you can't afford the items needed straight away, you are not ready to own a cavy. If you have everything ready and then you are asked about your set up, you can tell the breeder what you have. A well prepared buyer is reassuring, it shows you are dedicated, prepared and have been thinking about your purchase for some time.

3. Think about why.

Know your intentions, be clear about what you want and why.

If you want pets and only pets that is fine. Whether you want to cuddle them in front of the telly or show them in the pet section at your local cavy club, a breeder will likely sell to you.

If you want pets to breed and sell them for profit then you are asking the wrong people. It is a wide held view that breeders should be well educated, have show experience and have registered studs. Backyard breeders will never be supported by the fancy.

If you want a pedigree to show you could be offered cavies but they may not be award winning.

Why? Breeders keep their best stock and their second best stock, to breed and to show. They offer the cavies that they don't want to their friends in the fancy. What the other breeders aren't interested in, is usually what you will be offered. A breeder doesn't need a lot of boars so they are easier to come by. They may also be more inclined to part with a sow that can't be bred but is still suitable for showing.

Still want award winning cavies? Start showing what you are given and hope some of the breeders get to know you and offer you better quality cavies in time. Even if your cavy isn't a place getter if you are seen to be showing and making an effort you greatly increase your chances of being offered good quality cavies.

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Mother and her babies

4. Express your interest appropriately.

Whether you are emailing, posting in a facebook group or putting a wanted ad online you only get one chance to make your first impression to the fancy. It is a small world and breeders do talk. Burn your bridges with one stud owner and ten others will know all about it.

Start with your name, your intentions, your preference, your location and your preferred method of contact. Think about everything I have said above and make sure what you are asking, is sensible.

These are some examples of what not to do:

"Hey lookin for a black dutch, preferably show quality, sow. Also want a lilac texel, a teddy or breeding pair of shelties. Msg me if you have what Im after."

"Lookin 2 buy a long haired guinea pig. Available in the next wk or so. I wanna get into showing and show it next month. Needs to be high quality n well handled."

"My daughter wants a guinea pig. If you have a pedigree slate, roan or lilac let me know. Willing to pay the right price for the right animal."

Why? Nobody is going to sell you a showable Dutch, Himalayan or Dalmation.  If a breeder has bred show quality, which is quite difficult to acheive, they sure as heck aren't selling them to a newcomer. They are showing them or breeding them, themselves. Just give that dream up, for now.

A Teddy is not a breed that exists in Australia, you cannot import them to Australia. I don't care if you saw them advertised in a pet shop once. Teddies are not in Australia. Asking for a Teddy, Lunkarya, Swiss or any other breed that is not in Australia is going to make you look foolish and ignorant. Refer to point number one.

Asking for breeding pairs show that primarily you want to breed, which suggests that you are not interested in showing first and knowing the breed standards. It may put your potential sellers off.

Adult Sheltie boar.

Requesting long haired breeds as a newbie may raise concerns with sellers, asking for showable long haired cavies will confirm that they were right to have concerns. Very few people have successfully started with long coated cavies. They require a lot of grooming. A showable cavy needs to be kept in wraps. If a breeder is going to wrap and groom a cavy to show, they aren't going to sell it to you, they are going to show it. If you are offered a in coat cavy, it will likely be under three months of age and you will need to groom it and coat it out yourself.

Breeders don't love selling pedigrees to kids. Your child may be mature for their age, gentle and experienced with cavies but we don't know that. When your expression of interest is based simply on colours it gives the impression that your over indulged brat said "Mummy, I want a guinea pig. I googled it and I want these colours!" The breeders are not going to rush to sell to you and your child if your message is similar to the example above.

Offering "top dollar" or being able to pay more won't impress anyone. Having money doesn't mean you aren't impulsive, that you don't have enough time to care for your cavies and that you don't know absolutely nothing about the species. Which are the aspects the seller is more concerned wtih. There is little to no profit to be made in breeding and selling cavies. Reputable registered studs do not breed to make money which is why focusing on that aspect gives little incentive.

Also remember, grammar and spelling do matter. Take your time, proof read, make an effort to sound intelligent and spell check. You want to make a good impression and show that this is important to you, so take the time to type proper words. Avoid slang terms such as 'ya' and 'gunna', refrain from text type language such as 'n' instead of 'and' or '2' instead of 'to' and do not use caps lock.

So what should you say? Try something like this:

"Hi, My name is Melinda, I have just registered my stud pre-fix but I would like to start showing first before breeding any cavies myself. I especially adore PE whites and creams. I am a member of COBS and live in the Mount Gravatt area. If anyone is willing to help me out with a cavy or two to get me started it would be much appreciated. You can call me on 07888999354."

"Hello, I have owned pet guinea pigs for years but I would really love to start breeding and showing Rex. If anyone has any for sale, I am able to provide my stud details and any other relevant information that you need, to trust that I can offer a fabulous home for your piggies. I live in Toowoomba but I am willing to arrange transport if need be. Please PM me. Thanks, Kylie."

"Hi, My family and I would love to own a pair or trio of Abyssinian's. They will be kept indoors with us and are guaranteed a loving pet home. We have a nice big hutch all set up ready. We are happy to travel to pick them up but live in Caboolture. Would need to be all the same sex as we want them to live together and don't want any babies. Please get in touch with me if you have any available. I am willing to answer any questions you might have. Thank you, Jess."

Young Texel Sow, in coat.

5. Be a good buyer. 

Don't start by asking the price. In terms of papered cavies, expect to pay $50 - $60 for a boar and up to $70 for a sow. Depending on the breeder and the quality they could be more than that. If they are a little bit older or breed only (meaning not showable but suitable for breeding) then they may be a little cheaper. Pets are generally less than $20. The point is, cost should not be your primary concern.

Start by thanking the breeder for getting in touch with you. Focus on your initial request, don't get greedy and start asking for more or other breeds. Trust me on this, don't! If the breeder has other animals available and you are interested, wait until you are at their stud and have made a good impression. Your request is much more likely to be granted after they have met you in person.

You may ask how old the cavy is, where it is located, what sort of temperament it has, whether it is breed or show quality and if you could see a photo. If after hearing the offer you aren't interested, decline the sale politely. If you want the cavy and have discussed everything else first then, you can ask how much. Do not try to barter or get a discount. Agree to the payment terms discussed, if you are meant to transfer the money, do it promptly and with enough time for the funds to clear before pick up. If you are taking cash, have the right money so you don't need to be asking for change.

Turn up on time, bring your own carrier with bedding, food and water in it. A seller can and will cancel the sale if you turn up ill-prepared and appear unfit to properly care for it and so they should. Don't say negative things about other people you have spoken to in the fancy. Ill words spread like wild fire and will only end up hurting you.

Once you have your new cavy home, it is polite to send a message letting the seller know that the cavy has arrived safely and settled in well. If for any reason you ever want to sell the cavy, offer first refusal to the seller. It is good manners.


These tips are general good etiquette. I am not an expert but I am a quick learner :) If you have any doubts about my advice, then I encourage you to ask around on some cavy forums or facebook groups. I am sure other more experienced breeders will be more than willing to give you their perspective on the topic. If you enjoy my blog and have found this post helpful, you may also enjoy my page with tips for newcomers.