What breed?: Can someone tell me what breed my piggies are?

[Catherine]

Hi there. I am the proud mama of 3 human children and 2 piggies

I just got the piggies this past week. They are somewhere between 6-8 weeks old. The pet store could not tell me the exact date of birth.

I am housing them separetely since there is one female and one male. Hoping to get them each a friend in the future. I would have liked them to be the same sex but I found these 2 to be the tamest out of the bunch.

[Heady]

They look like they're Abyssinians. Very cute!

Please make sure they are both the sex you were told they were. Pet stores are notorious for not having a clue...(about anything, really). To check yourself, you can go here: Sexing Guinea Pigs: How to Sex a Guinea Pig It was incredibly helpful (even with pictures of male and females from various ages) for me to make sure the boy I got from craigslist was really a boy!

Also, when you do decide to get them a same-sex buddy, please, please adopt! Whether it be from a rescue, foster, craigslist, newspaper...any of these are better than buying from a pet store and supporting breeders. Pet store pigs are well known to have illnesses, be mis-sexed, and/or pregnant.

Once you do adopt your piggies some buddies, remember to quarantine (in a separate room) the new pigs for 3 weeks. This will rule out any illnesses or infections that could be passed to your current pigs.

All of this information can be found on this site, so it's right here at your fingertips!

[akstrohm]

Yep, Abyssinians or Abyssinian mixes. If they are indeed different sexes (and it's good to double check), make sure you have them separate at all times--don't put them together even for a photo. Your cage will need a lid so the male cannot get to the female (they can be motivated to jump into the other cage when the female is in heat).

Unfortunately if you do have a girl, there is a good chance she is pregnant; the males should have been separated at 21 days. They should both be getting extra calcium in their diets (through alfalfa based pellets, alfalfa hay, or veggies with extra calcium) anyway and should also be gaining weight, so you probably won't be able to tell right away unless you get an ultrasound.

Since they are from a pet store, I highly recommend a vet appointment with an exotics vet. Pet store pigs are often sick and often have parasites (mites and lice). A vet can also tell you the sexes for sure and let you know if you have a pregnant pig. Pregnancy is quite dangerous in pigs, so you will need to be prepared if this is the case.

In the future, please adopt them same-sex friends. Pet store pigs are often sick, missexed, and pregnant, and there are tons of pigs in shelters and rescues that need homes badly. There is tons of great information on this forum, especially on cages and diet, so I would start by reading all the stickies. Your pigs will each need at the very least a 7.5 square foot single-level cage and a variety of fresh veggies twice a day.

[Catherine]

Thank you for all the great information. Here is some more photos. I thought Abyssinians had shorter fur? Do some Abyssinians have longer fur? Or is maybe one parent Abyssinian and one a breed with long fur?

[Catherine]

[Wheekie]

They are sooo cute! Absolutely adorable! Unless you can see their eyes, you can't tell which end is which!

[fridzalone]

It's abyssinian mix peruvian. Positive about that

[foggycreekcavy]

They are adorable. Yes, definitely a mix.

It's not a good idea to have them together, even for photos! It only takes a few seconds for them to mate.

Please, adopt the next ones. Check Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder --there are plenty of rescued pigs in the Vancouver area, if you can take a road trip!

[patteh]

They're so cute! I really like the black one. Is that a by or a girl? o

[akstrohm]

Originally Posted by fridzalone

It's abyssinian mix peruvian. Positive about that

Not necessarily. It could be an Abyssinian mixed with a silkie, or some other combination. There's no way to know for sure.

[lissie]

Are you considering neutering the boy so they can live together?
Guinea Pig Neutering, How to Neuter your Guinea Pigs

[distancel]

Oh they are gorgeous, just little bundles of crazy fur. Yes I agree that neutering the boy might be a good way to go. That way they can live together. And I have heard that a desexed male or female living with the opposite sex will get along very well. Hopefully the female is not already pregnant, you have to be very careful. Congrats on your pretty new babies though.

[piggiecrazy]

What beautiful piggies you have there. Everyone has given you excellent advice.
Please be sure and read up on all the threads available on this sight. I am still learning so much each time I log on.
Please look into adopting your future buddies. The suggestion of neutering is great if you decide to do so.
Enjoy your new piggies. They are a world full of fun and love.