There is no such thing as just a 'guinea pig'. Here are the 14 breeds you are most likely to meet, from the smooth American to the mop-coated Peruvian, with the coat and care of each.
The fluffy ones we specialise in. Gorgeous coats, a little grooming required.
The Silkie, called the Sheltie outside the US, has long, straight hair that all sweeps back from the face, giving a smoo...
The Peruvian is the showstopper: long, straight hair that grows forward over the face as well as back, so a groomed adul...
The Texel is the curly one: Silkie-type long hair that falls in soft ringlets all over the body. It is one of the most s...
A Coronet is essentially a Silkie with a single rosette, a 'crown', in the middle of the forehead. The hair is long and ...
Picture a curly Peruvian: the Alpaca has long hair that grows forward over the face like a Peruvian, but in Texel-style ...
The Merino is the Coronet's curly cousin: long curly hair like a Texel, plus a single crown rosette on the forehead....
The Lunkarya, or 'Lunk', is a Scandinavian breed with dense, coarse, tightly curled hair that stands out from the body i...
Easy coats, big personalities. Great for first-time owners and children.
The American is the classic guinea pig: a short, smooth coat that lies flat, in every colour you can imagine. It is by f...
The Abyssinian's short coat is covered in rosettes, swirls of hair that radiate from a centre point, giving it a permane...
The Teddy has a short, dense, springy coat that stands up off the body like a plush toy, thanks to a genetic quirk that ...
The Rex has a short, dense, woolly coat with no long guard hairs, so it feels plush and slightly springy, similar to a T...
The White Crested is a smooth, short-haired pig with one defining feature: a single white rosette 'crown' on the forehea...
Often called the Siamese of guinea pigs, the Himalayan is white with dark points, a chocolate or black nose, ears and fe...
No coat means special warmth and skin care, and a lot of snuggling.
